USS Stack ( DD - 406 ) USS " Stack " ( DD - 406 ) was a in the United States Navy . She was named for Edward Stack . History . " Stack " was laid down on 25 June 1937 by the Norfolk Navy Yard , Portsmouth , Virginia ; launched on 5 May 1938 ; sponsored by Miss Mary Teresa Stack ; and commissioned on 20 November 1939 , Lieutenant Commander Isaiah Olch in command . Following shakedown which lasted until 4 April 1940 , including a cruise to the West Indies and Rio de Janeiro , " Stack " proceeded to the west coast and thence to Pearl Harbor where she operated with the Pacific Fleet until June 1941 . She then returned to the east coast for an overhaul at the Philadelphia Navy Yard . " Stack " began patrolling off Bermuda late in November with the Neutrality Patrol . After the United States entered World War II , " Stack " continued to patrol in the Caribbean until 22 December when she was assigned to escort from Bermuda to Norfolk , Virginia . On the 28th , she sailed from Norfolk as screen for , She arrived at Casco Bay , Maine , two days later . She refueled and got underway for Argentina in the screen for Long Island and . 1942 . Arriving in Argentia on New Year ' s Day 1942 , she was assigned to patrol duty . On 15 January 1942 , she picked up two survivors from SS " Bay Rose " which had been torpedoed the night before off Cape Race . From 17 to 24 January , " Stack " escorted a convoy which was transporting the first American Expeditionary Force troops to Ireland . En route from Hvalfjörður to Reykjavík , Iceland , on 29 January , she was ordered on a submarine sweep after the , operating with Task Force ( TF ) 15 , was torpedoed . Steaming at 25 knots on a night sweep , " Stack " sighted a submarine close aboard . She returned to the point where it had been seen and made two depth charge attacks on sound contact . came to assist and also made two attacks . The submarine , U - 132 , suffered damage to a diesel compressor and was forced to return to France for repairs . " Stack " departed Iceland on 31 January and operated out of Casco Bay until 17 March . That morning , patrolling with zero visibility , she collided with " Wasp " . Since her number one fireroom was completely flooded , she steamed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and underwent repairs until May . On 5 June , " Stack " joined TF 37 consisting of " Wasp " , , , , , , and and headed for San Diego , California . The force arrived there on 19 June , was redesignated TF 18 , and ordered to Nukualofa , Tongatapu Island , on the 25th . Arriving on 18 July , the ships spent five days preparing for battle , and sailed for the invasion of Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands . 1943 . " Stack " covered the Guadalcanal - Tulagi landings with Destroyer Squadron ( DesRon ) 12 and was then assigned independent escort and patrol duty in the Guadalcanal area . On 16 January 1943 , she was ordered to return to the west coast , via Pearl Harbor , for yard availability . " Stack " entered the Mare Island Navy Yard on 2 February . Following repair , overhaul and sea trials , she sailed on the 23d to escort SS " Matsonia " to Pearl Harbor and continue on to Efate , New Hebrides Islands . " Stack " operated out of Efate from 20 April until late May . During this time , she made several patrols off Guadalcanal . She then screened covering the southern supply routes . Assigned to TF 31 in July and August , she had her first opportunity to " slug it out " with the enemy . " Stack " was under attack by Japan ese aircraft on 17 and 18 July near New Georgia Island . On the night of 6 and 7 August , in what would be known as the Battle of Vella Gulf , " Stack " , with other units of Task Group ( TG ) 31 . 2 , was searching for enemy traffic along Gizo and Kolombangara island . At 2335 , reported that she had made radar contact at 19 , 000 yards . The group tracked the enemy and identified them as four ships in column . The American ships opened the battle with a successful torpedo attack , followed by gunfire and more torpedoes . This resulted in the sinking of three Japanese destroyers , " Arashi " , " Hagikaze " , and " Kawakaze " , and damage to the fourth . The destroyers were loaded with troops who were to have been landed at Kolombangara as reinforcements for the Japanese garrison there . There were no American losses , and the task group retired to Tulagi . " Stack " joined TF 38 to participate in raids against Rabaul during November . On the 11th , two carrier attacks had already been launched when radar picked up a flight of incoming bogies . The actual attack began at 1355 when " Stack " commenced firing on a group of 20 Val s coming in on her starboard bow . Thereafter , antiaircraft fire was continuous from the task force against all types of Japanese planes . The attacking force numbered about 90 planes . " Stack " downed one and had two more probable kills . " Stack " then operated with TG 50 . 