THE USSS STEWART: Length: 306 ft Compliment: 201 enlisted sailors, 8 officers Power: Diesel Class: Edsall Commissioned: May 31, 1943 Decommissioned: January 1947 USS Stewart (DE 238) is an Edsall-class destroyer escort built by Brown Shipbuilding in Houston. Destroyer Escorts were designed to be antisubmarine surface vessels that protected slow-moving convoys. They were small, unarmored, and thin hulled to maximize maneuverability, characteristics which earned them the nickna

THE US CAVALLA (SS 244) Length: 311 ft 9 in Compliment: 54 enlisted submariners, 6 officers Power: Diesel-Electric Class: Gato Test depth: 300 ft Commissioned: February 29, 1944 Decommissioned: June 3, 1968 On her first patrol, USS Cavalla’s crew spotted Japanese forces while in transit to her station in the Philippines. The crew was given strict orders to observe and report only. Several hours later they made their report of the convoy’s location, which led to American succe

USS TAUTOG: Length: 292 ft Compliment: 95 enlisted men, 15 officers Power: Nuclear Operating depth: more than 400m Commissioned: August 17, 1968 Decommissioned: March 31, 1997 USS Tautog was a Sturgeon-class submarine that served during the Cold War, and whose primary objective was to monitor the Soviet Union’s operations in the Pacific. Following a successful patrol surveilling Soviet cruise missile testing near Petropavlovsk in 1969, Tautog was sent to monitor a Soviet subm

Taffy 3, one of three task units in the U.S. Navy during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, played a pivotal role in protecting the invasion fleet and supporting U.S. forces in the Philippines. Despite facing overwhelming odds, Taffy 3 courageously engaged the Japanese Center Force in a dramatic battle. The US Fleet Consisted of: 6 escort carriers (512 feet long) 3 destroyers (376 feet long,) 4 destroyer escorts (306 feet long) 400 aircraft from Taffy 1, 2, and 3 In stark contrast, th

By Julianna Salinas This past month marked our spring work week, a time of great excitement as we welcomed the Louisiana Sea Cadets to volunteer with us! Among them was Lettie Lee, a devoted mother and dedicated volunteer with the Sea Cadets, who played a pivotal role in making this trip possible. Lettie, along with her son, has been an  part of the Louisiana Sea Cadets for many years, embodying the spirit of generosity by continuously extending a helping hand to those in nee

by Andrew W. Hall (Image on the left, Herman Kossler on Cavalla‘s bridge, 1944. Photo: Harry “Bus” Engler, via Cavalla.org .) Wilfred J. “Jasper” Holmes was a U.S. Naval intelligence officer in Hawai’i during World War II. He was assigned to the Estimates Section of the Fleet Radio Unit Pacific (FRUPAC) at Pearl Harbor, where he was deeply involved in the interpretation and analysis of Japanese wireless intercepts. In fact, he was one of a handful of officers in Hawai’i who

By Brian Abugel  The Spring 2024 Volunteer work week is now behind us and I am thrilled to see the volume and quality of work that our fantastic volunteers have been able to accomplish in only seven days.   The most visually striking work accomplishment was applying “War Paint” to USS Stewart.   Even as I was tracing the layout and taping off sections of the ship to be painted, the most common questions I received were “What are you doing and why are you doing it?”    The sim

Written by David Anderson The USS Cavalla sits quietly at waters edge, bow pointed to seaward, as hundreds of boats and ships pass in front of her every year. She’s retired and resting, earning that privilege after more than 20 years of service to her country. Last year, over 60,000 people trod her deck and walked her inner passageway, marveling at the complexity of her machinery and the electronics crammed into unbelievably tight quarters. A docent can walk through and descr

Interview with Mike Pestorius

Chairman's Letter 2023

Bullock Texas State Museum exhibit

Veterans Day Ceremony 2023

Ghost Tours with Spooky Galveston

Make a wish

USS Stewart’s Commissioning Pennant

Daniel Edward Jackson Volunteer Drive

CAVALLA USN DOUGH HOOK

The Loss of the USS Seawolf​ (197)

Truly a man of the sea from birth, this son of a sailor was born near the Naval Shipyard in D.C. GMC Biro joined the Naval Reserves while still in high school, and was called to active duty in 1940. The "Little Ship," as he called the USS Stewart, was his physical home for 2 1/2 years at the end of WWII. He continued to serve another 26 years as Lieutenant in the D.C. Police Department after his term in the Navy ended in 1945. ​ GMC Biro was able to visit the Stewart in 201