USCGC Citrus ( WLB - 300 ) USCGC " Citrus " ( WAGL - 300 / WLB - 300 / WMEC - 300 ) was a " Cactus " ( A ) - class seagoing buoy tender built in 1942 in Duluth , Minnesota , and now operated by the navy of the Dominican Republic . During World War II , the 180 - foot ship helped build LORAN stations on the Aleutian Islands . From 1945 to 1979 , " Citrus " largely helped maintain aids to navigation in Alaskan waters . In 1980 , she was converted into a medium - endurance cutter homeported at Coos Bay , Oregon . In 1995 , after 51 years ' service , it was transferred to the Dominican Navy , which commissioned it the " Almirante Juan Alejandro Acosta " . Ship ' s history . After the Coast Guard took over the United States Lighthouse Service in 1939 , the plans for the USLS " Juniper " class of seagoing buoy tenders were modified to . These were built in three classes . The " Cactus " ( A ) class had 12 vessels , the " Mesquite " ( B ) class had six , and the " Iris " ( C ) class had 20 . Twenty were built at one of two shipyards in Duluth , Minnesota . " Citrus " was laid down 29 April 1942 at the Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth . She was launched on 15 August 1942 and commissioned on 3 April 1943 . World War II . USCGC " Citrus " was initially assigned to the Ninth District in April 1943 . With home port in Detroit , Michigan , the cutter was to be used for general aids to navigation and icebreaking on the Great Lakes . The cutter was re - assigned to Alaska Sector , Northwestern Sea Frontier on 15 September 1943 . Construction work on the Western Aleutian LORAN chain began during the latter part of 1943 . Beginning in November 1943 , men and materials began to arrive at sites 62 ( Sitka ) , 63 ( Amchitka ) , and 64 ( Attu ) . " Citrus " and two Liberty ship s , and SS " McKenzie " , transported Coast Guard construction crews to erect Quonset hut s for Construction Detachment " A " at Massacre Bay , Attu and at Baxter Cove , Adak . Unloading at Adak was done with 5 ' x 7 ' steel pontoon - type barges . They arrived on 24 December 1943 . Heavy ground swells made unloading materiel from the cutter to the barge precarious . Despite the possibility of a sudden squall , both barges made the beach about sundown . Temporary floodlights were then rigged and unloading operations continued until 1200 on Christmas Day . As the storm increased in intensity , " Citrus " was unable to maintain her anchorage and was forced to return to Massacre Bay until the storm subsided on 2 January 1944 . Early in February 1944 , a five - day storm swept the Massacre Bay area with winds up to . At Attu , " Citrus " took nine men off a swamped Army tug without loss of life and then sank the foundering tug with gunfire . " Citrus " also assisted in getting a Liberty ship off the beach after it had been driven ashore by a severe storm . The " Citrus " arrived at Ketchikan on 7 February 1944 . On 20 February , " Citrus " was dispatched to assist " Mary D " which was hard aground on Point St . Alban ' s Reef . With the assistance of USCGC " Hemlock " and " LT - 151 " . " Mary D " was re - floated . After jettisoning some cargo , she could continue on to Ketchikan . On 27 February 1944 , " Citrus " was dispatched to the assistance of Army tug USAT " ST - 169 " in distress in Chatham Strait after losing its crib tow . On 17 October 1944 " Citrus " departed Petersburg to render assistance to ATS " Brunswick " aground in Wrangell Narrows . " Citrus " pulled her afloat and the latter continued on under its own power . " Citrus " spent the remainder of the war conducting aids to navigation , logistics , and vessel escort duties in Southwestern Alaskan waters . Postwar . From the end of the war until 29 June 1964 , " Citrus " continued to be stationed at Ketchikan and conducted aids to navigation duties . On 9 September 1948 , " Citrus " assisted MV " Caledonia " in Idaho Inlet . From 29 – 31 October 1948 , the tender