USS Benjamin Stoddert ( DDG - 22 ) USS " Benjamin Stoddert " ( DDG - 22 ) , named for Benjamin Stoddert ( 1751 – 1813 ) , Secretary of the Navy from 1798 to 1801 , was a " Charles F . Adams " - class guided missile armed destroyer in the United States Navy . She was laid down by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dry Dock Company at Seattle in Washington on 11 June 1962 , launched on 8 January 1963 ; sponsored by Mrs . Nancee Ravenel , a great , great , great , granddaughter of the Honorable Benjamin Stoddert ; and commissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 12 September 1964 ; Commander Walter Megginness in command . 1960s . Over the next six weeks , " Benjamin Stoddert " fitted out at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , preparing for a series of weapon , sensor , and communication system tests . The guided - missile destroyer departed Bremerton for the first time on 7 November and , after brief stops at San Francisco and San Diego , arrived at Pearl Harbor to commence acceptance trials . Since she was primarily designed to provide long - range antiaircraft cover for task forces at sea , " Benjamin Stoddert " conducted a two - month evaluation of her TARTAR antiaircraft missile system , concluding with a test firing off Kauai , Hawaii , in early February 1965 . Other tests — including gunnery , torpedo , and engineering exercises — helped the crew tie her antisubmarine , antiair , and communications gear into a single integrated system . In May , the warship entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a two - month maintenance period . In July , " Benjamin Stoddert " ’ s crew took her through shakedown training , carrying out a variety of operational evolutions — from the complex tracking of aircraft and submarines , to underway refueling , down through the simple but important tasks of anchoring ship — under the watchful eyes of the Fleet Training Group , Pearl Harbor . Upon completing these exams , the warship officially joined the Pacific Fleet in August 1965 . Assigned to Destroyer Division ( DesDiv ) 112 , " Benjamin Stoddert " conducted local operations in Hawaiian waters through October , when she began preparations for her first tour of duty with 7th Fleet in the western Pacific . Underway with " Hancock " ( CV - 19 ) in late November , she made a brief stop at Subic Bay in the Philippines before proceeding to the South China Sea for combat operations off Vietnam . Upon arrival at " Yankee Station " on 16 December , " Benjamin Stoddert " joined Task Force ( TF ) 77 in support of Operation Rolling Thunder . This naval air campaign , begun the previous March , was intended to interdict North Vietnam ' s logistical pipeline through Laos and across the demilitarized zone ( DMZ ) , cutting the flow of munitions and supplies to the Viet Cong in South Vietnam . The surface Navy ' s companion campaign — Operation Sea Dragon — supported this effort by targeting communist supply craft , shelling coastal batteries and radar sites , and bombarding coastal infiltration routes . Over the next six weeks , the guided - missile destroyer screened Hancock — providing antisubmarine and antiair protection for the carrier and carrying out planeguard services during flight operations . She also performed radar control duties to assist strike and combat air patrol ( CAP ) aircraft returning to the carrier . On 4 and 5 January 1966 , in a change of pace from earlier tasks , the guided - missile destroyer also fired her 5 - inch guns against Viet Cong targets ashore . Released from TF 77 on 22 January 1966 , " Benjamin Stoddert " proceeded north , arriving at Yokosuka , Japan , on the 28th . The warship spent a week of alongside " Isle Royale " ( AD - 29 ) to repair a broken steam blower before departing Japan on 6 February to return to the South China Sea . Six days later , the guided - missile destroyer resumed duty in TF 77 screening Hancock and remained so employed until setting out for the Philippines on 5 March . " Benjamin Stoddert " arrived at Subic Bay on the 7th for a five - day upkeep period alongside " Ajax " ( AR - 6 ) . She then sailed to Hong Kong on 12 March for six days of rest and recreation . The warship returned to the South China Sea and rejoined TF 77 late that month . During the next two weeks , the guided - missile destroyer conducted radar picket duty in the Gulf of Tonkin before being relieved by " Topeka " ( CLG - 8 ) . Steaming to Subic Bay on the 12th , she then began preparing for a visit to Australia and New Zealand . Departing Subic Bay on 17 April , " Benjamin Stoddert " crossed the equator north of the Admiralty Islands and moored at Sydney , Australia , on 29 April . During the next three weeks her crew took part in the annual " Coral Sea Celebration " — in honor of the May 1942 Allied naval victory — and visited Sydney , Brisbane , and Melbourne in Australia as well as Wellington , New Zealand . Underway for Hawaii on 22 May , the guided - missile destroyer arrived at Pearl Harbor , via Suva in the Fiji Islands , on 30 May . Except for a brief trip to Honolulu , " Benjamin Stoddert " remained in port until 16 July when she put to sea to participate in the Gemini 10 capsule recovery operation . Then , from 25 July to 5 August , the warship conducted several antisubmarine exercises in Hawaiian waters . She returned to mid - ocean operations on 16 August to participate in the recovery of an unmanned Apollo capsule . After a fuel stop at Kwajalein in the Marshalls on the 27th , the guided - missile destroyer returned to Pearl Harbor on 2 September . In addition to a limited availability alongside " Prairie " ( AD - 15 ) , the warship divided the remainder of the year between various service inspections and local operations out of Pearl Harbor . These local operations — which included shore bombardment , carrier screening , and ASW exercises — continued into early 1967 as the crew prepared for another 7th Fleet deployment . During this time , her engineers and technicians busied themselves maintaining and improving the warship ' s complex electronic and fire - control systems , a task abetted by a two - week availability alongside " Frontier " ( AD - 25 ) in mid - February . After a final hull cleaning at Pearl Harbor in late March , " Benjamin Stoddert " got underway for the Far East on 6 April . The guided - missile destroyer crossed