4 during the assault and landings on Tarawa and Makin Island in the Gilberts . She was a unit of the group screening the carriers which were providing fighter cover to the landing forces , when it was attacked by enemy bombers on 20 November , the day of the landings . " Stack " then steamed west of the Gilberts to participate in the combined aerial and shore bombardment of Nauru Island on 8 December 1943 . 1944 . In late January and early February 1944 , " Stack " , as part of TF 58 , participated in the bombardment and assault on Kwajalein and Majuro Atoll s in the Marshalls . She was one of five destroyers in the Bombardment Support Group , which included three battleship s , that shelled Roi - Namur and adjacent islands . On 17 and 18 February , the task force , now including nine carriers , carried out raids against the Japanese bastion at Truk and , on the 20th , against Jaluit Atoll . " Stack " then departed the Central Pacific for Pearl Harbor and for the west coast of the United States . She was overhauled and held sea trials from 11 March to 22 June when she weighed anchor for Pearl Harbor and Milne Bay . " Stack " arrived at Milne Bay on 15 July and began operations as a unit of TG 76 . 7 . She laid a mine field off Wewak , New Guinea , and , on the night of 31 August and 1 September , shelled Kairiru Island in the Wewak area . " Stack " was part of the assault force that landed troops on Morotai , North Moluccas , on 15 September . " Stack " was attached to TG 78 . 4 which entered Leyte Gulf on 17 October . She spent the next two days performing pin - point fire support in the Dinagat Island landing area . On the 20th , she , in company with Lang and five YM ' s , performed mine sweeping operations and provided antiaircraft support for landings in the Philippines on Pinaon Island . 1945 . " Stack " , with TG 78 . 5 , sortied from Sansapor , New Guinea , on 30 December 1944 bound for Lingayen Gulf to support the assault and landing at " Blue Beach " , Luzon . During the period from 5 to 12 January 1945 , she provided antisubmarine and antiaircraft cover for various units and call fire on the beaches . " Stack " spent the next three weeks escorting convoys between Leyte and Lingayen Gulfs . On 8 February 1945 , " Stack " departed San Pedro for the Solomon Islands and a period of upkeep , training , logistics , and exercises which were to last until mid - March . She sailed from Purvis Bay on the 15th ; moored at Ulithi for a week ; and , on 27 March , steamed for the Ryūkyūs with TF 53 . " Stack " arrived off Okinawa on 1 April , " L - Day " , and began her assigned duties as an antisubmarine and antiaircraft patrol ship . There were numerous enemy planes the next two days , and she fired on several . On the 5th , she was ordered to Saipan and thence to Ulithi where she joined TU 94 . 18 . 12 on 13 April for the return voyage to Okinawa . Arriving at Hagushi on the 21st , " Stack " was assigned to patrol duty west of Zampa Misaki for the remainder of the month . She then patrolled southeast of Okinawa to cover the Sakashima Group during May and early June . " Stack " reported to on 15 June 1945 and was directed to screen that vessel to Pearl Harbor . " Stack " had boiler trouble en route which forced her to undergo tender availability at Pearl Harbor until late July . She stood out of Pearl on the 27th underway for Eniwetok , Saipan , Okinawa , and Guam . On 28 August , she was en route from Guam to Truk Atoll with Brigadier General Leo Hermle , USMC , and various other Navy and Marine Corps officers on board for a preliminary conference with Japanese military authorities regarding the surrender o£ their forces . The conference was held on 30 August , and " Stack " transported the Japanese officers and civilians to Guam who were to take part in the surrender . She remained in the Marianas until ordered to Iwo Jima on 16 September . " Stack " relieved on 19 September , at Haha Jima , as Commander , Naval Occupation Forces . She returned to the Marianas and remained in the area until 15 December when she weighed anchor for Pearl Harbor and the west coast . Fate . " Stack " arrived at San Diego on 30 December 1945 for stripping and reduction of her personnel . She sailed two weeks later for Pearl Harbor and ultimate disposal . She was assigned to Joint Task Force 1 as a target for Operation Crossroads , the atomic bomb tests to be held in the Marshall Islands . " Stack " arrived at Bikini Atoll on 29 May 1946 . She survived the bomb tests of July and August and was decommissioned in the Marshalls on 29 August 1946 . " Stack " was sunk by gunfire near Kwajalein on 24 April 1948 and struck from the Navy List on 28 May . Honors . " Stack " received 12 battle star s for World War II service .