assisted USNS " Mission Santa Cruz " . From 13 – 19 February 1950 , " Citrus " searched for a missing USAF plane near the Wrangell Narrows . During 25 – 27 August 1950 , the cutter provided assistance to the barge " Bisco 3 " near Ratz Harbor and a fishing vessel " Vermay " near Cape Muzon , and towed the power scow " Chichagof " near Cape Chacon . On 19 May 1951 , " Citrus " escorted USCGC " White Holly " to Ketchikan after the latter struck a rock . On 25 May 1951 , " Citrus " assisted fishing vessel " Dolores " near Point Gardner and from 21 – 27 July 1951 the cutter searched for a missing Canadian DC - 4 . During 15 – 19 January 1952 , " Citrus " escorted USCGC " Cahoone " to Sitka . On 8 June 1952 , the cutter towed the fishing vessel " Pioneer " to Ketchikan and assisted the fishing vessel " Hobo " near Lincoln Island on 13 August 1952 . Ten days later , on 23 August 1952 " Citrus " assisted the fishing vessel " Cinuk " in the Behm Canal . On 24 August 1953 , it helped the tug " Saturn " recover its lost tow at 56° 25 ' N , 14° 28 ' W . " Citrus " then spent 25 – 30 August 1953 searching for , finding , and towing a scow to Ketchikan . On 13 October 1953 , " Citrus " assisted the grounded " APL - 55 " near the Dangerous River . From 30 June 1964 to 1979 " Citrus " was stationed at Kodiak , Alaska and used for aids to navigation . On 12 February 1965 , she located two Russian fishing vessel s from U . S . territory . After notification of their location , they departed . On 8 March 1965 , the cutter ' s crew fought a fire on MV " Kalaikh " off Alaska and towed it to Kodiak . On 3 May 1965 , " Citrus " flew a seaman from the Russian fishing vessel " Churkzn " to Kodiak Island . From 24 to 26 January 1968 , the crew fought a fire on the Japanese MV " Seifu Maru " in Dutch Harbor . On 9 August 1968 , the distressed MV " Dantzler " was assisted after a grounding and escorted the ship from near Cook Inlet to Homer , Alaska . On 1 April 1969 , the cutter flew a patient from the fishing vessel " Zulyo Maru " off Alaska . On 8 May 1970 , the cutter towed the disabled fishing vessel " Shirley Rose " to Kodiak . On 20 October 1970 , the crew removed 31 from the grounded ferry " Tustumena " near Kodiak . On 19 January 1974 " Citrus " searched for missing crew members from the trawler " John and Olaf " in the Gulf of Alaska . On 27 February 1979 . the cutter struck a submerged object in the Ouzinkie Narrows between Kodiak and Spruce Island s . Although there were no casualties , the ship sustained significant damage . In March 1979 " Citrus " was converted to a medium - endurance cutter . Medium - endurance cutter duty . Upon her conversion to a medium endurance cutter , " Citrus " home port was Coos Bay , Oregon . The cutter ' s mission was primarily law enforcement and search and rescue . Her primary law enforcement activities involved the boarding of domestic and foreign fishing vessels . After attempting to send a boarding party for a drug search on 1 January 1985 , " Citrus " was rammed by the Panamanian MV " Pacific Star " southwest of San Diego . " Pacific Star " was scuttled by its crew . Seven crewmen were rescued and of marijuana was seized . Awards and Honors . Throughout her 51 years of service , " Citrus " was decorated with four Unit Commendation s , three Meritorious Unit Commendation s , two Arctic Service Medal s , the American Defense Medal , World War II Victory Medal , the American Campaign Medal , the Asiatic - Pacific Medal , and the National Defense Service Medal . Dominican Navy . The " Citrus " was initially transferred to the Mexican Navy , but delivery was refused in February 1995 . The " Citrus " was transferred to the Dominican Navy on 16 September 1995 , and renamed " Almirante Juan Alejandro Acosta " ( C - 456 ) . It has been rearmed with a 102 mm 45 caliber DP gun , two single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon s , and four 7 . 62 mm M60 machine gun s .