the central Pacific ; and , after a short liberty at Yokosuka , Japan , the crew took the warship south to Subic Bay , arriving there on 23 April . Underway the following day , " Benjamin Stoddert " met " Bon Homme Richard " ( CVA - 31 ) in the Gulf of Tonkin on the 27th . Later that same day , she joined " Saint Paul " ( CA - 73 ) and " Ault " ( DD - 698 ) for a " Sea Dragon " patrol ; and the task unit prowled the North Vietnamese coast at the 19th parallel , searching for enemy waterborne logistics craft . Early on 5 May , the warships found two such craft , sinking one with gunfire and damaging the other . That afternoon , the trio carried out a preplanned bombardment mission off North Vietnam . This pattern — small - craft searches in the morning followed by shore bombardment missions later in the day — became the daily routine of " Benjamin Stoddert " ’ s later " Sea Dragon " patrols . Following a diversion to Subic Bay on 7 May to fix a broken forced - draft blower , the guided - missile destroyer rejoined " Bon Homme Richard " on 16 May for 10 days of planeguard duty . Steaming on her second " Sea Dragon " patrol on 26 May , " Benjamin Stoddert " came under enemy fire for the first time later that day . A North Vietnamese coastal battery unexpectedly opened fire , forcing her to shift fire onto the battery , to commence weaving , and to clear the area . During this patrol , " Benjamin Stoddert " also rescued the pilot who parachuted from a stricken Air Force F4C " Phantom " that crashed at sea on 30 May ( the WSO was rescued by another ship ) and provided gunfire protection during the helicopter rescue of an Air Force F - 105 " Thunderchief " pilot on 4 June . Returning to " Bon Homme Richard " the next day , the guided - missile destroyer alternated planeguard duties with " Sea Dragon " patrols through 12 July . At one point on 26 June , enemy counterbattery fire fell close enough to spray the ship with shell fragments , but the resulting damage was light and was quickly repaired . Next came a week of PIRAZ duty followed by four days of gunline operations , after which " Benjamin Stoddert " headed to Hong Kong for a week of rest and recreation . After an upkeep period at Subic Bay , the guided - missile destroyer returned to " Yankee Station " on 9 August . Once again , she alternated between carrier planeguard services and gunline duties through the end of the month . A boiler tube failure on 4 September , however , forced the warship to proceed to Yokosuka for temporary repairs . Departing Japan on 21 August , she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 29 August , and spent the remainder of the year undergoing boiler repairs , conducting post - deployment maintenance , and preparing for various service inspections . This routine was broken only by a few days of underway combat training with " Jenkins " ( DD - 447 ) and " Pickerel " ( SS - 524 ) in mid - December . On 20 December , the guided - missile destroyer fired two Tartar missiles at the hulk of the former " Fessenden " ( DE - 142 ) about south of Oahu . The old escort was damaged by one missile shot and was later sunk by combined gun and torpedo fire . It was during these exercises that the crew learned that " Benjamin Stoddert " had earned a meritorious unit commendation for the previous summer ' s combat operations in Southeast Asia . The guided - missile destroyer continued local operations out of Hawaii until 5 March 1968 when she moved into the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard to begin a maintenance overhaul . Upon completion of these repairs on 29 August , the warship conducted four weeks of weapons system and sensor calibration tests . Departing Pearl Harbor on 1 October , " Benjamin Stoddert " steamed to San Diego , mooring there on the 7th . The next day , the warship began two weeks of training operations in the waters off southern California . Following a missile - firing exercise on the 24th , she put in to Redwood City , California , for a port visit on 25 October . After departing there on the 29th , the warship returned home to Pearl Harbor on 2 November and spent the remainder of the year in port . As part of her final post - overhaul refresher training , " Benjamin Stoddert " stood out of Pearl Harbor on 13 January 1969 for local operations with " Enterprise " ( CVAN - 65 ) and " Rogers " ( DD - 876 ) . Early the next day , while she operated about nine miles ( 14 km ) away , " Benjamin Stoddert " ’ s crew saw a plume of black smoke rise from the carrier . The guided - missile destroyer closed the smoking carrier — which had suffered a severe flight deck fire — to assist firefighting efforts and search for survivors . By late afternoon , she had recovered one body from the sea and set course for Pearl Harbor . On 20 January , the guided - missile destroyer began tactical exercises in preparation for " STRIKEX 1 - 69 , " a fleet exercise to be held the following month . Underway from Pearl Harbor on 10 February , " Benjamin Stoddert " conducted two weeks of screening , antiair warfare , gunnery , and antisubmarine exercises off San Diego . After these successful maneuvers , she loaded 10 Standard and 24 Tartar missiles at the ammunition depot at Concord , Calif . , and returned to Hawaii . There , she moored alongside " Isle Royal " ( AD - 29 ) in Pearl Harbor for three weeks of boiler tube repairs in preparation for another western Pacific deployment . On 14 April , " Benjamin Stoddert " loaded a final pallet of 5 - inch ammunition before steaming northwest toward Yokosuka . One day after a brief fuel stop at Midway Island , however , the warship suffered yet another boiler tube failure . This did not prevent regular operations ; however , and the guided - missile destroyer arrived in Japan on the 24th . The next day , after North Korean fighters shot down a Navy EC - 121 reconnaissance plane over the Sea of Japan , " Benjamin Stoddert " put to sea for emergency operations in the Yellow Sea . During the tense days that followed , the warship ' s duties included antiair early warning , carrier screening , and electronic intelligence gathering to pinpoint radar and other installations in the Shantung province of eastern China . When the crisis abated in mid - May , " Benjamin Stoddert " turned south , visiting Singapore and spending a day on " Yankee Station , " before mooring at Subic Bay on 