Stembel bombarded the shore until the assault waves headed for the beach, and then she acted as the communication and traffic control center for landing ships.

The next morning, Stembel was 4,000 yards off the beaches at Dulag, Leyte, protecting the landing ships and smaller craft against aircraft and submarines.

The men were returned to Kitkun Bay the next day as she was proceeding under her own steam, and Stembel began patrolling the entrance to Lingayen Gulf.

After sinking a 50-foot tugger, an inter-island oiler, and damaging a cargo ship, she withdrew to bombard the town of Rosario the next day.

After making voyage repairs at Ulithi Stembel joined the fast carriers and sortied, on 14 March, for an area east of Kyūshū.

Her task group was operating between 60 and 100 miles (100–160 km) east of Okinawa as they launched pre-invasion air strikes against that chain of islands.

Bunker Hill (CV-17) was hit and severely damaged on the morning of 11 May, and Stembel moved close aboard to aid in extinguishing the carrier's fires.

Stembel sortied from San Pedro on 1 July with TF 38 and operated with the fast carriers in Japanese home waters until 1 September.

After refitting, sea trials, and a shakedown cruise, the destroyer stood out of San Diego on 21 June 1952 en route to the Korean War Zone.

She served as plane guard for Boxer (CVA-21), assisted Iowa (BB-61) in bombarding Kojo and Wonsan, and patrolled the Taiwan Strait.

She returned to San Diego on 5 January 1953, and remained on the west coast until 16 May when she again deployed to Korean waters where she served until 8 December.

[citation needed] Stembel was loaned to the Republic of Argentina on 7 August 1961 under the Military Assistance Program and served the Argentine Navy as ARA Rosales (D-22).

Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with nine battle star 29 Jan 44 - 8 Feb 44 P26-2; Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls 16 Feb 44 - 17 Feb 44 P27-1; Truk attack 21 Apr 44 - 25 Apr 44 P40; Hollandia operation (Aitape Humbolt Bay-Tanahmerah Bay) 21 Jul 44- 1 Aug 44 P29-7; Capture and occupation of Guam 20 Oct 44 P31-1; Leyte landings 18 Nov 44 P31-1; Leyte landings 9 Jan 45 P32-2; Lingayen Gulf landing 16 Feb 45 - 7 Mar 45 P33-1; Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima 17 Mar 45 - 2 Jun 45 P34-2; 5th and 3d Fleet raids in support of Okinawa Gunto operation 10 Jul 45 - 15 Aug 45 P35 3d Fleet operations against Japan 5 China Service Medal 19-24 Jul 52 Navy Occupation with asia Clasp 2-3 Sep 45