Korean Era

Reactivation after World War II

On November 1950 she was reactivated. She fitted out at Charleston and Newport, RI, and then conducted shakedown cruises at Newport and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Stoddard alternated deployments with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea with overhauls at Philadelphia and operations along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States until December of 1954, when she transited the Panama Canal and joined the Pacific Fleet.

Streaming Video of Med Cruise, 1953-54

This is one long video of different scenes. Maybe I can get a narrative at the next convention to add to this. Maybe I have something and cant find it either. I have only been working on this for 1 1/2 years. Oh, well I will get it cleaned up later - Dan

Readers' Stories, Comments & Photos

USS STODDARD DD566 in the KOREAN WAR ERA by Dr. Joseph W.C. Harpster (MM1 1950-1954)
Pictures from Henry Bennage; aboard the Stoddard 1951-1954
Wasp Teletype
Pictures from G. William Reynolds from Med cruise 1952.
Jim Honberger's pictures of 53 Med Cruise shared at the 2000 Reunion .
Robert Henry's painting - Korean War Monument
Streaming Video of 1953-54 Med Cruise provided by (I can't find who gave me the tape.)
History and documents about the Tachen Islands evacuation from Leslie funk.

1953-54 Med Cruise Video

22K dialup

DSL

First Deployment After World War II

In January 1955, she embarked upon her first deployment to the Western Pacific since World War II. Soon after her arrival, she participated in the evacuation of Chinese Nationalists from the Tachen Islands. Following that operation, she served on the Taiwan Strait patrol. Stoddard followed a schedule of deployments to the Far East alternated with West Coast operations throughout the remainder of her career.

Destroyer Squadron 21 Here

Eight Ships Recently Shifted to West Coast

Destroyer Squadron 21, which recently transferred its home port from Newport, Rhode Island, to San Diego, California, steamed into Pearl Harbor yesterday. The Division's eight destroyers are the USS Brain, flagship; USS Stoddard, USS Mullany, USS Isherwood, USS Ammen, USS Cogswell, USS Ingersoll, and USS Knapp. The Squadron, commanded by Captain B. A. Fuetsch, USN, of San Diego, left it's home port in Newport and sailed through the Panama Canal to the West Coast, and her new home port in San Diego. While serving in the Atlantic Fleet, the Squadron participated in NATO operations in the Mediterranean, with the Sixth Fleet, and underwent six weeks of Refresher Training with the US Naval Training Group in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During her Caribbean assignment, the Squadron visited ports in Cuba, Haiti, and the Virgin Islands. In August 1953, Destroyer Division 212, a part of the Squadron now commanded by Captain J. B. Gay USN, of Hoboken, NJ, started a cruise that took it around the world. The tour was completed in March, 1954. The destroyers in that Division comprising one-half of Destroyer Squadron 21 are the Ammen, Ingersoll, Knapp and Cogswell.

World War II Action

All eight ships had outstanding World War II records in the Pacific area, participating in such major actions as the Marianas invasion, invasion of the Philippines and Okinawa, attacks against the Japanese homeland, and the invasions of Biak and Hollandia. In addition to these actions, the Braine helped support landings on Bataan and Corregidor. The Stoddard participated in bombardments on Suribachi Wan, Paramushiro, and after peace was declared, continued to patrol east of Honshu Island. The Ingersoll, Knapp and the Cogswell participated in the invasion of Turk and strikes against Saipan.