1 June . Fitted out with specialized reconnaissance equipment , the warship steamed to the Sea of Japan and relieved " Dale " ( DLG - 19 ) as Pacific Area Reconnaissance Program ( PARPRO ) picket ship on 4 June . The guided - missile destroyer , aside from a few upkeep periods at Sasebo , collected intelligence off the Korean peninsula for the next eight weeks . She moored at Yokosuka on 8 August , unloaded the PARPRO equipment , and then set off south for combat operations on the 10th . After a week of liberty in Hong Kong , " Benjamin Stoddert " reported to the gunline off South Vietnam on 22 August . There , she carried out fire missions in the Chu Lai area during the day and provided harassment and interdiction fire from Danang harbor during the night . During four weeks of operations , air and ground spotters directed her guns at enemy supply points , troop concentrations , rocket sites , and infiltration routes ; and , by mid - September , she had fired over 5 , 000 5 - inch rounds at these and other targets . To guard against enemy underwater swimmer attacks while at anchor in Danang harbor , " Benjamin Stoddert " ’ s crew assisted her marine sentries by frequently dropping concussion grenades in the water . Departing Danang on the 18th , the warship steamed to Yokosuka for a second PARPRO cruise in the Sea of Japan . These duties included the difficult task of marshaling , routing , and refueling aircraft during large - scale intelligence gathering missions near North Korea . Relieved by " Halsey " ( DLG - 23 ) in mid - October , " Benjamin Stoddert " unloaded her PARPRO equipment and sailed for Pearl Harbor on 19 October . During the transit , however , a typhoon moved across her track , forcing the warship to reverse course ; and she did not arrive in Pearl Harbor until 1 November . 1970s . The guided - missile destroyer remained in port until 12 January 1970 , when she got underway for a three - day exercise at the Barking Sands Tactical Underwater Range ( BARSTUR ) . The warship conducted a second such training mission between 9 and 13 February , firing exercise ASROC rockets and torpedoes at underwater targets both times . In addition to putting to sea for routine training , she also did so to serve as standby ship for the Apollo 13 recovery mission . In May , " Benjamin Stoddert " conducted a very successful nuclear submarine detection and tracking exercise with " Epperson " ( DD - 719 ) , " Knox " ( DE - 1052 ) , and " Sargo " ( SSN - 583 ) . At the end of a short availability alongside " Bryce Canyon " ( AD - 36 ) , the guided - missile destroyer passed her pre - deployment inspections in early June before joining the annual summer antisubmarine warfare exercise — conducted by American , Canadian , New Zealand , and Japanese warships — off Pearl Harbor at the end of the month . She followed up this exercise with a final tender availability in mid - July . On 1 August , " Benjamin Stoddert " sailed for the western Pacific in company with " Goldsborough " ( DDG - 20 ) ; and , after stopping for fuel at Midway and Guam , the two warships arrived in Subic Bay on the 15th . " Stoddert " then moved on to " Yankee Station " where she provided planeguard and screen services for " Bon Homme Richard " between 22 and 30 August . The guided - missile destroyer then headed south for Indonesia , held " a rousing shellback initiation " when she crossed the Equator on 3 September and entered Surabaya harbor for a goodwill visit on the 4th . Departing Java on 7 September , " Benjamin Stoddert " traced a northerly course between Borneo and Celebes and arrived back at Subic Bay on the 11th . Following a short upkeep period , the guided - missile destroyer headed for Danang and a tour on the northern search and rescue station ( SAR ) in the Gulf of Tonkin . Relieving ( DLGN - 25 ) on 17 September , " Benjamin Stoddert " provided continuous radar and communications services for barrier combat air patrol ( BARCAP ) operations over the next 25 days . She then headed to Kaohsiung , Taiwan , where her crew received four days of liberty . Over the next five weeks , " Stoddert " conducted two more patrols on the north SAR station , the second of which was interrupted by a small fire in the forward fireroom . Although damage was minimal , the warship sailed to Sasebo , Japan , for minor repairs alongside " Hector " ( AR - 7 ) . To make matters worse , she suffered another setback when a boiler pipe cracked on the return voyage , and she diverted to Subic Bay for repairs . The warship finally returned to South Vietnam on the 13th , when she stood to on the gunline off Chu Lai . Once there , the warship settled into a pattern of sporadic call - fire missions during the day and night harassment and interdiction fire after dark . Over the next two weeks , her gun crews fired 2 , 200 rounds at targets ashore . Sailing for Hong Kong on 29 December , " Benjamin Stoddert " ’ s crew closed the year with liberty in that city . Underway again on 5 January 1971 , the guided - missile destroyer commenced a final three days of lifeguard duty on " Yankee Station " before sailing for home on the 15th . After stops at Taiwan , Guam , and Midway , she finally returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 February . Following preparations for a second shipyard overhaul — during which time " Benjamin Stoddert " was reassigned to Destroyer Squadron ( DesRon ) 33 — she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 17 May . The warship received improvements to her missile and gun systems , and much - needed repairs to her hull , sonar dome , and engineering spaces . With shipyard work completed on 17 September , the crew began refresher training on 13 October . In the evening of 29 October , however , a fire broke out in sonar control in the forward part of the warship . In the darkness and heavy rain , it took damage control teams and the shipyard fire department just over four hours to extinguish the blaze . The crew then spent the next six weeks helping shipyard workers repair the fire damage and get the warship ' s ASW systems back in battery . It was not until 13 January 1972 that " Stoddert " could begin a two months of refresher training and other local operations . The warship finally got underway for deployment on 25 March , arriving in Subic Bay via Midway and Guam on 7 April . The next day , she sailed for the Tonkin Gulf and commenced gunline operations upon arrival off Vietnam on the 10th . She joined other 7th Fleet units in heavy attacks against North Vietnamese military units pushing south along the coast , firing numerous bombardment missions against enemy troops and tanks advancing towards Hue . Four days later , " Benjamin Stoddert " joined Task Unit ( TU ) 77 . 