USS Apache ( ATF - 67 ) USS " Apache " ( AT - 67 / ATF - 67 ) was a , later fleet ocean tug , in commission in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946 and from 1951 to 1974 . She saw service in World War II , the Korean War , and the Vietnam War . Construction and commissioning . " Apache " was laid down by the Charleston Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Charleston , South Carolina , on 8 November 1941 and launched on 8 May 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . G . E . Baker . The ship was commissioned as fleet tug USS " Apache " ( AT - 67 ) on 12 December 1942 with Lieutenant , junior grade , Clyde S . Horner in command . First period in commission , 1942 - 1946 . World War II . After commissioning , " Apache " spent the next six weeks training out of Portsmouth , Virginia , and Key West , Florida . In February 1943 , she departed Norfolk , Virginia , bound for San Diego , California , where she spent two months engaged in towing operations before departing on 8 May 1943 for New Caledonia . " Apache " reached Noumea , New Caledonia , in mid - June 1943 and worked from Noumea through mid - October 1943 , towing and salvaging vessels at Noumea , Funafuti , and Espiritu Santo . On 26 October 1943 , Apache got underway as part of Task Force 31 for the invasion of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands . The amphibious landing s began on 1 November 1943 , and " Apache " supported the Bougainville campaign by assisting grounded vessels to withdraw from the beaches . Between December 1943 and March 1944 , " Apache " operated throughout the Solomon Islands area . On 17 March 1944 , she joined Task Group 31 . 2 for an assault on Emirau Island in the Bismarck Archipelago and , after completing that assignment , arrived at Guadalcanal on 4 April 1944 . On 15 May 1944 , " Apache " was reclassified as a fleet ocean tug and redesignated ATF - 67 . Apache joined Task Group 53 . 1 on 4 June 1944 to assist in the invasion of Saipan . The force reached the staging area near Kwajalein on 8 June 1944 and departed for the Mariana Islands on 12 June 1944 . The invasion of Guam was postponed due to the Battle of the Philippine Sea , and Task Group 53 . 1 returned to Eniwetok on 28 June 1944 . In mid - July 1944 , " Apache " headed back to the Marianas and took part in the preinvasion bombardment of Guam and , after the landings , helped to clear amphibious warfare vessel s from the beach . On 21 July 1944 , " Apache " screened the transport area off Guam . " Apache " left Guam on 3 August 1944 and served in the Tulagi area for two weeks before beginning repairs alongside a repair ship at Noumea on 20 August 1944 . She operated out of Noumea through late September 1944 and departed for Auckland , New Zealand , on 23 October 1944 . After a brief rest and recreation period at Auckland , " Apache " returned to Noumea on 8 November 1944 and operated there for more than a month . On 12 December 1944 , she got underway for Hollandia , New Guinea . After two days in port there , she departed for Leyte in the Philippine Islands , and operated there through the end of 1944 . " Apache " rendezvoused with Task Group 77 . 6 on 2 January 1945 to take part in the invasion of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon and , for the next few days , she worked under frequent Japan ese air attacks . On 5 January 1945 , she was attacked by numerous Japanese planes and claimed to have shot down four . One of the planes crashed into " Apache " s radar mast and exploded off her port bow . Three of her crewmen were wounded , and " Apache " herself sustained minor material damage , but remained in operation with the task group . On 13 January 1945 , she steamed to the aid of escort aircraft carrier USS " Salamaua " ( CVE - 96 ) , which had been damaged by a Japanese " kamikaze " suicide plane , and shepherded " Salamaua " to Leyte . From there , " Apache " proceeded to Seeadler Harbor at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands for repairs . " Apache " got underway once again on 24 February 1945 , bound for Ulithi Atoll and , for the next two months , operated from Ulithi . On 7 May 1945 , " Apache " took two ships in tow and returned to Leyte . On 21 May 1945 , she pushed on toward the Admiralty Islands and departed Manus on 24 May 1945 , bound for Hawaii . " Apache " reached Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii , on 16 June 1945 . On 17 June 1945 , she departed Pearl Harbor on an independent voyage to San Francisco , California . Upon her arrival , she proceeded to the United Engineering Company at Alameda , California , for