USS Klondike ( AD - 22 ) USS " Klondike " ( AD - 22 ) was one of four destroyer tender s built at the tail end of World War II for the United States Navy . The lead ship in her class , she was named for the Klondike River in the Yukon Territory , Canada , which was the scene of the gold rush of 1897 . The " Klondike " class destroyer tenders were a Navy adaptation of the Maritime Commission ' s C3 fast cargo ship design . " Klondike " was launched 12 August 1944 by Todd Shipbuilding Corporation of San Pedro , California , sponsored by Mrs . Dorothy J . Diirck , and commissioned at San Pedro on 30 July 1945 , Commander Maurice Edward Hatch in command . Service history . 1945 – 1955 . After shakedown , " Klondike " loaded hundreds of tons of spares and stores in preparation for the task of supplying and maintaining destroyers . She departed San Pedro on 19 October for Pearl Harbor , Hawaii arriving the 25th . Recalled to the West Coast , she sailed from Pearl on 7 November with 500 home - bound veterans embarked and arrived in San Diego on 15 November . On 21 November she became the flagship for Commander , San Diego Group , 19th Fleet and commenced inactivation operations on ships scheduled for the Pacific Reserve Fleet . Placed on an inactive status ( in commission , in reserve ) on 30 November 1946 , " Klondike " was placed in service in late September 1948 . She served as flagship of the San Diego Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet until 11 May 1955 . 1959 – 1970 . " Klondike " recommissioned 15 July 1959 at Long Beach , California with Commander Fred Ferguson Mullins , Jr . in command . Returning to San Diego on 4 December , she provided repair facilities as a unit of ServRon 1 . On 20 February 1960 she was re - classified as repair ship USS " Klondike " ( AR - 22 ) and she repaired vessels at San Diego , Long Beach , and San Francisco until 15 July 1961 . " Klondike " then departed San Diego for duty in the Far East . Assigned to ServRon 3 , she arrived at Yokosuka , Japan on 4 August and until 23 February 1962 she provided repair facilities at Sasebo and Iwakuni , Japan and Subic Bay , Philippines for the peace - keeping ships of the 7th Fleet . Returning to the West Coast on 11 March , she resumed her duty out of San Diego . Departing San Diego on 17 July 1963 , " Klondike " steamed via Pearl Harbor for the $ 3 . While en route to Sasebo , she offered assistance 6 through 9 August 1963 to a distressed Greek freighter " Cryssism " during a raging typhoon . Reaching Sasebo on 11 August , she proceeded to Subic Bay 15 August for repair ship station duty . " Klondike " operated in the Far East until 30 November , then she returned to the United States , arriving San Diego on 14 December 1963 . During the next year she continued servicing ships while operating out of San Diego . During the Vietnam War " Klondike " participated in the Tet Counteroffensive from 31 March 1969 to 24 April 1969 . She repaired a river supply ship that collided with a destroyer and was struck in her aft section by enemy fire from river boats . For her service in Vietnam , the " Klondike " was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star for the Tet Counteroffensive and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal . " Klondike " was struck from the Naval Register on 15 September 1974 , after which time custody was transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal . " Klondike " was sold by MARAD on 8 May 1975 , fate unknown .