1 . 0 for Operation " Freedom Train " — a series of strikes against enemy forces and their logistical infrastructure in North Vietnam . After rearming from ammunition ships " Pyro " ( AE - 24 ) and " Haleakala " ( AE - 25 ) early on 17 April , " Benjamin Stoddert " joined " Oklahoma City " ( CLG - 5 ) for a raid on Vinh , North Vietnam . As the warships closed the port , " Stoddert " ’ s electronic warfare unit registered signals from an enemy fire - control radar , followed almost immediately by the launch of two surface - to - surface missiles . Fortunately , both of the missiles missed her ; one burst 50 yards to starboard while the other exploded well astern . When enemy gunfire started falling close aboard , including several air bursts that sprayed shell fragments near the warship , " Benjamin Stoddert " returned double salvos commencing an inconclusive gun duel that lasted about 13 minutes . Over the next week , the guided - missile destroyer continued strikes against coastal targets , including daily bombardments of the shore as far north as Thanh Hoa . North Vietnamese shore batteries repeatedly took her under fire and finally scored on 23 April when a shell struck " Benjamin Stoddert " forward in the windlass room . Although put out quickly , the resulting fire destroyed the medical storeroom and the degaussing cable . Returning to gunline duty shortly thereafter , " Stoddert " steered south and provided defensive fire for South Vietnamese ( ARVN ) forces ashore — at one point firing 1 , 009 rounds in a 24 - hour period . After a two - week repair and refitting period at Subic Bay between 12 and 26 May , she reentered the Tonkin Gulf on the 29th for more missions against the enemy ' s coastal logistics pipeline . Once American mines shut down the major North Vietnamese harbors , many Chinese communist merchant ships sought refuge in strategic lagoons and inlets whence their cargoes were ferried ashore . One of the guided - missile destroyer ' s missions was to search out and destroy the small ferry craft and any nearby supply caches . On the night of 10 and 11 June , " Benjamin Stoddert " closed one such merchant ship , firing on several small craft trying to make a run for shore . When she hit one , and its crew abandoned ship ; " Stoddert " sent a boarding party to inspect the sampan . The craft — loaded with seven tons of rice — was later sunk by 5 - inch gun and machinegun fire . Resuming gunline operations on the 14th , the warship fired at enemy troop formations attacking ARVN troops , helping to stall and then repulse this communist thrust into South Vietnam . During one such mission , at 09 : 10 on 26 June , the forward 5 - inch mount suffered a misfire which left a live round hung up in the barrel . Sadly efforts to extract the live shell failed when it exploded , killing two sailors outright and mortally wounding two others . The blast also heavily damaged the gun mount and nearby living spaces . Departing immediately for Subic Bay , the guided - missile destroyer spent the next month in port , replacing the wrecked gun mount and repairing other damage . According to the ship ’ s Deck Logs , from April till the end of June when the gun mount incident occurred , 10 , 476 rounds were fired . Many were not logged or recorded due to the intense combat situations . Arriving back in the Tonkin Gulf on 30 July , " Benjamin Stoddert " spent the next three weeks conducting fire missions with TU 70 . 8 . 9 off North Vietnam . At this point , South Vietnamese forces had taken Quang Tri City , driving North Vietnamese forces back toward the DMZ ; and the naval campaign against the North began to wind down . Coincidentally , " Stoddert " ’ s deployment drew to a close at about the same time , and she headed for home on 27 September , mooring in Pearl Harbor on 6 October after a quick transit . Three days later , she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a much needed 30 - day standdown . " Benjamin Stoddert " remained in the Hawaiian area for the next seven months , conducting routine training operations in preparation for her next 7th Fleet deployment . During this time , a cease - fire agreement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973 , and American forces in South Vietnam began to withdraw . Underway for the Far East on 14 May , " Stoddert " stopped at Yokosuka , Japan , and Kaohsiung , Taiwan , before finally arriving off South Vietnam on 9 June . With combat operations over , the warship helped enforce the terms of the cease fire while on PIRAZ and antiair warfare picket duty in the Gulf of Tonkin . Following liberty at Hong Kong in early August and two weeks of repairs at Subic Bay , " Benjamin Stoddert " received orders to sail for the Gulf of Thailand in response to a domestic crisis in Thailand . She arrived in the gulf on 29 August and operated for three days with Task Group ( TG ) 76 . 4 , the contingency force assembled in case Americans had to be evacuated from Thailand . Once the crisis eased , " Stoddert " returned to the Gulf of Tonkin . Arriving on station on 11 September , the guided - missile destroyer spent the next six weeks patrolling off Vietnam . Her only diversion came in mid - October , when the warship conducted antisubmarine tactical training in the Subic Bay operating area . Then , on 30 October while steaming near Singapore to avoid a typhoon in the Gulf of Tonkin , she suffered a boiler breakdown which forced her back to Subic Bay . Following three weeks of repairs , the warship sailed for Hawaii , arriving in Pearl Harbor , via Guam and Midway , on 7 December . Upon her return home , the guided - missile destroyer was greeted by a shrinking defense budget , lack of spare parts , and a shortage of fuel oil — the latter caused by the October 1973 Arab oil embargo — all of which cut back the operating tempo of the Pacific Fleet ' s surface ships . In response , the Navy concentrated on improving overall operational readiness , a routine markedly different from previous training which had