USS Beaufort ( ATS - 2 ) USS " Beaufort " ( ATS - 2 ) was an " Edenton " - class salvage and rescue ship acquired by the U . S . Navy in 1972 and maintained in service until struck in 1996 . " Beaufort " spent her entire career in the Pacific Ocean , based out of Pearl Harbor , and provided salvage and rescue services where needed from the Western Pacific to the North Pacific . Construction . The fifth ship to be so named by the Navy , " Beaufort " ( ATS - 2 ) was laid down on 19 February 1968 at Lowestoft , England , by Brooke Marine Ltd . ; launched on 20 December 1968 ; sponsored by Mrs . Waldemar F . A . Wendt ; delivered to the Navy at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 5 January 1972 ; and commissioned there on 22 January 1972 , Lt . Comdr . Arthur R . Erwin in command . Naval service . " Beaufort " completed outfitting at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 5 April 1972 and moved first to the Naval Operating Base , Norfolk , Virginia , for deperming and thence to Little Creek , Virginia , to load in preparation for the voyage to Pearl Harbor . She made an overnight stop at one of her namesake cities , Beaufort , South Carolina , on 14 and 15 April and a two - day visit to Port Royal , South Carolina , from 15 to 17 April before resuming her voyage to Hawaii . The salvage tug transited the Panama Canal on 24 April and headed up the U . S . West Coast of North America to San Diego , arriving there on 3 May . Five days later , " Beaufort " put to sea on the last leg of her voyage . She arrived in Pearl Harbor on 15 May and became a unit of Service Squadron ( ServRon ) 5 . The ship remained in port until 5 June at which time she began shakedown training in the Hawaiian Islands operating area . The salvage tug completed shakedown training on 23 June and soon began diver and salvage training . August brought final contract trials ; and , in September , she resumed salvage training and capability evaluation . Between 13 October and 15 November , she towed the former " Observation Island " ( AG - 154 ) to San Francisco , and returned to Pearl Harbor . She arrived back in Pearl Harbor on 15 November and began post - shakedown availability . First Western Pacific Ocean deployment . That repair period occupied her for the rest of 1972 and ended on 15 March 1973 . At that time , she resumed normal operations out of Pearl Harbor . Salvage training kept her busy until 16 May when she got underway for her first deployment to the western Pacific . " Beaufort " stopped at Midway Island and Guam before arriving in the Philippine Islands at Subic Bay on 8 June . She conducted operations in the vicinity of Subic Bay until the beginning of July . At that time , the salvage tug got underway for Vietnam . Between 8 and 22 July , she served as a support ship for the minesweeper s engaged in Operation End Sweep , the removal of mines from Haiphong harbor in North Vietnam . Losing her tows in a storm . She returned to Subic Bay late in July for a short period of upkeep . From there , the salvage tug went to Naha , Okinawa , to pick up three pontoon barges for towing to Ream , Cambodia . While at Ream Harbor , Cambodia , the U . S . S . Beaufort came under attack in an ambush from enemy machine gun fire . Gunnersmates Day , Seabo . Kelly and Reed responded with return fire from the . 50 Caliber machine guns , and opened fire from the 20mm . The Cambodian ship also came under enemy fire ; and had an explosion on board . The Cambodian ship only had its Captain and one enlisted sailor survive , the other men were killed . The Captain of the Beaufort directed the Captain of the Cambodian ship , and a minor argument ensued , even as both were under enemy machine gun fire ; the Captain of the Cambodian ship relented . The Beaufort towed the wounded ship out of the immediate area . The beginning of the day was quiet and the birds were singing in the jungle - until the ambush . ' Beaufort ' departed Naha on 1 August and shaped a course for Ream . Off the coast of South Vietnam , however , she encountered a storm ; and all three barges broke the lines , and in order not to have the barges floating around the Pacific Ocean , the crew of the ' Beaufort ' sank all three barges with . 