repairs . Her repairs complete , " Apache " began refresher training at San Pedro , California , on 13 August 1945 . On 15 August 1945 , the surrender of Japan brought World War II to an end . Postwar . In September 1945 , " Apache " reported to San Diego for duty . Until November 1946 , she operated along the U . S . West Coast . On 3 December 1946 , " Apache " was decommissioned and placed in reserve with the Columbia River group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet . World War II honors and awards . " Apache " received five battle star s for her World War II service , for " Apache " also received a Navy Unit Commendation for her service with the Salvage , Fire Fighting , and Rescue Unit , Service Force , United States Seventh Fleet in Philippine Islands area , 6 January to 15 February 1945 . Second period in commission , 1951 - 1974 . Recommissioning and early duties . Due to the need to expand the fleet caused by 25 June 1950 outbreak of the Korean War , " Apache " was recommissioned on 20 July 1951 . Following a few months of operations on the U . S . West Coast , she was ordered to the Far East and arrived in Sasebo , Japan , in early December 1951 . Korean War service . On 17 December 1951 , " Apache " sailed to Wonsan , Korea , where she relieved fleet ocean tug USS " Yuma " ( ATF - 94 ) as the area salvage and rescue vessel . " Apache " also laid buoys in the harbors of Wonsan and Hungnam , Korea , before returning to Sasebo on 4 January 1952 . " Apache " s next mission began on 18 January 1952 , when she took station as a patrol ship off Cho Do and Sok To , Korea . She returned to Yokosuka , Japan , on 19 February 1952 for upkeep but was back in Wonsan harbor on 20 March 1952 . She took part in several shore - bombardment missions besides serving as a salvage and rescue vessel . On 12 April 1952 , she put in at Sasebo briefly for repairs . During the next four weeks , she made several salvage runs to Cheju Do , Korea , before arriving at Sasebo on 12 May 1952 for repairs . " Apache " returned to action at Wonsan on 16 June 1952 and served there until returning to Sasebo on 28 June 1952 , ending her Korean War service . Korean War honors and awards . " Apache " received two battle stars for her Korean War service , for : Peacetime service , 1953 - 1965 . " Apache " departed Japan on 2 July 1952 and headed for Pearl Harbor . But for a tow to Kwajalein and one to Midway Atoll , " Apache " remained in Hawaiian waters until 4 May 1953 , when she departed for Seattle , Washington , where she picked up a tow . She then proceeded to San Diego . She worked along the California coast until mid - July 1953 , when she headed for the Western Pacific . She served there through the end of 1954 , performing various missions at Guam , Kwajalein , Eniwetok , Bikini Atoll , and the Philippines . In January 1955 , " Apache " returned to the U . S . West Coast , reaching San Francisco on 14 January 1955 . However , she got underway for the Far East on 17 March 1955 , reached Yokosuka on 21 May 1955 , and began operations with Naval Forces , Far East . Although her home port was changed to San Diego in January 1956 , she remained in the Western Pacific through early 1960 , serving as a tow ship and occasionally taking part in search and rescue missions . Early in 1960 , " Apache " returned to San Diego for a six - month overhaul . Then , in December 1960 , after several months of service at San Diego , she headed back toward the Western Pacific . She paused at Pearl Harbor and Guam before reaching Sasebo in February 1961 . Shortly thereafter , she shifted to Subic Bay at Luzon in the Philippines , and operated from that base into April 1961 , when she departed for Kwajalein and Pearl Harbor . On 11 May 1961 , she left Hawaii and proceeded to San Diego . Through the rest of 1961 and early 1962 , " Apache " once again conducted coastal towing operations along the U . S . West Coast . On 7 May 1962 , " Apache " entered the Campbell Machine Company shipyard at San Diego for overhaul and remained there until 18 July 1962 , when she commenced refresher training . In early September 1962 , she got underway for the Far East . During her tour there , she served in the Philippines , at Okinawa , at Hong Kong , and in Japan before departing Sasebo on 6 January 1963 and setting a course for Pearl Harbor . She proceeded from there to San Diego and spent the next few months in post - deployment standdown and local operations . " Apache " continued her pattern of U . S . West Coast operations and Western Pacific deployments during 1964 and 1965 . Vietnam War service . Late in 1965 , " Apache " made her