concentrated on preparing warships for combat operations off Vietnam . " Benjamin Stoddert " spent the first three months of 1974 participating in a series of fleet - wide inspections and maintenance programs . She remained in the Pearl Harbor area through October , engaged in extensive propulsion repairs , improving her maintenance procedures , and conducting a few local training operations . On 2 November , " Benjamin Stoddert " got underway for her sixth deployment to the Far East . After a stop at Midway to refuel , the guided - missile destroyer arrived at Yokosuka on the 12th . After putting to sea four days later , she conducted ASW operations with " Sailfish " ( SS - 572 ) near Okinawa before sailing for Jinhae , South Korea . Arriving at that port on 25 November , the warship then participated in a three - day antisubmarine operation called Exercise " Tae Kwon Do IV . " After a two - week repair stop at Yokosuka in early December and a holiday port visit to Kaohsiung , Taiwan , she ended the year at Subic Bay . In response to the growing Soviet Navy presence in the Indian Ocean , several American warships received orders to " show the flag " in the region . On 7 January 1975 , " Benjamin Stoddert " got underway for the Indian Ocean in company with Enterprise . The warships conducted four weeks of training operations at sea before visiting Mombasa , Kenya , between 5 and 9 February . The task force sailed back to the Pacific in mid - February and arrived at Subic Bay on the 28th . After four weeks of liberty and repairs , the warship was placed on 48 - hour alert following the success of the North Vietnamese " Easter " offensive in South Vietnam . Two days later , on 5 April , the guided - missile destroyer sailed for Vung Tau , South Vietnam . Over the next two weeks , she cruised offshore with an amphibious ready group ( ARG ) and covered three Military Sealift Command ( MSC ) ships sent to the Vung Tau area on the 23d for evacuation duty . Soon the situation worsened , and the departure of Americans and South Vietnamese from Saigon began on 29 April . The guided - missile destroyer covered helicopter and boat lifts of refugees in the Vung Tau area . Then , on 3 May , she sailed to the location of a sinking South Vietnamese naval ship and rescued 19 people , including one woman and four children . Later that same day , the warship took on another 158 refugees picked up by a Korean fishing vessel . With the end of the evacuation after the fall of Saigon , " Benjamin Stoddert " sailed for Hawaii on 9 May , arriving at Pearl Harbor , via Guam and Midway , on the 21st . The warship spent the summer conducting local operations and preparing for a regular overhaul , which she began at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 1 October . Shifted out of drydock on 6 February 1976 , she conducted a long series of full - power runs and sea trials before finishing her 10 - month overhaul on 17 August . The crew then spent the remainder of the year conducting training evolutions , various inspections , and helicopter flight deck certifications . On 17 February 1977 , the guided - missile destroyer got underway for " RIMPAC 77 , " a multinational naval exercise held in the Hawaiian Islands . After finishing this exercise on 1 March , she sailed west for her first western Pacific cruise in almost two years . The end of the Vietnam War two years earlier meant that the guided - missile destroyer conducted different operations than during her previous deployments to the Far East . Instead of antiair or gunline combat operations aimed at the North Vietnamese , the warship concentrated on training to counter the threat of Soviet nuclear - powered submarines and guided - missile warships to the western Pacific region . After a stop in the Philippines in late March , " Benjamin Stoddert " steamed for Okinawa on 1 April and thence to the waters off Japan and South Korea for a series of exercises . She carried out an ASW exercise against " Barb " ( SSN - 596 ) on 6 April , a " war - at - sea " exercise with Coral Sea on the 20th , and another ASW drill with " Sailfish " on 5 May before returning to Subic Bay on the 17th . Over the next eight weeks , " Stoddert " trained in Philippine waters , practicing underway replenishment and other drills . On 6 July , she escorted Coral Sea north to Okinawa , and then participated in " MissileEx 4 - 77 " before putting in to Pusan , South Korea , on the 20th . After a week of liberty , she joined elements of the South Korean Navy for ASW exercise " Tae Kwon Do " on 30 July . The guided - missile destroyer then steamed south , stopping at Hong Kong in mid - August before returning to Subic Bay on the 21st . For her trip home , which began on 6 September , " Benjamin Stoddert " detoured south , crossing the equator on the 10th , and mooring at Fremantle , Australia , on 17 September . Following a five - day port visit , the warship sailed on to Melbourne , Australia , and to Dunedin , New Zealand , before arriving at Pago Pago , American Samoa , on 14 September . Underway the next day , the warship visited Western Samoa before proceeding on to Hawaii , to arrive in Pearl Harbor on the 22d . She spent the remainder of the year engaged in post - deployment leave and upkeep . Starting on 9 January 1978 , " Stoddert " began eight months of local operations in Hawaiian waters . These evolutions included several firings on the Pacific Missile Range , highlighted by the successful shootdown of two MQM 74C drones by RIM 66A Standard missiles on 29 July . Following a series of inspections and ship surveys , the warship got underway for the South Pacific on 22 September . After crossing the equator on the 28th , " Benjamin Stoddert " anchored at Funafuti , Tuvalu , on 29 September . The next day , she fired a 21 - gun salute in recognition of that country ' s independence . Proceeding westward on 2 October , the warship stopped at Suva , Fiji Islands , on the 4th ; visited Cairns , Australia , on 10 October ; and rendezvoused with " Constellation " ( CV - 64 ) south of Guam on the 21st . Delayed by the need to evade a typhoon near the Philippines , the warships did not put into Subic Bay until 30 October . Over the next seven weeks , " Stoddert " conducted operations similar to those of her most recent deployment . Attached to the " Midway " ( CV - 41 ) task group , she provided screen services to the carrier as the task group cruised as far south as Pattaya , Thailand , and as far north as Kyūshū , Japan . After arriving at the latter place on 22 December , she ended the year moored at the Naval Ordnance Facility , Sasebo . Shifting to Yokosuka on 7 January 1979 , the warship received four weeks of repairs there at the Naval Ship Repair Facility . " Benjamin Stoddert " then steamed to Okinawa on 10 February to participate in an antiair warfare exercise called " BuzzardEx 1 - 79 . " Moving on to Subic Bay , the guided - missile destroyer provided planeguard services for " Constellation " ( CV - 64 ) through the end of the month . Departing Philippine waters on 7 March , the warship returned to Pearl Harbor on the 19th to begin a seven - week maintenance availability . 