USS Tunica ( ATA - 178 ) USS " Tunica " ( ATA - 178 ) was a " Sotoyomo " - class auxiliary fleet tug acquired by the United States Navy for service during and after World War II . " ATA - 178 " was laid down on 10 May 1944 at Orange , Texas , by the Levingston Shipbuilding Co . ; launched on 15 June 1944 ; and commissioned on 15 September 1944 , Lt . J . L . Robinson in command . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . Late in September , " ATA - 178 " picked up two barges at New Orleans , Louisiana , for towing to Hawaii . The tug transited the Panama Canal , stopped at San Diego , California , and reached Pearl Harbor on 10 December 1944 . After a brief layover in Hawaii , she departed Pearl Harbor to tow one of the 10 sections of a drydock to Guam , where she arrived on 14 January 1945 . Not long after her arrival in the Marianas , " ATA - 178 " was assigned to the Samoan Defense Command . Between 10 February and 28 May , she towed supply barges between various bases in the South Pacific . Late in May , " ATA - 178 " joined other tugs in towing barge - loads of equipment from the South Pacific to bases nearer to the active theaters of operations . During the final three months of the war , she called frequently at Guam , Leyte , Manus , Eniwetok , and Kwajalein to deliver equipment - laden barges . End - of - war activity . Following the cessation of hostilities , she reported to Noumea , New Caledonia , where she underwent her first major overhaul . When that was completed , she resumed her duties in support of the disestablishment of South Pacific bases until April 1946 . On the 24th , she departed Tutuila , Samoa , and headed via Pearl Harbor to San Diego , where she arrived on 31 May . On 18 June , the tug stood out of San Diego for the east coast . She transited the canal during the second week in July and arrived in New York on 24 July . A week later , she headed south and reported for duty at Mayport , Florida , on 22 August . For the next 16 months , she towed inactivated ships between Mayport , Charleston , South Carolina , and Savannah , Georgia . On 23 December 1947 , " ATA - 178 " was placed out of commission and berthed with the Texas Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet . Reserve status and decommissioning . " ATA - 178 " spent the remainder of her Navy career in reserve . On 16 July 1948 , she was named " Tunica " . After almost 14 years of inactivity , " Tunica " was transferred to the Maritime Administration in October 1961 for lay - up with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Beaumont , Texas . Eleven months later , on 1 September 1962 , her name was struck from the Navy list . She was finally disposed of by the Maritime Administration sometime during fiscal year 1971 . Service as salvage training hulk . Former USS " Tunica " was towed , along with three other vessels , from Beamont Texas to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii by USS " Salvor " between September and November 1986 . At Pearl Harbor , former " Tunica " served as a salvage training hulk for salvage ships stationed there . While serving in this role , she was towed , run aground and retracted , and cast adrift with fires burning on upper decks and within her tow - winch room . The ship was finally disposed of in a SINKEX on or about 29 January 1999 .