USS Quapaw ( AT - 110 ) USS " Quapaw " ( ATF – 110 / AT - 110 ) was a in the United States Navy . She was named after the Quapaw . " Quapaw " was laid down by United Engineering Co . , Alameda , California , 28 December 1942 ; launched 15 May 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . N . Lehman ; and commissioned 6 May 1944 , Lt . Comdr . N . H . Castle in command . She was redesignated ATF – 110 on 15 May 1944 . Operational history . World War II Pacific operations . " Quapaw " steamed for San Francisco after shakedown out of San Pedro and San Diego , California , through 16 June . She departed San Francisco 21 June 1944 , en route to the Admiralty Islands . After calling at Honolulu , where she delivered an Army barge , a dump scow , and a derrick , she steamed 12 July via the Ellice Islands and Milne Bay , New Guinea , arriving Manus , Admiralty Islands 14 August . Following several harbor tow assignments , she departed 17 August with a deck cargo of 7 , 500 bbls . of aviation gasoline and 49 motor torpedo boat engines , and with a gasoline barge in tow . These she delivered to Mios Woendi Lagoon , whence she steamed to Maffin Bay where she received orders to stand by in preparation for the landings on Morotai Island . With a convoy of liberty ship s , minesweepers , and landing craft , together with screening destroyers , " Quapaw " entered Morotai Harbor the morning of 16 September 1944 . She remained through 1 October , primarily engaged in retracting LST s from the beach of Pitoe Bay . Supporting Leyte Gulf operations . From 20 October 1944 through 1 January 1945 , " Quapaw " was operating in San Pedro Bay in support of the Leyte operation . Her assignments entailed salvage , firefighting , and towing operations . On 6 December 1944 , " Quapaw " stood by Liberty ship after that ship had been torpedoed the previous day . Landings were made at Lingayen 9 January 1945 and " Quapaw " was assigned patrol of both attack areas to render all necessary assistance . She retracted landing ships , made repairs and conducted towing operations until 21 February . She then steamed to Mindoro . She departed Mangarin Bay 26 February as a unit of Admiral W . M . Fechteler ' s task group TG 78 . 2 , en route to Puerto Princesa , Palawan , for initial assaults against that island . En route , " Quapaw " took in tow when the latter was unable to maintain convoy speed . The landing forces went ashore 28 February and " Quapaw " retracted landing craft from the beaches east of Puerto Princesa and in the vicinity of the city jetty . She returned to Mangarin Bay , 5 March . From 8 through 25 March " Quapaw " participated in salvage and demolition work , and assisted in clearing harbor wreckage , with intervening repair and tow missions at Zamboanga , Mindanao , Philippine Islands . Further salvage , tow , and repair missions preceded overhaul at Hollandia , New Guinea , commencing 29 May . The tug departed 25 June for Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , from where she steamed 6 July with one section of a battleship drydock in tow for Samar , Philippine Islands . With the end of hostilities she continued towing services between various ports of the Philippines , with frequent service to Manus and back through 28 April 1946 . Return to Stateside . " Quapaw " departed Subic Bay for the United States 16 June 1946 , arriving San Francisco , California . 14 July . After overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard , the tug continued coastal and trans - Pacific towing operations until 21 December 1947 . She was placed in an inactive status at San Francisco until 30 April 1948 when she was placed out of commission , in reserve . Korean War . " Quapaw " recommissioned 5 December 1950 at Alameda , California . , Lt . Fleming M . Christian in command . After refresher training out of San Diego through January 1951 , she steamed via Bremerton , Washington , with a barracks ship in tow for Pearl Harbor . Arriving 14 February 1951 , she commenced operations under Commander Service Force , Pacific . The fleet tug provided services at Inchon , Korea 30 April – 17 July 1951 , and at Wonsan 19 July – 3 August . Towing services at Sasebo and Yokosuka , Japan were interrupted by patrol duty at Wonsan , Korea 26 October – 20 November 1952 , and by operation in the areas of Cho Do and Taechong Do , Korea 17 January – 14 February 1953 . " Quapaw " also conducted patrols in Korean waters in March and April 1953 . Vietnam War and beyond . As of 1970 , " Quapaw " continued to provide services to the Fleet out of her homeport of Pearl Harbor . Annual WestPac deployments were interspersed with assignments throughout mid - Pacific areas , as well as by occasional duty as search and rescue vessel out of Adak , Alaska . During the 1980s until her decommissioning in 1985 , " Quapaw " was home ported at the Port Hueneme Naval CBC in Port Hueneme , California providing salvage , rescue and towing services . Some post - Vietnam operations / achievements included : Towing of the USS New Jersey ( BB - 62 ) from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to Long Beach Naval Shipyard prior to her final recommissioning in 1982 . Provided tow escort and support for the towing of USS Missouri ( BB - 63 ) from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to Long Beach Naval Shipyard prior to her final recommissioning in 1984 . Towing of the USS Nautilus ( SSN - 571 ) from Mare Island Naval Shipyard to the Panama Canal where the Nautilus was picked up by another tug to be brought to Groton , CT in 1984 - 85 . Honors and awards . " Quapaw " received four battle star s for World War II service and five for the Korean War , and seven for the Vietnam War . Ribbons , Medals and Awards : Navy Unit Commendation , Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation , Navy " E " Ribbon , American Campaign Medal , Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal ( 4 stars ) , World War II Victory Medal , National Defense Service Medal ( 2 stars ) , Korean Service Medal ( 5 stars ) , Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal ( 1 star - Korea , 1 star - Op . Frequent Wind ) , Vietnam Service Medal ( 7 stars ) , Humanitarian Service Medal ( 1 star - Frequent Wind ) , Philippine Liberation Medal , United Nations Service Medal , Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal , Republic of Korea War Service Medal ( retroactive ) Legacy . In 2006 , " Quapaw " figured in a widely circulated chain e - mail that claimed that a sailor stationed aboard had snapped pictures of the Attack on Pearl Harbor on a Kodak Brownie camera , which remained undiscovered until very recently . In addition to the fact that " Quapaw " was not launched for another 18 months , the pictures typically circulated with the e - mail were taken from a several different locations — and unlikely to have been taken by one individual . Most are well known archival photos from the attack , and all had been previously published . Fate . On 11 December 2011 , " Quapaw " ( having been renamed " Tiger " after being sold to a private interest ) sank pierside while being prepared for transfer to a salvage yard for scrapping .