1980s . Continued boiler trouble kept the guided - missile destroyer in port , save for a few local operations , for the remainder of the year . Then , following a series of tests and inspections , " Benjamin Stoddert " commenced a major overhaul at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 3 January 1980 . After five months in drydock , she moved to a berth for continued industrial work ; and it was not until 30 November that the guided - missile destroyer got underway for her first sea trials . The crew spent the next five months putting the warship through full power exams , sonar tests , and weapons system acceptance trials . During the latter , on 31 March 1981 , she successfully fired six Standard missile s on the Pacific missile range . The warship then conducted training and other local operations out of Pearl Harbor through the summer and into the fall . On 19 October , she set out for San Francisco , arriving there on the 29th . After a week of liberty , the guided - missile destroyer cruised south to San Diego , mooring at the naval station on 6 November . " Benjamin Stoddert " then participated in Exercise " ReadiEx 1 - 82 " , the highlight of which was a missile firing exercise held on 23 November . Steaming to Hawaii the next day , she moored alongside " Jason " ( AR - 8 ) in Pearl Harbor on 1 December for voyage repairs . On 22 February 1982 , " Benjamin Stoddert " departed Hawaii for her ninth western Pacific cruise . After a brief stop at Guam on 6 March , she proceeded on to the Philippines . While en route to Subic Bay , the warship conducted both antisubmarine and antiair warfare exercises , an underway routine she would continue throughout this deployment . Following a week in Subic Bay , the guided - missile destroyer steamed to Korea and , between 28 and 30 March , participated in amphibious Exercise " Team Spirit 82 . " She then sailed between Hong Kong , Subic Bay , and Yokosuka before anchoring in Shimoda - ko , Japan , on 15 May . In the latter port , she took part in the Black Ship Festival , commemorating Commodore Matthew C . Perry ' s opening of Japan to foreign trade in 1854 . " Benjamin Stoddert " returned to Subic Bay on the 24th . Leaving the Philippines on 2 June , the guided - missile destroyer sailed to Sattahip , Thailand , anchoring there on the 6th . That same day , tension between the Soviet Union and the West increased after Israel invaded Lebanon . International friction notwithstanding , the warship joined the previously scheduled exercise " Cobra Gold 82 " in the Gulf of Thailand on the 7th . Her participation included naval gunfire support for an amphibious landing exercise and ASW operations with three Royal Thai Navy warships . Still , heightened Cold War tension intruded when , just before midnight on 8 June , " Aneroid " — a Soviet intelligence gathering trawler — fired an illumination flare over Thai ship HTMS " Khirirat " . Departing Pattaya , Thailand , on 19 June , " Benjamin Stoddert " , guided - missile cruiser " Sterett " ( CG - 31 ) , and two other destroyers passed into the South China Sea on their way to Subic Bay . The next evening , Soviet aircraft — presumably from bases in Vietnam — began shadowing the American warships . At around 22 : 00 , a Soviet aircraft dropped 16 flares over " Turner Joy " ( DD - 951 ) . A few minutes later , " Lynde McCormick " ( DDG - 8 ) received . 30 - caliber machinegun fire from an unidentified ship in the vicinity . The warship responded in kind , deliberately aiming high ; and the foreign ship ceased fire . Although tension remained high the rest of the night , no other incidents occurred ; and the warships arrived at Subic Bay on 23 June . After that , however , " Stoddert " passed her remaining five weeks in the western Pacific without incident ; and , following two " war - at - sea " exercises in the waters off Japan , she steamed for home on 6 August . Mooring at Pearl Harbor on 12 August , the warship spent the rest of the year doing maintenance work on her boilers and standing several regular safety and readiness inspections . During the first three weeks of 1983 , " Benjamin Stoddert " prepared for a joint Navy - Air Force exercise in the Hawaiian Islands . This refresher training included helicopter operations , naval gunfire support , damage control drills , and antisubmarine systems ' tests . The highlight of Exercise " MidPacTraEx , " held between 31 January and 3 February , was a defensive ASW operation with " Harold E . Holt " ( FF - 1074 ) and " Willamette " ( AO - 180 ) . Later that month , she served as " surface deep dive safety ship " for " Sargo " ( SSN - 583 ) . In a scenery shift from her familiar operational zone , the guided - missile destroyer sailed from Pearl Harbor to the southern California operating area on 31 March . There , she conducted a " war at sea " exercise with DesRon 17 in early April . The warship then joined " Ranger " ( CV - 61 ) and operated with her battle group along the west coasts of California and Central America for the next four weeks . These evolutions were intended , in part , to demonstrate American resolve in checking the spread of communism in Central America . Returning to Pearl Harbor on 25 May , the guided - missile destroyer remained in port for the next eight weeks . Between 21 and 24 July , the warship took part in a joint ASW exercise with " Sample " ( FF - 1048 ) , " Cochrane " ( DDG - 21 ) , " Harold E . Holt " , and three Japanese warships before getting ready to deploy overseas once more . On 26 August , " Benjamin Stoddert " put to sea with " Ranger " ’ s battle