50 caliber machine guns , and 20mm fire , the 20mm gun mount was full of brass , it was difficult to stand on the brass , shoot a moving target in the rolling sea , from the deck of a rolling ship . The ship continued on to Ream where she arrived on 14 August . There , she picked up another tow , a Cambodian Landing Craft , Infantry ( LCI ) , for the voyage back to Subic Bay . The salvage tug reached her destination on 19 August . On the 27th , she got underway for Hong Kong where she made a storm - induced , extended port visit . " Beaufort " departed Hong Kong on 8 September and headed back toward the Philippines . On the approach to Subic Bay , she took in tow and brought her into port on the 10th . After the ' Beaufort ' reached port , the United States Marines bought the crew of the ' Beaufort ' all of the beer they could drink anywhere on the mainstreet of Magsaysay Street in olongapo Subic Bay . She put to sea again on 25 September to help to refloat the grounded USNS " Sgt . Jack J . Pendleton " and returned to Subic Bay from that mission on 9 October . The crew of the Pendelton ran - a - ground on the coral shoal of Triton Island in the Paracel Islands out to sea off of the DMZ of North Vietnam and South Vietnam ; the Pendelton was 10 degrees off course during the storm . It was hauling ammunition to South Vietnam . The seas were heavy , with high waves being pushed by high winds . As the storm subsided , the ' Beaufort ' hooked its steel cables to the aft section of the ' Pedleton ' and attempted to tow her off of the snow white coral reef ; there was no moving the ship . A barge was called from South Vietnam to unload the ammunition , and get it to U . S . Forces in South Vietnam , the unloading was completed by the sailors of the ' Pendleton ' . While the unloading was being completed , the crew of the ' Beaufort ' put its Navy Divers , Scuba , and Hard Hat Divers into the water to recon the bottom hull of the ' Pendleton ' . The Beaufort Hull Technician Divers , and the Explosive Ordnance Demolition E . O . D . Divers noticed a crack in the hull ; it was a gap between four inches to twelve inches , and compartments on flooded , which added additional weight . The bow of the ' Pendelton ' was protruding approximately twenty feet up toward the sky . Additional ships were dispatched to the scene to assist in pulling the ship off the reef . During the same time , China sent a message stating it owned the island and to stop all procedures and depart the island ; North Vietnam also stated it owned the coral reef and to make haste out of the area or it would send a warship to engage the Navy ships , both dispatches were taken seriously , however , no county was taking an operational naval vessel . All towing attempts failed , and a typhoon was closing in on the area . The ' Beaufort ' made on final attempt . Another ship rammed the starboard , nearly crushing a sailor , as the I - Beam of the other ship crushed - in the side of the ' Beaufort ' . The ship was hit so hard , the mast began to shake violently , and the men on the ship ' s bridge were on the deck waiting for it to crash . The ' Beaufort ' removed all men from the ' Pendelton ' , and loaded Divers into a Mike Boat , Landing Craft . The Divers took dive equipment , and demolitions to the ' Pendleton ' , and set charges to the hull . After retreating approximately 1 , 000 yards , the charges exploded , and the ship was there " for the duration " . It was used as a Radar Beacon for aircraft . The ' Beaufort ' Hull Technicians shored its bulkhead with wood and steel , until it could get back to port for major repairs . During repairs , a U . S . Naval Destroyer was docked starboard side to ' Beaufort ' . The ' Beaufort was under shipyard repairs . The was a ' Wood Camel ' , a floating dock between the ships , for which shipyard workers were painting the hull of the starboard side . The ' Beaufort ' was taking on fuel , which had an ' over flow ' , and dumped into the area between the ships , and surrounded the ' camel ' with two men on it ; the Destroyer was flying a red Bravo Flag , taking on ammunition . The ' Beaufort ' crew were securing from normal operation for the day , and as sailors were taking showers in the Head ' bathroom ' , the ship yard welders arc and metal slag fell into the fuel laden water . The fuel caught fire . The Fire Alarm sounded , and the ' In Port Scene Leader ' Hull Technician who had the duty day , responded to the fire on the Main Deck Starboard Side , he was dressed in his Skivy Boxer Shorts , and Boots . He dragged out a fire hose , and began to fight the fire , he called for additional fire teams to direct water toward the men on the ' Camel ' and for others to rescue the men . Then he directed his fire team to put water onto the Destroyer three Port side torpedo tube , which had three live torpedoes ; the type one would view on a World War II PT Boat , the Fire Scene Leader of the ' Beaufort ' was giving orders to a Lieutenant , who refused to listen , so the Fire Scene Leader of Repair Party # 3 , hosed him to get the Officer aways from the torpedoes , as flames were reaching the weapons . The Scene Leader received flash burns on his face , arms , and chest . The men on the Camel were later rescued . Three Fire Teams were on scene that day , and