"Dear God our Father, we are touched deeply by the news of the death of our shipmates. We pray that You will comfort their families and friends... Teach us to value each day as a gift from You..." — Chaplain John Laible
| Name | Rate/Rank | Years | Departed |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANDERSON, Edwin D. | SN/MC | 1965-1966 | 11/17/2021 |
| CIERZNIAK, James J. | LTJG | 1957-1960 | 01/04/2021 |
| CLARK, Kenneth P. | ICFN | 1961-1964 | 08/22/2019 |
| DAVIS, Tommy "Sprout" | MM3/c | 1943-1945 | 04/19/2026 |
| FOLSOM, Robert E. | EN2 | 1959-1960 | 01/22/2014 |
| HARWELL, J. C. | SN | 1957-1959 | 11/18/2024 |
| KAELBERER, John H. | LCDR | 1965-1967 | 09/01/2025 |
| KING, Burley O. | YN3 | 1957-1958 | 11/22/2021 |
| LIGHT, Ronald V. | GMG2 | 1968-1969 | 04/14/2026 |
| LINDSTROM, David J. | MM2 | 1955-1959 | 03/06/2026 |
| MACHOWICZ, Howard | SK2 | 1954-1957 | 03/19/2011 |
| McBRIDE, Joseph | S1 | 1945-1945 | 12/03/2005 |
| PERRAS, Edward T. | MM3 | 1951-1952 | 12/25/2021 |
| RICHMAN, Earl D. | FC/3c | 1943-1946 | 11/24/2016 |
| ROWELL, Michael | FTG3 | 1968-1969 | 12/12/2025 |
Sadly, the USS Stoddard Crew had to say goodbye to our resident poet, Tommy "Sprout" Davis (July 2, 1924 – April 19, 2026). For all alumni who shared reunions with Tommy, he will be dearly missed. Below is the poem he shared with us at the 2016 reunion, recalling his picket duty off Okinawa:
The Ship
She glides through the water like a great white shark,
her silhouette is long and gray
moving at the speed of 38 knots,
this is just another day.
The guns are fully loaded while radar searches the sky
protecting the island on picket,
it's somebody's time to die.
General quarters sounds through the ship, planes are coming our way
every gun points to the sky
someone will have to pay.
Planes get closer, radar locks on guns sing their deadly song
three planes hit the water, a ball of fire;
we have been out here too long.
Another day of picket duty, The Stoddard is ready to fight
we stand together as a team of one
because we do things right.
The ship now lives in a watery grave both ship and guns are at rest,
of all the ships that fought three wars
The Stoddard was the best.
— Sprout Davis, 2016
Official News Release from Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet:
TWO 7TH FLEET DESTROYERS CHALKED UP A FIRST IN THE IN-COUNTRY OPERATIONS THURSDAY NIGHT (JULY 22), WHEN THE USS STODDARD AND THE USS JOHN R. CRAIG JOINED FORCES IN A MASS FIRE MISSION AGAINST A VIET CONG CONCENTRATION IN THE I CORPS AREA OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.
MASS FIRING IS THE FIRING OF TWO OR MORE SHIPS ON ONE TARGET, WITH ONE SHIP USING THE COMPUTER SOLUTIONS OF THE OTHER. THE SHIPS FIRED OVER 40 ROUNDS OF FIVE-INCH HIGH EXPLOSIVES INTO THE TARGET, A SUSPECTED VIET CONG ASSEMBLY AREA IN THE CA DE SONG RIVER, ABOUT EIGHT MILES FROM THE DANANG HARBOR.
IMMEDIATE EVALUATION OF THE DAMAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE, BUT A SPOTTER REPORTED "VERY EFFECTIVE IMPACT ON THE TARGET." WEATHER IN THE AREA WAS CLEAR, NO RETURN FIRE FROM THE BEACH WAS REPORTED DURING THE ONE HOUR MISSION. THIS WAS THE FOURTH NIGHT IN SUCCESSION THAT STODDARD HAS CONDUCTED SHORE BOMBARDMENT FROM THE DANANG HARBOR. SHE HAS FIRED A TOTAL OF 281 ROUNDS DURING THESE MISSIONS.
Commanding Officers at the time: CDR Charles K. Presgrove (USS Stoddard) and CDR J.K. Jobe (USS John R. Craig).
| INCOME | |
| Membership Dues | $1,298.00 |
| Ship's Store | $88.00 |
| Bank Fee (Returned Ck) | $20.00 |
| Donations | $105.00 |
| Reunion Fees | $15,834.00 |
| TOTAL INCOME | $24,092.59 |
| EXPENSES | |
| Reunion Expenses | $14,014.06 |
| Newsletter Costs | $1,519.51 |
| Office Supplies | $173.50 |
| Bank Fees | $51.00 |
| Thank a Vet / Coins | $37.80 |
| Reunion Refunds | $1,228.00 |
| Hotel Deposit (2027) | $500.00 |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | $17,523.87 |
| NET BALANCE (As of 12/31/2025) | $23,913.72 |
Respectfully Submitted by William Melyan, Treasurer
From Storekeepers Steve & Renee Romack: Due to the high cost of mailing, items from the Ship's Store will only be available directly at the Reunion. At the last alumni meeting, the members voted to discontinue the Ship's Store permanently once the current inventory is gone. See you in Omaha!