USS Coontz Association

Iraq's Attack On The USS Stark

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May 17, 1987 - A Day We Will Never Forget

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USS Stark Casualties

Doran Bolduc Lacy Washington
Bradley Brown Calera Alabama
Jeffrey Calkins Rickfield Springs, N.Y.
Mark M. Caouette Fitchburg, Mass.
John Ciletta * Brigantine, N.J.
Brian Clinefelter San Bernadino, Calif.
Antonio Daniels Greenville, S.C.
Christopher DeAngelis * Dumont, N.J.
James Dunlap Osceola Mills, Pa.
Steven Erwin * Troy, Mich.
Jerry Farr Charleston, S.C.
Vernon Foster Jacksonville, Fla.
Dexter Grissett Macon, Ga.
William Hansen Reading, Mass.
Daniel Homicki Elizabeth, N.J.
Kenneth Janusik Clearwater, Fla.
Steven Kendall Honolulu, Hawaii
Stephen Kiser Elkhart, Ind.
Ronnie Lockett Bessemer, Ala.
Thomas MacMullen Darby, Pa.
Charles Moller Columbus, Ga.
Jeffrey Phelps Locust Grove, Va.
Randy Pierce Choctaw, Okla.
James Plonsky Van Nuys, Calif.
Kelly Quick Linden, Mich.
Earl Ryals * Boca Raton, Fla.
Robert Shippee Adams Center, N.Y.
Jeffrey Sibley Metairie, La.
Lee Stephens Pemberton, Ohio
James Stevens Visalia, Calif.
Martin Supple Jacksonville, Fla.
Gregory Tweady  Champaign, Ill.
Joseph Watson Ferndale, Mich.
Wayne Weaver New Bethlehem, Pa.
Terrance Weldon Coram, N.Y.
Lloyd Wilson Summerville, S.C.
Vincent Ulmer  Bay Minette, Ala
*Buried in Arlington National Cemetery

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Page from the USS Coontz MEF 2-87 Cruisebook

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Text from the USS Coontz MEF 2-87 Cruisebook:

 

On May 17, 1987, at approximately 9 pm, the USS Stark was attacked by an Iraqi F-1 Mirage fighter jet at an operating are known as RPS-South, just 50 miles from the Persian Gulf state of Bahrain, where the USS Coontz was moored.  Little was known about the attack at the time, only that USS Stark had suffered two missile hits on her port side.  That same night, USS Conyngham and USS Waddell steamed through intense fog to aid the crew of USS Stark in fighting the flooding and several fires which had broken out on the guided-missile frigate.  When they arrived, the fire parties from USS Conyngham and USS Waddell found melted bulkheads, warped decks and ruptured fire mains.  The Stark had a 15-degree list to port.  The next morning, USS LaSalle departed from Bahrain to assist the exhausted fire parties of Stark, Conyngham and Waddell, and to lend medical support.  A 43-man team from USS Coontz was flown to the scene on the Desert Duck helicopter.  The combined fire parties fought the fires and flooding aboard Stark for more than 18 hours.  Some of the men of USS Coontz were also tasked with removing the remains of deceased Stark crewmembers from various berthing and work compartments.  After the blaze was out, and the flooding was contained, the USS Conyngham towed USS Stark to Bahrain for extensive repairs.  On May 20, 1987, selected crewmembers from USS Coontz conducted a memorial service for fallen crewmembers of the USS Stark at the Bahrain International Airport.  The Coontz crewmembers served as crowd control and honor guard, and loaded the 37 flag-draped caskets of the deceased Stark sailors onto a cargo jet, which took the remains to West Germany for further identification. 

 

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MEMBERS OF THE USS COONTZ FIRE PARTY
 
LTJG Woodson                              HT3 Valdez
ENS Nash                                     HT3 Carter
BMCS Patton                                HM3 Schulze
MM1 Williams                               SM3 Shavers
HT1 Squire                                    DS3 Snyder
NC1 Gabor                                    OS3 Lawrence
SM1 Clancy                                  SK3 Arnold                         
MM2 Kelly                                    SH3 Rushing
IC2 Morgan                                   BM3 Kolbosky
MM3 Stark                                   GMG3 Altese
EN3 McCullough                           STG3 Splinter
BT3 Dolan                                    GMM3 Williams
EM3 Bunk                                    BTFN Whitehurst
EM3 Pannicci                               ICFN Kolb
EM3 Wilson                                 HTFN Robertson
MM3 Parker                                 HTFN Dettman
MM3 Bush                                   EWSN Jackson
EWSN Hastings                           DKSN Faragher
SN Carr                                       SN Cash
SN Copley                                   SN Thicksten
SN Woodyard                              MMFA Grubb
OSSA Gormley

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