not one man ran from the danger of possible explosions , they stood their post and put the fire out . The Captain was at the fire scene to assist his men . Some of the men of the Fire Teams were Alegra , Allen , Master Chief Belk , Beltzek , Butler , Duke was burned , Kopitar led Team # 2 , Mecca , Miller , Rogers , Weirsma , Yost , and several others . On the 24th , the salvage tug shaped a course for Sasebo , Japan . She arrived in Sasebo on 29 October and remained there until 4 November . On the latter day , " Beaufort " took two tank landing ships in tow and began the voyage back to Pearl Harbor . She reentered her home port on 28 November and spent the rest of the year in post - deployment leave and upkeep . North Pacific operations . From 1 January to 20 May 1974 , " Beaufort " underwent a restricted availability in the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard . Following that repair period , she resumed normal operations in the Hawaiian Islands . That employment lasted until 16 August when she stood out of Pearl Harbor in company with USNS " Silas Bent " ( T - AGS - 26 ) bound for Alaskan waters . She operated with " Silas Bent " until mid - September . On the 18th , the salvage tug parted company with " Silas Bent " and laid in a course for Bremerton , Washington . She visited Bremerton from 25 September to 10 October and Vancouver , British Columbia , between 10 and 17 October . During the remainder of October , she made calls at Seattle , Washington ; Astoria , Oregon ; Longview , Washington ; Portland , Oregon ; and San Francisco , California . On 4 November , " Beaufort " departed San Francisco to return to Pearl Harbor . She reentered her home port on 10 November and remained there through the end of 1974 . Return to the Far East . A restricted availability occupied her during most of January 1975 . She resumed operations out of Pearl Harbor on the 27th . Type training , diving drills , and local tows kept her busy until 30 June when she entered the Dillingham Shipyard for a pre - deployment restricted availability . " Beaufort " resumed local operations on 23 August , and they lasted until 8 September when she got underway for the Far East . The salvage tug stopped at Guam from 15 to 19 September and then continued on to the Philippines . She arrived in Subic Bay on the 24th and operated out of that port until 18 November when she set a course for Japan . Between 24 November and 4 December , " Beaufort " salvaged some amphibious equipment that had been blown to sea by a storm near Numazu , Japan . On 5 December , she put into Sasebo , Japan , for two days of upkeep . She returned to sea on the 7th , bound for Chinhae , Korea , where she spent the period between 9 and 19 December supporting Republic of Korea Navy salvage training operations . On 20 December , she returned to Sasebo and remained there through the end of the year . " Beaufort " departed Sasebo on 3 January 1976 and shaped a course for Taiwan . After visits to Keelung and Tsoying , Taiwan , she conducted five days of salvage training with the Taiwanese Navy before heading back to Subic Bay on the 17th . She operated out of Subic Bay until 14 February when she departed the Philippines for Guam towing . The salvage tug brought her charge into Apra Harbor on 22 February and , two days later , got underway with in tow and headed for Midway Island . " Beaufort " dropped her tow off at Midway on 6 March and continued her voyage back to Pearl Harbor . The ship arrived at Oahu on 9 March and began a month of post - deployment leave and upkeep . She underwent a restricted availability for the installation of firefighting equipment and new navigational lights during the latter part of April and most of May . She resumed operations out of Pearl Harbor on 27 May . Concluding those operations on 16 August , she reentered the Dillingham Shipyard for a regular overhaul . The yard work took about a year , occupying the remainder of 1976 and the first eight months of 1977 . During the final three months of the overhaul , however , " Beaufort " put to sea occasionally for tests and evaluations . After 24 May , additional repairs were made at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard . She resumed normal operations in September , conducting refresher training in the local operating area between the 6th and the 25th . Normal operations — salvage training and diving drills — occupied her time until the end of the first week in November . Re - deployment to the Western Pacific . On the 7th , " Beaufort " stood out of Pearl Harbor on her way to the western Pacific . She arrived at Apra Harbor , Guam , on 18 November . For the next two weeks , she conducted special operations in the Mariana Islands operating area . On 2 December , she