USS Sage ( AM - 111 ) USS " Sage " ( AM - 111 ) was an acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing . " Sage " was laid down on 29 July 1942 by the Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding Company , Winslow , Washington ; launched on 21 November 1942 ; sponsored by Miss Shirley Woodman ; and commissioned on 23 August 1943 , Lt . Franklyn K . Zinn , USNR , in command . World War II Pacific operations . Following shakedown off the California coast , " Sage " moved west to Pearl Harbor . Arriving on 20 October , she departed again on the 28th ; proceeded to Midway Island , whence she provided escort services to the Ellice and Phoenix Islands ; then returned to Hawaii . Through December 1943 and into January 1944 , she conducted minesweeping exercises and experiments and was altered to carry a small support landing craft . On 22 January , she embarked a hydrographic party ; and , on the 23rd , she sortied with Task Force 51 , the Marshall Islands assault force . On the 31st , " Sage " commenced minesweeping and hydrographic survey operations at Majuro ; and , four days later , shifted to Kwajalein . For the next week , she alternated antisubmarine patrols with sonar watch duty at the entrance to the lagoon . On 11 February , she and three other AM ' s tracked and attacked a possible submarine one mile off Gea , but the depth charges they dropped seemingly inflicted little or no damage . On the 15th , however , she sailed with Task Group 51 . 11 for Eniwetok ; and , the same day , joined the destroyers and in sinking the Japanese submarine RO - 40 . Two days later , " Sage " , with , " YMS - 262 " , and " YMS - 383 " , was detached from the formation . Proceeding to Wide Pass , they commenced sweeping operations at 0617 ; and , at 0726 , entered the lagoon . An hour and one half later , they sighted personnel on board a beached Japanese ship . After shelling the ship , they resumed sweeping operations and added patrol duties which continued until mid - March . Reassigned to task force TF 51 , " Sage " departed Eniwetok and returned to Kwajalein , whence her task group moved to occupy the outer islands of the Marshall group : Ailinglapalap , Namu , and others to the southeast ; Bikini Atoll , Rongelap , and Utirik to the north . Stateside overhaul . Escort duty followed these operations and took " Sage " back to Pearl Harbor , then to San Francisco , California . Arriving on 7 May , she underwent overhaul at Alameda , California ; resumed escort duty on 11 June ; and , by mid - August , had completed several runs between the Hawaiian and Marshall Islands . The following month , she received more up - to - date radar equipment ; and , on 23 September , she departed Hawaii with another westbound convoy . On 3 October , she arrived at Eniwetok ; shifted from Task Unit ( TU ) 31 . 5 . 3 to task unit TU 31 . 5 . 2 ; and continued on to the Admiralties to stage for the invasion at Leyte Gulf . " Sage " , with others of her division , MinDiv 13 , arrived in Seeadler Harbor , Manus , on 9 October . On the 10th , she sortied with task group TG 77 . 5 and headed northwest . On the 17th , her division left the formation and , despite high winds , frequent squalls , and reduced visibility , commenced sweeping operations at the entrance to Leyte Gulf . At 0207 on the 20th , the minesweepers began maneuvering to avoid the main body of the assault force as it entered the gulf and , soon after 0630 , they resumed mine disposal activities . Two hours later , the invasion was in progress and enemy planes became active . Leyte Gulf operations . Minesweeping activities continued through the 23rd . On the 24th , intensified enemy air activity opened the multi - phased Battle for Leyte Gulf , and " Sage " was ordered to make smoke to cover smaller vessels in her area . She then anchored in San Pedro Bay , where she remained through the concluding actions of the battle . On the 27th , she cleared the bay and moved to the site of the Battle off Samar , where , for the next four days , she searched for survivors of the ships sunk during the engagement . Her lookouts sighted only unoccupied life rafts and life rings . On the evening of the 31st , " Sage " returned to San Pedro Bay , whence she conducted sweeps from 3 to 7 November . She then shifted her operations to an area north of Suluan and , on the 13th , returned to Leyte . On the 19th , she assumed antisubmarine patrol duties between Homonhon and Manicani , where a party from the ship provided the first medical assistance to the inhabitants in over three years . From the 23d to the 29th , the AM patrolled off the entrance to Leyte Gulf ; then , after a week ' s rest , departed San Pedro Bay to support operations against Japanese facilities at Ormoc Bay . On 6 December , she moved through Canigao Channel and conducted sweeps in the Camotes Sea . On the 7th , she patrolled off the entrance to Ormoc Bay as the 77th Infantry Division was landed . Then , on the 8th , she returned to San Pedro Bay . Operating with the Mindoro Attack Force . Four days later , Sage sortied with the Mindoro Attack Force . Enemy air attacks plagued the force as it moved toward the assault area north of Mangarin Bay ; but , on the 14th , " Sage " commenced minesweeping operations off the island and , early on the 15th , moved in toward White Beach to clear the way for the troops assigned to land near the Tubaong River . By mid - morning , she had recovered her gear and assumed covering duties for the smaller minecraft working in