Tin Can Sailors was founded in 1976. The mission of Tin Can Sailors is threefold:
- To educate and broaden the public’s understanding of the contribution made by destroyers and those who served aboard them and to promote and to preserve destroyer history.
- To support today’s destroyer Navy and encourage understanding of its importance and mission.
- To promote camaraderie among our members through many events, our magazine, library, website, social media and by facilitating reunions of former shipmates.
Tin Can Sailors is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. We are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service under Section 501(c)(3). Contributions to Tin Can Sailors may be tax deductible as allowed by law. Tin Can Sailors files annual reports (Form 990) with the Internal Revenue Service and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General’s Division of Public Charities.
Our magazine, The Tin Can Sailor, is published four times a year. We do not sell our mailing list nor do we make our mailing list available to other organizations. The magazine is sent to all members of Tin Can Sailors. Free copies are also sent to all active Destroyers and Frigates and to destroyer veterans who cannot afford to send money but who have asked to receive the magazine.
Tin Can Sailors makes grants to several historic ships. All of those ships are operated by 501(c)(3) educational/charitable organizations. See our Grant Program page for more information. Learn more about the Destroyers We Support.
Our audit report is published annually in our magazine. The most recent report is on our website. We encourage members and anyone else who may be interested to read it. We believe that non-profit, tax-exempt organizations should be very open about where the money comes from and where it goes to.
Governing Body
We are governed by a board of directors. Questions regarding Tin Can Sailors operations should be directed to:
Terry Miller, Executive Director (Acting)
c/o PO Box 100
Somerset, MA 02726
Tin Can Sailors Board of Directors
President
Terry L. Miller, DD-836
terrymiller@destroyers.org
Executive Director (Acting)
Terry Miller
terrymiller@destroyers.org
Director
Meghan Rathbun
Director
Roger Novak, DD-847, DD-837
rogernovak@destroyers.org
Director
Ed Taicsich, DD-970
edtaicsich@destroyers.org
Director
Hugh J. Doyle, APA-212, LPH-12, DE-1087, FF-1076 hugh.doyle@destroyers.org
Honorary Director
RADM Samuel J. Cox, USN (Ret.), Historian
Advisory Member
RADM Sam Cox USN (Ret.)
Advisory Member
CAPT Gerry Roncolato (Ret.)
Advisory Member
Ed Zajkowski