first Western Pacific cruise involving Vietnam War service which began with U . S . Seventh Fleet operations on Yankee Station off the Vietnamese coast . In early February 1966 , she escorted the destroyer USS " Brinkley Bass " ( DD - 887 ) to Subic Bay following " Brinkley Bass " s collision with guided - missile destroyer USS " Waddell " ( DDG - 24 ) in the South China Sea . After brief service at Danang , South Vietnam , " Apache " proceeded to Hong Kong and Kaohsiung , Taiwan , for rest and recreation . She next carried out one more tow from Subic Bay to Danang before leaving Vietnam on 4 March 1966 and heading home . The tug stopped en route at Pearl Harbor before reaching San Diego on 1 April 1966 . Vietnam War honors and awards . " Apache " received one campaign star for her Vietnam War service , for : She also received a Navy Unit Commendation and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for her service in the Vietnam War . Support to bathyscaphe " Trieste II " and other duties , 1966 - 1974 . " Apache " operated along the California coast through the rest of 1966 and the first eight months of 1967 . In September 1967 , she was reassigned to Submarine Flotilla 1 to support the operations of the bathyscaphe " Trieste II " . " Apache " s new role involved towing the bathyscaphe whenever required . On 23 October 1967 , " Apache " began a series of tests and trials off San Clemente Island , California , in conjunction with " Trieste II . " " Apache " devoted January and February 1968 to providing services for Fleet Training Group , San Diego , but in early March 1968 she resumed her duties with " Trieste II " . On 3 February 1969 , " Apache " got underway from San Diego towing the auxiliary repair dock USS " White Sands " ( ARD - 20 ) , which was carrying " Trieste II " , bound for the Atlantic to employ " Trieste II " in investigating the 1968 loss of the nuclear submarine USS " Scorpion " ( SSN - 589 ) . They reached the Azores on 21 May 1969 , where they were joined by the high - speed transport USS " Ruchamkin " ( APD - 89 ) , which had been assigned to support them . From 2 June 1969 until 2 August 1969 , " Apache " , " White Sands " , and " Ruchamkin " maintained station near " Trieste II " while the bathyscaphe investigated the remains of " Scorpion " . On 7 August 1969 , " Apache " took " White Sands " , again carrying " Trieste II " , under tow and , parting company with " Ruchamkin " , began the long voyage back to San Diego , which they reached on 7 October 1969 . Upon her return , " Apache " began preparations for an extensive overhaul , and she entered the yards at San Diego on 15 December 1969 . After this work was completed in mid - April 1970 , " Apache " held refresher training until late June 1970 and then carried out local operations through 25 September 1970 , when she got underway for Panama to escort the submarine USS " Dolphin " ( AGSS - 55 ) back to San Diego . In January 1971 , " Apache " resumed operations with " Trieste II " . " Apache " left San Diego on 5 October 1971 for a series of special operations in the Pearl Harbor area which continued until early May 1972 . On 23 May 1972 , " Apache " arrived back at San Diego . " Apache " got underway once again in June 1972 and alternated salvage operations with towing services for " Trieste II " . She continued this routine through March 1973 when she began a repair period at San Diego . Several material casualties prolonged the work , and " Apache " did not leave the shipyard until 21 May 1973 , when she sailed with " Trieste II " for waters off the coast of San Francisco to take part in Operation Teleprobe . However , bad weather postponed the operation , and " Apache " sustained further damage which forced her to return to San Diego on 23 June 1973 for three weeks of repair work . " Apache " arrived in San Francisco on 18 July 1973 and , on 20 July 1973 , got underway for Hawaiian waters to resume Operation Teleprobe . The operation was successfully completed on 30 July 1973 , and " Apache " arrived back in San Diego on 8 August 1973 for more local operations . " Apache " made her last tow as an active U . S . Navy ship on 31 January 1974 , when she delivered the frigate USS " Sterett " ( DLG - 31 ) to Long Beach , California . Decommissioning and Sale to the Republic of China . On 27 February 1974 , " Apache " was decommissioned from the US Navy . Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 March 1974 . " Apache " was sold under the Security Assistance Program to the Republic of China on 1 June 1974 . Renamed ROCS " Ta Wan " ( ATF - 551 ) , she entered service with the Republic of China Navy .