group and steered for the Philippines , arriving in Subic Bay on 14 September . Earlier in the year , and partly in response to the outbreak of the Iran – Iraq War in 1980 , the United States had established Central Command ( CentCom ) in the western reaches of the Indian Ocean to protect American security interests in the Middle East ; and " Ranger " ’ s group received orders to patrol the northern portion of the Arabian Sea in support of CentCom ' s mission . Departing Subic Bay on 26 September , the battle group set course for the Strait of Malacca . The unit ' s transit of the South China Sea was interrupted on the 30th , however , when " Benjamin Stoddert " rescued 39 Vietnamese refugees from their sinking boat , an act that later brought her the Humanitarian Service Medal . Once the refugees had been passed along , the group continued on south and west , passing through the Strait of Malacca and entering the Indian Ocean on 4 October . Linking up with a British force built around , the warships sailed northwest and arrived on station in the Arabian Sea on 12 October . " Stoddert " remained in the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf through the end of the year , helping to assure Western access to oil and countering the spread of Soviet influence in the region . During this period , she paid two visits to El Masirah , Oman , and called at Karachi , Pakistan . On 15 January 1984 , the American task group turned east for the long voyage back to Hawaii . After stops in Singapore and Subic Bay , " Benjamin Stoddert " moored in Pearl Harbor on 22 February . Six days later , she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a major equipment overhaul . During the ensuing 15 - month shipyard period , the guided - missile destroyer received new radar and fire - control systems , the navy tactical data system ( NTDS ) , the integrated automatic detection and tracking system ( IADTS ) and a modernized steam engineering plant . In addition to her combat systems ' overhaul , she had her antiship capabilities enhanced by the installation of Harpoon missile launchers . Completing the overhaul on 9 July 1985 , " Stoddert " occupied the rest of the year with a series of local operations and inspections . These ranged from a joint ASW exercise with Australian and New Zealand warships at sea to the more mundane propulsion plant and ordnance safety inspections while in port . The warship ' s first exercise in the new year took place between 23 and 28 January 1986 . " Benjamin Stoddert " operated as part of an " enemy " surface and submarine force that " attacked " the Enterprise battle group . Two more individual ship exercises followed in February . Then , after a command inspection in late March and a nuclear weapons certification inspection in early April , " Stoddert " got underway for " RimPac 86 " , an international naval exercise held in Hawaiian waters between 21 May and 12 June . As a unit of the " Blue Force , " she served as communications link ship with the Japanese Maritime Self - Defense Force warships involved in the maneuvers . The guided - missile destroyer also covered a SEAL team insertion and extraction mission during the exercise . After five more months of local training operations and other preparatory tasks , " Benjamin Stoddert " finally got underway for another Middle East deployment on 28 November . Steaming in company with " Hepburn " ( FF - 1055 ) and " Mahlon S . Tisdale " ( FFG - 27 ) , she first sailed to the Philippines . After a week of upkeep at Subic Bay , " Stoddert " set out south on 21 December , stopping at Singapore on the 25th before passing the Strait of Malacca on the 26th and ending the year with a fuel stop at Colombo , Sri Lanka . The guided - missile destroyer continued on to the Middle East in the new year and relieved " Goldsborough " on station in the Persian Gulf on 6 January . Although Iranian and Iraqi attacks on neutral tankers had begun to increase in early 1987 , no firm American policy regarding this " tanker war " had yet been established . This limited " Stoddert " ’ s mission , therefore , to surveillance operations against Iranian forces , especially " Silkworm " missile sites in the Strait of Hormuz , and to the provision of communications and other data links to friendly aircraft in the region . Relieved by " Waddell " ( DDG - 24 ) on 4 April after three months on station , the warship steamed toward home , passing into the Indian Ocean and stopping at Colombo on the 9th to refuel . Following port visits to Phuket , Thailand , between 13 and 16 April and at Hong Kong between 23 and 27 April , the guided - missile destro With the repairs and upgrades to her engineering plant finished on 9 February 1988 , " Benjamin Stoddert " began preparing for an upcoming fleet exercise . The warship set out for San Diego on 15 March , completing a transit exercise — including service as the target for simulated attacks by two attack submarines — before mooring in San Diego harbor on the 31st . On 8 April , she put to sea for " FleetEx 88 - 2 " , a carrier battle group exercise held off southern California , in which " Stoddert " ’ s crew took " revenge " for the transit exercise by successfully engaging a target submarine with an exercise torpedo . Later , she joined the " Carl Vinson " ( CVN - 70 ) battle group and , in simulated air attacks , shot down three target drones with as many Standard SM - 1 missiles . After more than two weeks of intensive training , the warship sailed for home , arriving in Pearl Harbor on 30 April . Although originally scheduled for an overseas deployment in June , the warship delayed her departure until September so she could join the " Nimitz " ( CVN - 68 ) battle group . Her crew spent the summer testing new maintenance procedures , passing safety inspections , and taking the warship to sea for exercises such as the combined American , Australian , Canadian , and Japanese " RimPac 88 " battle problems held between 7 and 17 July . Finally embarking on her deployment on 20 September , the warship joined " Waddell " , " Hepburn " , " Barbey " ( FF - 1088 ) , " Kiska " ( AE - 35 ) , and " Willamette " ( AO - 180 ) in Battle Group " Bravo " for the voyage west to the Persian Gulf . After a stop at Subic Bay between 7 and 11 October , the group conducted a few days of gunnery practice at the Tabones range in the Philippines