page_title: USS Prime (AM-466)
section_title: Pacific Ocean operations
hierarchical_section_title: USS Prime (AM-466) / Pacific Ocean operations
caption_attribution_description: English: The U.S. Navy minesweeper USS Prime (MSO-466) and a Lockheed SP-2H Neptune from Patrol Squadron 4 (VP-4) on patrol off the coast of Vietnam, circa 1965. VP-4 began a splitsite deployment to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, with detachments at various dates located at Naval Air Facility Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam; Naval Station Sangley Point and Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Philippines, in March 1965.
context_page_description: USS Prime, was an Agile-class minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships.
  Prime was laid down on 30 December 1952 by Wilmington Boat Works, Wilmington, California, launched on 27 May 1954; sponsored by Mrs. Louis Ets-Hokin and commissioned on 11 October 1954, Lt. William F. Longton in command.
context_section_description: After Pacific shakedown, Prime was reclassified MSO-466 on 7 February 1955. She completed major modification on 3 October 1955, and deployed to the Western Pacific on 1 May 1956. Following regular overhaul and type training in 1957, she deployed to WestPac again on 3 November 1958. In 1959 she enhanced her operational readiness through maneuvers with the South Korean Navy in January, and participation in an amphibious landing exercise off Kodiak, Alaska, in November.
  Upon completion of overhaul and type training in 1960, she deployed to WestPac on 4 January 1961 and upon return began another overhaul on 20 November 1961. After training she deployed to WestPac again on 16 November 1962. She returned to Long Beach, California, in June 1963, and completed overhaul on 31 January 1964.
caption: Prime and a SP-2H of VP-4 off Vietnam in 1965.
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