Gary D. Chesser
To our shipmate of the USS Charles S. Sperry DD-697, Seaman 1st Class Thomas Francis Doyle, Jr., fair winds and following seas and long may your big jib draw! To the Doyle family, we at the USS Charles S. Sperry DD-697 Association offer our solemn condolences. Shipmate Doyle held the honored distinction among shipmates as Planker of DD-697. He was among the special crew to commission DD-697 on 17 May 1944 with Commander H. H. McIlhenny in command, and served through the last battles of the war. He was part of the USS Charles S. Sperry DD-697 reunion association until 2011, and remained our friend and honored shipmate. We will pay tribute to our shipmate during our next reunion, if we are fortunate enough to be able to gather in reunion after the pandemic.