USS STEWART

Of the 563 Destroyer Escorts built during the early years of World War Two, the USS Stewart, DE238, is one of only two which remain in existence in the United States.' She saw extensive duty in the Atlantic Theater during the latter half of World War Two, where she was involved in convoy duty, training and escort duty. She was selected to travel with the President's Yacht as it traveled down the Potomac River when President Roosevelt left the country for the talks at Yalta. She engaged in "Hunter-Killer" group activities with small aircraft carriers and other destroyer escorts - efforts which were significant as part of the successful campaign against Germany's deadly submarines. Deactivated after the war, the ship remained in almost the same configuration as when she was active. She now is dry berthed at the edge of the Galveston Ship Channel in Galveston, Texas.

The USS Stewart's role in the major war effort to neutralize Germany's submarine blockade, as described elsewhere herein, constitutes a significant contribution to a broad pattern of our Nation's history. Although not directly associated with an individual person significant in our past, she was named for one of the most outstanding Naval Officers of the years following the Revolutionary War, Charles Stewart. She also was one of the ships chosen to escort President Franklin Roosevelt's yacht down the Potomac River as he set out on his trip for the meetings at Yalta. Perhaps more significant were the men who served on ships like the Stewart. Without enough members in the Regular Navy to man the large numbers of new warships, the Navy turned to its reserves. Although some reservists had a meaningful experience, 90% of the crews of the DE's were made up of young men with no maritime experience whatsoever. Coming from farms and cities across the land, the success of the DE Program is a tribute to their adaptability and determination. She is also a good example of the type of ship construction which enabled U.S. shipyards to produce an enormous number of ships efficiently, quickly, and economically during the early stages of World War II. Located between two oceans, The U.S. would have been virtually helpless had its Navy not been quickly rebuilt after the disaster at Pearl Harbor. Finally, the visual presentation of USS Stewart's physical characteristics makes it easy for visitors to understand how she was operated. She was a specially designed vessel with a specific mission. A visit aboard quickly reveals the elements of her design that made her an effective Anti-submarine warship.

The Stewart is a good example of the type of ship construction which enabled U.S. shipyards to produce an enormous number of ships efficiently, quickly and economically during the early stages of World War II. As a rare intact example of a destroyer escort, one of only two remaining in the United States, the ship is nominated under Criteria A and C in the areas of military and architecture, at the national level of significance.