You can find pictures of Orleck at http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/886.htm showing her whole life span, and a bunch more at http://www.ussorleck.org/SETcollection.asp.
It looks as if the main differences were a pole mast with 40mm, 20mm guns and big quintuple torpedo tube mount, as in the Skywave 1/700 USS Gearing kit, then during the Korean War era, she got a tripod mast, then later, twin 3"50cal guns replaced the 40mm, and 20mm were removed, and smaller triple ASW torpedo tubes replaced the big tubes, and radar antennas at the masthead changed, and much later, a hangar and flight deck were added, as per the JAG 1/700 resin kit.
To make a long story short, you need the Skywave kit, even though it is not a perfect representation. As you study photos, you may decide to correct the kit's rig by adding the tripod mast and radar from photo-etch. Or maybe not. It's pretty small.
by the way, your father in law might enjoy that Orleck website, and knowing that they are trying to make a museum ship out of her in Lake charles, LA.
Good luck.
Rick