Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: 9/12/07
From: Cyndi Babish for Tony
Rank: MA1/CMAA
Reported: Jan, 1972
Departed: Dec, 1975

Dear Mr. Roberts,

I wanted to share with you the passing of my husband, John "Tony" Babish on June 20, 2007. He served aboard the U.S.S. Stein from January 1972 through December 1975 with two tours to Vietnam/Cambodia. He was so very proud of his service in the Navy and had recently joined the V.F.W. near our home, planning ahead for retirement when he could spend plenty of time with his fellow military men and women. He joined the Denver Sheriff's Department in July of 1979 and was employed there until he died on the job June 20th of this year. He had been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer in June of 2006, but had been responding well to chemotherapy. We had been given no reason to believe that he didn't have a good prognosis. He responded to a fight between inmates in the area where he was working, shortly following which he had a severe coughing spell. He began to cough up blood and within an hour had died. Cause of death was rupture of his pulmonary artery, a very freak thing from which no one could have resuscitated him. I wish I had a picture of him in his Navy uniform, but cannot find either of the cruise books that he had or any other photos of him in uniform. If anyone from the U.S.S. Stein has any stories about him or pictures of him that they would be willing to share, I would love to get them.

Our best vacations were the cruises that we took, the most recent of which was a 15-day roundtrip cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii in 2005. Of all the times that the U.S.S. Stein ported in Pearl Harbor, my husband was always on duty and never had a chance to visit the Arizona Memorial. It was a very moving day for him when we visited not only the Arizona Memorial but also Punchbowl Cemetary. I am proud to have buried him at Fort Logan National Veterans Cemetary here in the Denver area. I can only wish he would have found this website before his death. I know he would have loved to connect with his buddies.

Warm regards to all,

Cyndi Babish

Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001
From: Edward Bleck
Rank: OS2
Reported: 1974
Departed: 1976

I reported aboard the Stein as a OSSA in January 1974 and made my first cruise in 1975. That cruise was great as we hit all the great ports in WESTPAC. Just to name a few we hit both Kaushoung and Kielung in Tiawan, we were in Thialand for Christmas and Subic Bay for New years. We also had some time in Singapore on our way I believe with the USS Constellation into the IO for a visit to Karachi, Pakistan and a joint exercise with other Navies while we were over there. I still have some great pictures of all the different country's ships that were involved in that exercise.

Needless to say I have some very fond memories of my time aboard and I was happy to find the ship's web page.

I am hoping to hear from some of my old shipmates.

OSCM (ret) Ed Bleck

Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001
From: Anthony (Old Buzzard) Soares
Rank: IC1 (SW)
Reported: 1989
Departed: 1992

I was really pleased to find this website. I saw a lot on names amongst the crew that I recognized. I am now an ICC stationed at the Naval War College in Newport, RI. I have stayed in touch with as many old shipmates as I've been able to find. IC2 Hickenbottom is now ENS, OC2 James Brown is now LtJg, OS1 Burks is now OSC, EM2 Magsanoc is now GSEC. There is a Mexican sleeping in my rack (the ship has been sold to Mexico). I have many good pictures of the ship and crew, and as soon as I can, I will scan and send them in. I also have the last two cruise books.

Anyone wanting to, bomb me an e-mail.

Be good and God Bless.

Tony

Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001
From: Jay White
Rank: RM2
Reported: 1982
Departed: 1985

It was somewhat an emotional trip down memory lane as I read about and looked at pictures of the only ship I served aboard during my four years in the U.S. Navy.

Although I did not particularly enjoy my time as a whole in the Navy, I certainly grew up, learned a lot, and got to see parts of the world. Most of my memories now are fond ones, and I can still close my eyes and picture the radio shack, the mess decks, and the berthing area in great detail. The Stein was my home for 3 1/2 years, and there will always be a fond place in my heart for her.

I read somewhere that she has been decommissioned - I suppose some South American country will buy her for their navy.

Jay

Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2001
From: Earl Dan Cy'
Rank: GMG3
Reported: 1988
Departed: 1992

Hi Mark,

I served onboard the USS Stein FF-1065 with a great crew. During Desert Storm, I was 5in/54 mount Captain and, Mount 25mm chain gun Capt. During times of when we had nothing to do, we purchase Co2 powered soft pellets guns and, had our own little war between boatswain mates and gunner's mates.

On the day the Stein was decommissioned, I personally stay onboard till the tugs came and tuck her to Washington "Moth-balled."

Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: Wed, 02 May 2001
From: Mark Martin
Rank: MMFN
Reported: 1977
Departed: 1979

Hello Former Shipmates,

I am looking for Robert Wall, David Wafford, and others. If anyone knows how to reach them please let me know.

Remember the coconuts, poly-wog day, and of course going through the iniation of Shellback. Does anyone remember throwing off a bunch of wood at night right before poly-wog day. Now after all these years I can say I was part of that. Boy was the Capt. upset about that!!!! i got emergency leave upon arrival in Japan, got back to the States and rented an Apt. there in Imperial Beach. Many of you came to Party.

I had a good time on the Stein now every time I hear the song Southern Cross by CSN, I remember sitting outside at night and looking at the stars.

Well enough if you wish to contact me my e mail address is markokc@swbell.net. I live near Oklahoma City, Okla. in the town of Mustang, Okla.

See you later Mark

Subject: USS Stein (FF-1065)
Date: Thu, 19 April 2001
Michael Coomer
Rank: ET2
Reported: 1987
Departed: 1992

Gentlemen,

I have just contacted the company that produced the Stein cruisebook for the last WESTPAC to find out if it is possible to get additional copies from them. I do not know if this is possible and I don't know if it is feasible, but I am going to try to find out what it will cost to get these additional copies if they are available. If you have Stein Cruisebooks I would like for you to do me a favor. Look inside the book, find out what company published the book, and let me know that and the year that it was published. I will try to contact the publishers and see what if any material they still have and how we can get our hands on it.

I for one am especially interested in the 1990 cruisebook. The guys that were on the boat at the time may remember that SM1 Johnson was the editor of that yearbook and a lot of us didn't order it because we didn't think that he had done a good job with it and he had already rubbed most of us the wrong way anyway. There are a lot of guys in that book that I would like to remember and so if you have it let me know who published it so that I can try to contact the publisher and see if I can get a copy. Until then...

Fair winds and following seas,

Mike

From a E-mail dated Thu, 21 Dec 2000

Greetings shipmates,

I am very happy to have found this page, and even happier to recognize a few names. I served on the Shiny Stein from October 1987 until March 19, 1992.

In fact, I had the honor of standing the last Petty Officer of the Watch and lowering the colors for the final time as the decommisioning ceremony took place on the pier.

I recognize Lt. Bennet, OS2 Irwin, ET3 Pat Kelly, EM3(?) Hal Diggs, and GMG(?) Aylesworth from their posts to the site. I would really like to hear from one guy in particular, and if Kerry Fetterman ever runs across this page I hope to hear from him. I have two cruisebooks ('87 & '91) so if anyone would like to borrow them I would probably consider lending them or copying items from them. I look forward to hearing from some of you. Until then . . .