USCGC Owasco ( WHEC - 39 ) USCG " Owasco " ( WHEC - 39 ) was an " Owasco " class high endurance cutter which served with the US Coast Guard from 1945 to 1973 . Originally intended for World War II service , she was commissioned only weeks before the end of the war and consequently did not see combat until her deployment in the Vietnam War more than 20 years later . Peacetime service . " Owasco " , the lead ship in her class , was launched by the Western Pipe and Steel Company at San Pedro , California on 18 June 1944 and commissioned on 18 May 1945 , barely two months before the end of World War II . Initially fitted out as a gunboat , the vessel was converted to peace time status at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay , Maryland through the removal of much of her armament and installation of observation facilities and aerological equipment , a conversion completed in May 1946 . Around this time her homeport was changed from Galveston , Texas to Boston . " Owasco " was named for Owasco Lake , New York . Regular Coast Guard duties . After the refit , " Owasco " returned to regular Coastguard duties , including law enforcement , ocean station , and search and rescue operations . She was decommissioned in 1951 and recommissioned on 15 August 1955 , at which time her homeport was changed to New London , Connecticut , which would remain " Owasco ' s " homeport for the rest of her operational career . A typical ocean station patrol for " Owasco " was described in a 1973 unit history : " When the OWASCO leaves New London for ocean station she is heading for a 210 mile square , and once there remains for 28 days obtaining meteorological and oceanographic data and information . A characteristic signal from her radiobeacon serves as an aid to navigation . She also furnished all passing aircraft within radar range accurate information as to their position , course , speed , and up to date weather forecasts . While performing her duties as an Ocean Station Vessel , she carries a crew of 13 officers and 121 men . " Storm damaged . Owasco was damaged during a series of violent storms in January 1962 , when wind gusts at times reached 80 miles an hour . A lifeboat was damaged by a wave and her SPS - 29 radar antenna sheared off , while the crew was obliged to work continuously to keep the cutter free from ice . A photo caption from the time noted : " Using muscle power and a baseball bat , a crewman attacks ice formed of spray on the superstructure of the Coast Guard ' s 255 - foot cutter OWASCO during her recent weather patrol and plane guard duty on Ocean Station " Bravo " situated in the passage between Labrador and Greenland . A northeaster picked up spume from high waves and deposited it as ice over the vessel . Crewmen fought this ice battle for ten hours to preserve the ship ' s stability . They use bats , pick handles , meat cleavers , fire axes , shovels and other objects to crack away the dangerous tons of white weight . " Vietnam War . On 13 October 1967 , " Owasco " was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three in Vietnam . Under the leadership of Commander William R . Fearn and with a crew of 160 , " Owasco " took part in Operation Market Time , the attempt to interdict communist supply lines by sea . " Owasco " departed New London 20 May 1968 for Guantanamo Bay , where her crew underwent refresher training . She then made ports stops at Hawaii , Guam and Subic Bay before arriving in theatre on 23 July of the same year . " Owasco " ' s operational duties in this period were described by a contemporary Coast Guard press release : Although her patrol areas may change from time to time during the next several months , her duties will not . Market Time units are assigned primarily to keep the Communists from sneaking men , arms and other supplies into the Republic of Vietnam . They include U . S . Navy aircraft , destroyer escort radar picket ships , ocean minesweepers and swift boats and Vietnamese Navy Junk Force craft , as well as 82 - foot and high endurance Coast Guard cutters . Owasco is one of five of the latter group , which makes up Coast Guard Squadron Three on duty with the Seventh Fleet ' s Cruiser - Destroyer Group in Southeast Asia . In addition to keeping track of shipping in their patrol areas and inspecting and searching suspicious water craft and their occupants , Market Time units are often called upon to lend gunfire support to friendly forces ashore . Owasco ' s 5 inch , . 38 caliber main battery is well suited to shore bombardment and she also carries 81 mm mortars and . 50 caliber machine guns for close range engagements with the enemy . " Owasco " ' s first Market Time patrol began on 10 August 1968 just south of the Demilitarized Zone in the South China Sea . From 13 September to 3 October 1968 the vessel operated as the SOPA Administrator for all U . S . Naval vessels in Hong Kong , maintaining the shore patrol for the fleet and handling all mail , communications , and matters concerning U . S . naval personnel there . On 1 October 1968 , " Owasco " departed for Subic Bay for a regular upkeep . Crew citation . A few weeks later in November , Owasco crewmen went to the aid of a Navy Swift boat in an incident that was described in the ships official cutter scrapbook : " Six " Owasco " crewmen were cited for meritorious service as a result of direct action with the enemy , while the ship was patrolling Market Time Area Two on Wednesday 6 November 1968 . The six men had just completed a medcap mission ashore in Phouctan . . . Embarked in Navy Swift Boat PCF - 75 for rendezvous with the " Owasco " , the boat , in company with the ill - fated PCF - 70 , received hostile gunfire during which PCF - 70 personnel were hit from a surprise recoilless rifle ambush on the beach . Two men were killed and four others wounded . " " LCDR Spott USPHS ( medical officer ) and SN Maison ( corpsman assistant ) rendered medical aid in the midst of the enemy attack . Four other " Owasco " men , LTJG Mack , BM2 Scheyer , DC3 Bane , EM3 Switlik all assisted in rescue and salvage operations to the battle damaged Navy craft . For their achievement under fire , Doctor Spott and seaman Maison received Navy Commendation medals , while the other four were cited in Letters of Commendation by Commander , 7th Fleet . On 19 June 1969 , LTJG Warren Hudson USN , the PCF - 70 skipper who was wounded in the action , visited the " Owasco " in New London to express his thanks to the commanding officer . " " Owasco " returned to Subic Bay for emergency dry dock repairs between 15 and 25 January . Between 26 January and 11 March the vessel was back on Market Time Station One duty . On 14 March 1969 " Owasco " departed Subic for her home port of New London , but on the way was diverted for a medevac mission for crew members of the Norwegian M / V Norefjell 300 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras , after which she resumed her journey , arriving at New London on the 23rd . Summary of Vietnam War service . By the end of her tour overseas , " Owasco " had supplied logistical support to 86 Navy Swift boats and 47 Coast Guard 82 - foot patrol boats . She had detected 2 , 596 junks and conducted 178 " actual boardings and 2 , 341 inspections " , exceeding the " results of any Squadron Three cutter thus far . " She conducted 17 Naval Gunfire Support Missions , firing 1 , 330 rounds of 5 - inch ammunition . " " Owasco " was officially credited with killing four enemy soldiers , destroying 18 bunkers and damaging 10 , destroying 11 " military structures " and damaging 17 , destroying 550 meters of " Enemy Supply Trails " , destroying 1 sampan , 1 loading pier , and interdicting 3 " Enemy Troop Movements . " The ship carried out 49 underway replenishments while in theatre and her medical personnel carried out 7 medical and civic action program s ( MEDCAP ) , treating 432 Vietnamese civilians . Return to peacetime service . On her return to New London , " Owasco " resumed peacetime operations . After refresher training at Guantanamo Bay in 1972 , during which the vessel earned a second consecutive " E " for excellence in operational readiness , she returned to her home port in December of the same year . " Owasco " was decommissioned on 27 June 1973 and sold for scrap on 7 October 1974 .