USS Warbler ( MSC - 206 ) USS " Warbler " ( AMS - 206 / MSC - 206 ) was a of the United States Navy , that saw service during the Vietnam War , and was later sold to the Republic of Fiji where she served as HMFS " Kiro " ( MSC - 206 ) . The ship was laid down on 15 October 1953 by the Bellingham Shipyards Co . , of Bellingham , Washington , and was launched on 18 June 1954 , sponsored by Mrs . S . A . Blythe . Redesignated MSC - 206 on 7 February 1955 , and commissioned at the Naval Station , Tacoma , Washington , on 26 July 1955 , Lt . ( jg . ) James S . Elfelt in command . Service history . Pacific Fleet , 1955 – 1970 . Following shakedown training , " Warbler " reported to Commander , Mine Force , Pacific Fleet , and operated locally out of Long Beach for the next year . In August 1956 , in company with , the minesweeper set sail for the Far East to assume duties as flagship for Mine Division 32 . Homeporting at Sasebo , Japan , " Warbler " would remain in the Far East over the next 14 years , participating in numerous mine exercises with the navies of other friendly Far Eastern nations such as South Korea , the Republic of China , the Philippines , and Japan . Vietnam War . Highlighting the ship ' s deployment to the western Pacific , " Warbler " conducted numerous tours of duty on " Operation Market Time " patrols off the coast of Vietnam to aid in the interdiction campaign to cut off the flow of arms and munitions to the Viet Cong in South Vietnam . A small wooden craft especially designed for coastal minesweeping operations and deployments lasting from a few days to several weeks , " Warbler " and her sister minesweepers filled the gap between the heavier units of the fleet , like the destroyers and destroyer escorts , and the small craft used for patrol work , until built - for - the - purpose patrol craft could enter the fray . During her " Market Time " cruises , " Warbler " boarded many junks , ascertaining cargo and destination ; investigated contacts of steel - hulled vessels picked up on radar ; and endured what at times appeared to be " fearfully strong weather that seemed bent on total destruction " of the ship . At times , boarding of junks was an impossibility because of the vagaries of monsoon - type weather . During one " Market Time " patrol in the spring of 1968 , " Warbler " conducted a joint salvage evolution with the salvage vessel . She located a downed F - 100 Super Sabre fighter , and a wayward box of hypodermic needles . The ship also conducted extensive searches for an A - 6 Intruder , a medevac helicopter , and two target drones . The minesweeper then cruised off the demilitarized zone ( the DMZ ) before heading home to Sasebo , via the Nationalist Chinese port of Kaohsiung . With 45 days of " Market Time " patrols under her belt in 1968 , Warbler returned to the coast of Vietnam in January 1969 and patrolled briefly near the port of Vung Tau . Later that autumn , " Warbler " , in company with her sister - ship USS " Whippoorwill " , departed Sasebo on 5 September , bound for Taiwan and Mine Exercise " Canned Heat . " Unfortunately beset with mechanical difficulties , the ship went dead in the water in Formosa Strait after attempted repairs at Keelung , Taiwan , had proved ineffective . Eight hours after the ship stopped , For two months in 1970 , " Warbler " patrolled between Camranh Bay and Nha Trang , investigating suspicious contacts — none of which proved hostile . " Our greatest excitement during this patrol , " her commanding officer later wrote , " was provided by an occasional Soviet merchantman that would steam through our area and find himself shadowed and photographed by the mighty " Warbler " . " " Warbler ( MSC - 206 ) " was awarded seven engagement stars for her important services on " Market Time " patrols . Decommissioning and sale to Fiji . " Whippoorwill " consequently relieved " Warbler " of " Market Time " duties on 19 July 1970 , and the latter got underway from Camranh Bay for the succession of port visits . However , two days after leaving the bay , the ship received a message directing her to return to the United States for decommissioning . Departing Sasebo on 17 August and sailing via Pearl Harbor for an overnight refueling stop , " Warbler " reached the west coast of the United States on 17 September in company with , , and . On 1 October 1970 , " Warbler " was decommissioned . Simultaneously placed in service as a Naval Reserve training ( NRT ) ship and homeported at Seattle , Washington , " Warbler " commenced her new duties soon thereafter . She trained reservists out of Seattle into the mid - 1970s and was placed on the sale list in July 1975 . On 14 October 1975 , she was sold to the government of Fiji , to serve as HMFS " Kiro " ( MSC - 206 ) , and following a refit in 1980 remained in active service there until 1991 , then served as a training ship until 1996 . Disposal . In September 1996 the decommissioned " Kiro " was to be disposed by sinking . The designated position for disposal was , however , the unfavorable weather and the very poor material condition of the ship prevented the attempt to tow her . The mast broke off and fell into the sea just as she was exiting the Suva Harbour channel , and later the towing pad eye was ripped off the deck due its rotten state . The " Kiro " drifted onto a reef at and immediately broke in two . The wreck was later doused with diesel and set on fire . She burned continuously for 19 hours leaving only the engines and the very lower part of the hull .