before sailing to Hong Kong for liberty . Departing the British Crown Colony on the 20th , the battle group headed south , navigated the Malacca Strait , and passed into the Indian Ocean . From there , the warships took up station in the northern part of the Arabian Sea on 30 October . Although the " tanker war " in the Persian Gulf had ended on 20 August with the cease - fire between Iran and Iraq , American warships still patrolled the region , replacing tanker - escort duty with general " zone defense . " " Benjamin Stoddert " remained in the Arabian Sea for the first 10 days of this mission before receiving a brief availability alongside Prairie at the Masirah anchorage between 10 and 16 November . From there , she moved to the Strait of Hormuz and relieved " Antietam " ( CG - 54 ) as patrol ship there . Turning over that patrol station to " California " ( CGN - 36 ) on 2 December , the warship returned to the Arabian Sea for another 10 days with Battle Group " Bravo " . After 56 days at sea , the crew displayed palpable relief when the guided - missile destroyer put into Abu Dhabi for a three - day port visit on 14 December . While returning to her unit on the 18th , " Stoddert " provided medical assistance to three injured crew members of the British merchant vessel " British Trident " . Shortly thereafter , the group sailed east , passing through the Malacca Strait and anchoring at Singapore on 31 December . Following a six - day port visit , the group steamed back into the Indian Ocean for a quick drop south of the equator on 9 January 1989 before returning through the Strait of Malacca on the 19th . The warships then steamed north into the South China Sea for four days of ASW exercises with units of the Royal Thai Navy , followed by a three - day visit to Pattaya Beach , Thailand . " Benjamin Stoddert " then sailed independently for Subic Bay , arriving there on 1 February to begin a week - long upkeep and maintenance availability dedicated to main propulsion plant repairs . Departing the Philippines on 8 February , " Stoddert " steamed across the Pacific and moored in Pearl Harbor on 21 February . At the end of a four - week post - deployment standdown , the guided - missile destroyer began preparations for a series of engineering and general survey inspections set for late spring . Those inspections ended late in June , and July passed relatively slowly , marked by an overnight " tiger cruise " for crew dependents on the 18th , and a port visit to Hilo , Hawaii , between 19 and 25 July . A week after that , " Benjamin Stoddert " departed Pearl Harbor for two weeks of law enforcement operations with the United States Coast Guard . The warship used her surface search radars and other equipment to spot small craft , which were then boarded by Coast Guard detachments in search of drug smugglers . Back in port on 11 August , " Stoddert " spent the next week training submarine prospective commanding officers . 1990s . Toward the end of August , " Benjamin Stoddert " started preparing for a phased maintenance availability , which she began on 12 September in the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard . During the ensuing five months , the warship received extensive equipment upgrades and regularly scheduled maintenance work on her propulsion plant . Pronounced ready for duty on 1 March , the warship conducted another Coast Guard law enforcement operation in Hawaiian waters . Then , on 16 April , she joined the familiar multinational exercise " RIMPAC 90 " . She conducted ASW and anti - surface ship exercises during this period , highlighted by a successful Standard missile shot in early May . Back in Pearl Harbor on 12 May , " Benjamin Stoddert " did not leave Hawaii until 18 June when she set out for Central America and another Coast Guard law enforcement deployment . The warship began patrol operations off Baja California on the 27th and remained there — save for a single port visit to San Diego — through 11 August . After rendezvousing with " Badger " ( FF - 1071 ) and " Kawishiwi " ( AO - 146 ) , the guided - missile destroyer sailed south for a drug interdiction patrol off Panama . These operations continued until 11 September , when the warship put into Rodman , Panama — the first landfall for the crew after 47 days at sea . Departing Panama on the 14th , the guided - missile destroyer returned to her patrol station , remaining there until 29 September when she was relieved by " Waddell " . Instead of sailing northwest for home , however , " Stoddert " passed through the Panama Canal on 3 October , entered the Caribbean Sea — the first and only arm of the Atlantic Ocean to wash her hull — and pulled into Willemstad , Curaçao , on the 6th . After a five - day port visit , she turned west for her transit home , arriving in Pearl Harbor on 29 October . The guided - missile destroyer spent the rest of the year in port undergoing routine inspections and maintenance . " Benjamin Stoddert " began her last year in service with a surface warfare exercise in late January 1991 , and her crew remained busy with training through the end of March . Departing Hawaii on 3 April , the warship cruised in southern California waters for the next five weeks , conducting antisubmarine warfare ( ASW ) drills and naval gunfire practice off San Clemente in addition to readiness training with the " Abraham Lincoln " ( CVN - 72 ) battle group . She returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 May . Following a series of inspections in June , the warship remained in port — save for a few days of local operations — as the crew prepared her for inactivation . On 3 September , the guided - missile destroyer began pre - inactivation procedures and unloaded all her fuel and ammunition . " Benjamin Stoddert " was decommissioned at Pearl Harbor on 20 December 1991 , and her name was struck from the Navy list on 20 November 1992 . On 7 September 1995 , she was transferred to the Maritime Administration and was berthed with its National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , Calif . , to await disposal . On 3 February 2001 , while under to tow to Brownsville , Texas , for scrapping , the old guided missile destroyer took on water and sank in the Pacific . Honors . " Benjamin Stoddert " received nine battle stars for Vietnam service . Combat Action Ribbon & Meritorious Unit Citation - 1972 WestPac