USS Alacrity ( MSO - 520 ) USS " Alacrity " ( AM - 520 / MSO - 520 ) was an " Ability " - class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the task of removing mines that had been placed in the water to prevent the safe passage of ships . The third ship to be named " Alacrity " by the Navy , " MSO - 520 " was laid down on 5 March 1956 at Sturgeon Bay , Wisconsin , by the Peterson Builders , Inc . ; launched on 8 June 1957 ; sponsored by Mrs . Henry J . Armstrong , the wife of Capt . Armstrong , the chief of staff and aide to the Commandant of the 9th Naval District ; ferried to Boston , Massachusetts , via the Great Lakes and the St . Lawrence River ; fitted out at the Boston Naval Shipyard ; and commissioned there on 1 October 1958 , Lt . Theodore W . Pstrak in command . East Coast operations . The following month , " Alacrity " moved south to Charleston , South Carolina , whence she conducted shakedown training before becoming a unit of the Atlantic Fleet Mine Force . The minesweeper began operations in the western Atlantic and in the West Indies . Those duties occupied her time until late in 1960 when she embarked upon her first deployment to the Mediterranean Sea . After her return from duty with the U . S . 6th Fleet late in the spring of 1961 , she resumed normal operations along the U . S . East Coast and in the West Indies . That employment lasted until February 1964 at which time " Alacrity " headed back to the Mediterranean . Her arrival back on the east coast late in the summer of 1964 brought more duty in the western Atlantic . In February 1965 , the minesweeper began a four - month tour of duty in the West Indies . Dominican Republic emergency operations . Near the end of that assignment , in late April 1965 , civil war erupted in the Dominican Republic , as supporters of exiled President Juan Bosch instituted a military uprising to seize power from the ruling civilian junta . The resultant strife — the city of Santo Domingo became a battleground — saw the commitment of American marines and paratroopers ; " Alacrity " spent almost the entire month of May helping to evacuate foreign nationals and supporting the troops of an inter - American force sent to restore order . Caribbean and Mediterranean operations . While operating in the western Atlantic and the " West Indies " , " Alacrity " frequently conducted tests for the Naval Ordnance Laboratory Test Facility located at Fort Lauderdale , Florida , and served as a training platform for students at the Mine Warfare School . Those duties , as well as refresher training and independent ship ' s exercises , occupied her from the beginning of 1966 into the spring of 1969 . On 8 May 1969 , " Alacrity " put to sea , once more bound for the Mediterranean . After five months with the U . S . 6th Fleet engaged in training exercises and port visits , the minesweeper headed back to the United States on 11 October . She reached Charleston on 30 October . Then , except for 12 days underway for special operations at the beginning of December , the warship spent the remainder of the year in port at Charleston Renewed Mediterranean operations . In 1970 , " Alacrity " conducted exercises out of her home port until mid - June . On the 17th of that month , she entered Avondale Shipyards , Inc . , for a regular overhaul . The minesweeper completed repairs and left New Orleans , Louisiana , on 1 December . She returned to Charleston on the 6th and , after holiday leave and upkeep , resumed normal operations . After seven months of exercises , drills , and inspections out of Charleston , " Alacrity " headed back toward the Mediterranean on 2 August . She entered the " Middle Sea " late in August and spent September and the first week in October steaming in the western Mediterranean and making port visits . " Alacrity " returned to Rota , Spain , on 7 October and two days later sailed for the United States . She returned to Charleston on 27 October and , except for a week at sea for special operations in the middle of December , spent the remainder of the year in her home port . Supporting Apollo Project missions . On 10 January 1972 , " Alacrity " departed Charleston for an eight - day , cold weather , amphibious exercise off the shores of Maine . By the end of January , the minesweeper was back in Charleston and , in February , resumed normal operations . In April , she interrupted her schedule to provide support for the Apollo 16 moon shot . She resumed operations out of Charleston late in April and remained so occupied almost until the end of the year . Early in December , she returned to the vicinity of Port Canaveral , Florida , to assist in gathering data during the Apollo 17 moon shot . " Alacrity " concluded that duty at Charleston on 8 December and remained in port for the rest of 1972 . Converted into a Miscellaneous Auxiliary . The warship spent the first four months of 1973 working out of Charleston . On 10 May , she entered Detyen ' s Shipyard in Mount Pleasant , South Carolina , for modifications . On 1 June 1973 , " Alacrity " was redesignated " AG - 520 " . She left Detyen ' s Shipyard on 23 July and returned to the Naval Station , Charleston , where she remained until 5 August . On that day , the ship headed south to Jacksonville , Florida , where she began further alterations at the Atlantic Drydock Co . on 7 August . The changes were completed by 19 October , and " Alacrity " returned to Charleston to prepare for refresher training . During November and early December , she conducted refresher training in the West Indies before returning to Charleston on the 10th to begin the annual holiday leave and upkeep period . Alacrity ’ s final Med cruise . " Alacrity " began 1974 engaged in normal operations which kept her busy until midsummer . On 16 July , she stood out of Charleston and embarked upon the final Mediterranean deployment of her active career . The minesweeper operated with the U . S . 6th Fleet conducting training evolutions and port visits until the end of November . She departed Rota , Spain , on 30 November and arrived back in Charleston on 20 December . The ship continued in active service for another 33 months . Throughout that period , she operated in the western Atlantic and in the West Indies on training missions and test - and - evaluation assignments . Decommissioning . On 30 September 1977 , " Alacrity " was placed out of commission at Charleston , and her name was struck from the Navy list that same day . In December 1979 , she was sold to the Ampol Corp . for scrapping .