USS Valve ( ARS - 28 ) USS Valve ( ARS - 28 ) was an " Diver " - class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U . S . Navy during World War II . Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels . " Valve " was laid down on 17 November 1942 at Bellingham , Washington , by the Bellingham Marine Railway Co . : launched on 20 May 1943 , sponsored by Mrs Henry Foss . and commissioned on 24 February 1944 , Lt . W . D . Mooney , USNR , in command . World War II service . Following shakedown , the salvage ship departed the U . S . West Coast at San Francisco , California , on 18 April 1944 bound for Hawaii with a trio of sled targets in tow , and arrived at Pearl Harbor 12 days later . She remained at the Pacific Fleet ' s base , operating locally , into the fall . Early in this tour , she assisted in fighting operations on burning " LST ' s " in West Loch , Pearl Harbor , in the wake of the destructive explosions which eventually sank five of these ships on 21 and 22 May . She spent four hours fighting the blazes before she was ordered to clear the area due to the danger of exploding ammunition carried in the " LST ' s " . On 23 May , she returned to West Loch and extinguished the blaze in the hulk of " LST - 480 " . Salvage operations at Pearl . " Valve " commenced salvage operations on the sunken " LST - 515 " on 31 May , her divers making 225 dives in 41 days . She worked on the wreck , removing such items as 15 tons of live ammunition . 10 " LVT ' s " , and a great deal of wreckage , from 31 May to 30 August . At noon on the latter day , she got underway to aid " LCI ( G ) - 366 " aground off Wahie Point , Lanai . After pulling the landing craft free , she resumed salvage operations on " LST - 585 " on 5 September . " Valve " prepared the ship ' s hulk for blasting by 8 October and with this task completed , sailed for Eniwetok 10 days later . ( Note : DANFS appears to be in error on which " LSTs " " Valve " salvaged at West Loch , there is no evidence that either " 515 " or " 585 " were involved at West Loch . ) Guam operations . " Valve " served as flagship for the commander of a Guam - bound convoy containing " Bond " ( AM - 152 ) and " SC - 1036 " and three merchantmen from 10 to 14 November , before the ship conducted salvage and clearance operations in Tanapag Harbor . Guam into December 1944 . During this period , she salvaged " Spark " ( IX - 196 ) and prepared the hulk of Japanese freighter " Keigo Maru " for sinking at sea . Saipan operations . After shifting to Saipan soon thereafter to relieve " Anchor " ( ARS - 13 ) , " Valve " operated out of Saipan on local salvage operations and harbor clearance duties through the end of the year and into the spring of 1945 . She departed Saipan for Iwo Jima on 28 May 1945 , towing the hulk of Japanese merchantman " Togoto Maru " . Okinawa operations . Next serving on local convoy escort duties between Iwo Jima and Guam , " Valve " shifted to Okinawan waters in July . Between 18 and 31 July , the salvage vessel went to general quarters during 15 " flash - red " alerts while in Okinawan waters . Operations in Pacific typhoons . She conducted salvage operations in inner Naha harbor at Okinawa into the winter of 1945 . When " Colbert " ( APA - 145 ) struck a drifting mine while on typhoon evasion on 17 September , " Valve " towed the stricken ship to a safe anchorage in Okinawa . Valve rode out another severe typhoon which swirled its way into the fleet anchorage on 9 October . During the storm " SS Richard S . Oglesby " twice fouled " Valve " , and " LST - 826 " collided with the salvage ship as well . Fortunately , " Valve " suffered only minor damage . " Valve " subsequently conducted salvage operations on other typhoon damaged ships including " Wateree " ( ATF - 117 ) , " Sacandaga " ( AOG - 40 ) , " LST - 828 " , " LST - 581 " and " Vandalia " ( IX - 191 ) through December 1945 . The salvage vessel then conducted local salvage and harbor clearance operations at Okinawa into the spring of 1946 . Supporting nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll . In May , she assisted in the preparations at Bikini Atoll for Operation Crossroads before sailing via Pearl Harbor for the west coast . Decommissioning . Decommissioned on 26 August 1946 , " Valve " was struck from the Navy list on 12 March 1948 and sold to Walter H . Wilms on 26 July 1948 . Military awards and honors . " Valve " earned one battle star for World War II service . Her crew was eligible for the following medals :