broke off the special operations to evade a typhoon at Buckner Bay , Okinawa . On 7 December , she resumed the special operations which lasted until the 14th . The following day , the salvage tug reentered Apra Harbor . She departed Guam on the 22d bound for Korea . She reached Pusan on the 26th but departed again the next day for Chinhae . " Beaufort " provided support services for from 28 to 31 December and then headed back to Pusan . Following a visit to that port on 1 and 2 January 1978 , the salvage tug weighed anchor for Japan . She arrived at Sasebo on 4 January once again and began a 15 - day upkeep period . On 20 January , " Beaufort " put to sea for Korea once again . She stopped at Chinhae from the 21st to the 23d , then headed for Numazu , Japan , where she conducted salvage operations between 26 January and 9 February . After a stop at Yokosuka on 10 and 11 February , she towed the former to sea for a sinking exercise . She completed that mission on the 17th and laid in a course for Hong Kong . At the end of a four - day call at the British colony , the salvage tug headed for Taiwan where she took part in salvage exercises with elements of the Taiwanese Navy early in March . Salvaging a downed F - 14 . She returned to Hong Kong on 9 March for an 11 - day visit before getting underway for Subic Bay . On her way there , however , she received orders diverting her to the Gulf of Thailand to salvage a downed F - 14 . From 25 to 31 March , conducted recovery operations on the fighter . On 1 April , " Beaufort " put into Singapore for a week of liberty and upkeep . She returned to sea on the 9th , bound for surveillance duties in the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands . That mission continued until 23 April when the ship entered Apra Harbor , Guam , for a two - day port call . On 26 April , she began her voyage home to Oahu . She reached Pearl Harbor on 5 May and began a month of post - deployment leave and upkeep . On 5 June , " Beaufort " resumed normal operations with a visit to Lahaina Roads near the island of Maui . There , she conducted a bow - lift exercise on the former Bluegill . Similar duty elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands and the mid - Pacific operating area occupied her for the rest of the year and into 1979 . Return to the Western Pacific . At the end of January 1979 , she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a restricted availability . " Beaufort " completed repairs on 11 March and resumed local operations . On 1 April , the salvage tug began preparations for overseas movement and , on the 24th , departed Pearl Harbor for the western Pacific . The ship arrived in Apra Harbor , Guam , on 5 May and operated from that port until the 27th when she got underway for the Philippine Islands . Beaufort stopped at Legaspi between 1 and 4 June before arriving in Subic Bay on the 6th . For the next four months , she performed the usual U . S . 7th Fleet duty visiting a number of ports , towing ships , and conducting salvage training . On 29 September , she departed Yokosuka , Japan , to return to Hawaii . " Beaufort " arrived in Pearl Harbor on 10 October and , after post - deployment standdown , resumed local operations on 13 November . Duty out of Pearl Harbor occupied her time through the next nine months . On 25 August 1980 , she got underway for the west coast of the United States . The ship reached Oakland , California , on 1 September and remained there until the 7th . " Beaufort " headed back to Hawaii on 8 September and arrived there on 15 September . Five days later , she got underway for the western Pacific . The salvage tug arrived in Apra Harbor , Guam , on 6 November . Following a nine - day stopover at Guam , " Beaufort " weighed anchor for the Philippines . En route , she conducted a surveillance mission in the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands . On 26 November , the salvage tug arrived in Subic Bay but remained only until the 30th when she embarked upon a voyage which took her to Thailand and Singapore . " Beaufort " returned to Subic Bay on 2 January 1981 . She operated out of that port until 6 April when she got underway for home . The ship stopped at Guam on 12 April but continued her voyage east on the 13th . " Beaufort " reentered Pearl Harbor on 28 April and remained there until 8 June when she resumed operations in the Hawaiian Islands . Decommissioning . " Beaufort " was decommissioned on 8 March 1996 and was struck from the Navy List on 12 December 1996 . She was disposed of through the Security Assistance Program , transfer and cash sale of the hull and transferred to the Republic of Korea Navy on 29 August 1996 . Honors and awards . Qualified " Beaufort " personnel were authorized the following :