closer to the beaches . Later in the day , as the troops moved off the beaches and secured their objectives , she got underway to return to Leyte , where she prepared for her next invasion , Lingayen Gulf , on Luzon . On 2 January 1945 , " Sage " departed Leyte Gulf . During the next three days , Japanese aircraft , kamikaze s , swarmed over the Sulu Sea in an attempt to stop the Allied attack force . On the 6th , " Sage " reached her destination ; and , at daylight , commenced sweeping in the gulf . Enemy aerial resistance continued and intensified . On the 8th , " Sage " was detached from sweeping duties and assigned to support YMS operations . On the 9th , troops streamed ashore at Lingayen and San Fabian ; and . , on the 14th , " Sage " cleared Lingayen Gulf to escort a convoy back to Leyte . Subic Bay operations . She departed Leyte for Luzon again on the 25th . Three days later , she was at Mindoro ; and , at 0358 on the 29th , she commenced sweeping approaches to landing areas on the southern Zambales coast . Within hours , Operation " Mike VII " had landed troops near San Antonio , San Narciso , and San Felipe to cut off a Japanese retreat into Bataan . In the afternoon , " Sage " shifted to the entrance of Subic Bay ; conducted antisubmarine patrols there until the next morning ; then moved into the bay for sweeping missions . On 4 February , " Sage " departed Subic Bay ; returned briefly to Leyte ; then sailed east to Guam ; whence she set a course for Ulithi where she staged for Operation Iceberg , the invasion of the Ryukyus . By 20 March , she had left the western Carolines behind and was moving northwest with task group TG 52 . 4 . From the 24th to the 31st , she helped clear the way for the forces approaching Kerama Retto and Okinawa . On 31 March and 1 April , she replenished at Kerama Retto ; then , got underway to support the main assault force as it went ashore on Okinawa ' s Hagushi beaches . Patrol assignment . On the 3rd , she added patrol operations to her duties ; and , on the 7th , she assisted in rescue operations for survivors of ships kamikazied on the 6th . She continued her patrol and sweeping work through the 16th ; then gained a brief respite . On the 17th , she replenished at Kerama Retto ; and , that evening , resumed patrol duties , continuing them through the 24th . On the 25th , she reported for escort duty and got underway for Saipan . " Sage " arrived in the Marianas on 1 May . After stops at Saipan and Guam , she got underway for Ulithi , whence she escorted a reinforcement and resupply convoy to the Ryukyus , where she resumed sweeping operations on 4 July . From then until the 14th , she worked in area " Juneau " in the East China Sea . On the 15th , she put into Buckner Bay ; and , from the 17th to the 21st , was at sea on a typhoon evasion course . On the 22nd , she returned to area " Juneau " and remained until the end of the month . On 6 August , she got underway again ; escorted a " convoy " back to Leyte ; and remained in San Pedro Bay until after the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific . At the end of August , " Sage " departed the Philippines and moved back to the Ryukyus . On 5 September , she moved north , to the Japanese home islands , and began clearing minefields and planting navigational aids in waters off Shikoku . In mid - September , she shifted to Honshū , where she operated primarily as a minesweeper and secondarily as a pilot into December . On 17 December , she departed the Far East . Post - War inactivation . Ordered to the U . S . East Coast of the United States , " Sage " transited the Panama Canal in February 1946 ; and , in early March , she arrived at Charleston , South Carolina , for overhaul . Then immobilized and designated for inactivation , she moved south and west in October and , at mid - month , arrived at Orange , Texas . There inactivation was completed , and she was berthed with the U . S . 6th Fleet ( Inactive ) in mid - February 1947 . Recommissioning for East Coast operations . In June 1950 , war broke out in Korea and created a need for minecraft and trained men to man them . In August , " Sage " , with others of her type , was ordered activated . Recommissioned on 16 March 1951 , she was homeported at Charleston ; and , for the next three years , conducted training exercises off the southeastern seaboard , in the Caribbean , and in the Gulf of Mexico . In March 1954 , she deployed to the Mediterranean where she operated with the U . S . 6th Fleet through the summer . In October , she resumed operations out of Charleston ; and , in December , she was ordered inactivated for a second time . Final decommissioning . Reclassified MSF - 111 on 7 February 1955 , " Sage " departed Charleston ten days later ; and , on the 18th , arrived at Green Cove Springs , Florida , where she was decommissioned on 19 April 1955 and shifted to the Orange , Texas , berthing area . She remained in the Reserve Fleet until 1 July 1972 when she was struck from the Navy list . " Sage " was sold to Mexico on 4 November 1973 . Awards . " Sage " earned 8 battle stars during World War II . Mexican Navy service . On 4 November 1973 , the former " Sage " was sold to the Mexican Navy and renamed ARM " Hermenegildo Galeana " ( C86 ) . Later , her pennant number was changed to G19 . In 1993 , she was renamed ARM " Mariano Matomoros " ( P117 ) to free her former name for American frigate , which was purchased the same year . , " Mariano Matomoros " was in active service with the Mexican Navy .