USS Seize ( ARS - 26 ) USS Seize ( ARS - 26 ) was a " Diver " - class rescue and salvage ship commissioned in the United States Navy during World War II . Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels . Ship ' s history in U . S . Navy . " Seize " was laid down on 28 September 1943 by the Basalt Rock Company in Napa , California ; launched on 8 April 1944 . " Seize " was sponsored by Mrs . Louis Perkins ; and commissioned at Vallejo , California on 3 November 1944 , LT Herman B . Conrad , USN , Commanding . Following repairs and shakedown , the ship reported for duty on 11 May 1945 at San Francisco , California . On 2 June 1945 , " Seize " arrived off the entrance to Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii with three pontoon bridges in tow . Reporting to Service Force Squadron 2 for duty , " Seize " spent a busy first month in repairs , carrying out radar jamming experiments , patrolling , and towing . On 10 July 1945 , she got underway for the Marshall Islands with " APL - 43 " in tow , arriving at Eniwetok on 22 Jul 1945 . " Seize " departed Eniwetok on 4 August 1945 , with " PB - 46 " in tow , accompanied by " USS Avoyel ( ATF - 150 ) " ( later " USCGC Avoyel ( WMEC - 150 ) " ) . They reached Guam on 13 August 1945 . On 14 August 1945 , still towing " PB - 46 " , " Seize " got underway in convoy for Okinawa Shima . Anchoring there on 22 August 1945 , she was relieved of " PB - 46 " the next day , and assisted in salvaging " USS Oberrender ( DE - 344 ) " from 27 August to 11 September 1945 . " Seize " departed Okinawa on 17 September 1945 . Arriving by convoy at Shanghai , China two days later on 19 September 1945 , the ship assisted port activity there by searching for a lost anchor , and aiding " USS Waller ( DD - 466 ) " in switching berths . On 10 October 1945 , " Seize " departed Shanghai , China in company with " PC - 491 " for Pusan , Korea . After destroying two horned mines by gunfire en route , the ship reached Pusan , Korea on 13 October 1945 . Two similar mines were destroyed by " Seize " as she returned to Shanghai China on 16 October 1945 . " Seize " worked along the Yangtze River in China , removing obstacles , salvaging , towing , and searching , for the remainder of the year . On 22 October 1945 en route to Kichow , China , the ship was fired upon by a machinegun near a small Yangtze River village . She returned fire with 40 millimeter and . 50 caliber rounds , and proceeded on her way one - half hour later when all was quiet . One direct hit was received on her foremast and several ricocheted hits were found on the port side , but there was no other damage to the ship or injuries to the crew . On 26 and 28 January 1946 , " Seize " replanted the mooring buoy at the Naval Seaplane Area at Lunghwa , China . On 11 , 18 , and 20 February 1946 and on 04 , 07 , 21 , and 29 March 1946 , " Seize " laid an undersea telephone cable from " USS San Clemente ( AG - 79 ) " to the U . S . Naval Operating Base , Shanghai China . " Seize " departed Chinese waters on 31 March 1946 , anchoring at Yokosuka , Japan , on 4 April 1946 . The ship picked up " APL - 31 " in tow on 8 April 1946 , and set course for the Hawaiian Islands , arriving at Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii on 26 April 1946 . " Seize " arrived at San Francisco , California , on 4 June 1946 . Decommissioned and transferred to the U . S . Coast Guard on 28 June 1946 , she was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1946 . Awards and honors . " Seize ’ s " crew was eligible for the following medals : Ship ' s history in U . S . Coast Guard . USS " Seize " arrived at San Francisco on 4 June 1946 . She was decommissioned and transferred to the United States Coast Guard on 28 June 1946 , and was struck from the U . S . Naval Vessel Register on 13 November 1946 . After refitting , she was commissioned USCGC " Yocona " ( WAT - 168 ) , named after a river in Mississippi , and was stationed at Eureka , California and performed law enforcement , search and rescue , salvage and firefighting duties . In 1954 she transferred to Astoria , Oregon and berthed at the dock on Marine Drive in the city . Whilst in Astoria , Oregon she performed search and rescue , law enforcement , firefighting , fishery patrol , oceanographic surveys , and salvage duties . On 11 November 1955 , 50 miles off Cape Lookout , Oregon in 60 to 70 miles - per - hour winds , she went to the rescue of the disabled and sinking FV " Ocean Pride " . With the seas too heavy to launch lifeboats , the " Yocona " maneuvered alongside the fishing vessel close enough for the entire crew of thirteen to jump on board the cutter safely . On the night of 29 September 1959 she rescued ten survivors of a downed U . S . Navy P5M - 2 Marlin seaplane that had ditched 110 miles off the Oregon coast . The " Yocona " was directed on - scene by a U . S . Coast Guard UF Albatross amphibian . This was a Broken Arrow incident in that a Betty depth bomb casing was lost with the Marlin and never recovered , although it was not fitted with a nuclear core . On 12 January 1961 " Yocona " participated in the search , rescue and recovery attempt of FV " Mermaid " , CG - 52301 the " Triumph " , CG - 36454 and CG - 40564 off Peacock Spit at Cape Disappointment WA . The rescue effort involved five other Coast Guard boats and four Coast Guard aircraft . The " Mermaid " was lost with her crew of two . " Triumph " CG - 52301 , CG - 36454 and CG - 40564 were also lost and five Coastguardsmen perished . On 26 January 1965 she escorted the listing MV " Elaine " from 180 miles off Astoria to Tongue Point , Astoria Oregon . In 1965 " Yocona " was refitted and designated a Medium Endurance Cutter ( WMEC - 168 ) . " Yocona " underwent a $ 500 , 000 . 00 refit ; overhauled one main engine , one ship service generator , and upgraded every major engineering system . This 1965 upgrade greatly extended her service life . On 13 September 1969 her crew repaired the engine on the disabled FV " Karre " 300 miles southeast of Kodiak Island , Alaska . On 6 June 1970 she seized the South Korean FV " Tae Yang 203 " and FV " Tae Yang 205 " for a territorial waters violation off of Alaska . During the mid - 1970s " Yocona " deployed five environmental buoys for U . S . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) from the Gulf of Alaska to San Diego , California . The buoys were designed to collect weather and sea data on station and relay the information via satellite to the National Weather Service center ( NWS ) in New Orleans , Louisiana . The buoy anchoring process was difficult due to the sea depth , which was miles . Most of the buoys were non - functional or lost within a year or two after deployment . In April , 1978 , " Yocona " seized the MV " Helena Star " after " Yocona ' s " boarding team discovered ten tons of marijuana on board . The " Helena Star " was steaming in U . S . territorial waters whilst showing no flag , which precipitated the boarding . She was transferred to Kodiak , Alaska in August , 1983 for search and rescue , law enforcement , firefighting , fishery patrol , and salvage duties . On 19 January 1987 she towed the disabled FV " Seattle Star " to Unalaska Bay , Alaska . On 26 January 1987 she provided medical assistance to the FV " Pacific Enterprise " . On 27 January 1987 she assisted the MV " Tempest " off Cape Pankoff after " Tempest " had an explosion . On 7 February 1987 she fought a fire aboard the FV " Amatuli " 45 miles east of Cape Pankoff , Alaska . On 8 February 1987 she assisted the FV " Fukuyoshi Maru No 85 " On 20 August 1987 she apprehended the 66 foot FV " Constitution " in Peterson Bay , Alaska for using illegal fishing gear . While on a three - week Alaska Fisheries Patrol in February , 1988 , she rescued the grounded FV " Last Frontier " at Constantine Harbor , Amchitka Island , Alaska . After first putting into U . S . Naval Air Station Adak to de - water her , she then towed the vessel to Dutch Harbor , Alaska . The next day , 28 February 1988 , she fought a fire in the cargo hold of the fish processing ship " Tempest " , which was anchored in Akutan Bay , Alaska . The USCGC Firebush ( WLB - 393 ) also responded ; and an HC - 130 Hercules dropped fire - fighting equipment to " Yocona " . Thirty - nine of the 49 crewmen aboard " Tempest " were evacuated safely while the rest remained aboard to assist in fighting the fire . After 26 hours the fire was extinguished . In 1989 the " Yocona " was in Seward , Alaska helping with the clean - up of the SS " Exxon Valdez " oil spill . Whilst in port , some of the crew of USCGC Planetree ( WLB - 307 ) painted " Yo Mama " on " Yocona ' s " transom . This prank went un - noticed for several days , and " Yocona " endured this nickname for quite a while . " Yocona " conducted 153 law enforcement boardings . Fifty - six for boating , and eleven for Magnuson - Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act violations . In addition , " Yocona " continued to enforce U . S . immigration laws . " Yocona " performed 10 search and rescue missions which included a vessel saved from grounding . From lessons learned during Alaska patrol , " Yocona " provided input to the 17th Coast Guard District . This information was used for threat assessment planning , and improved intelligence products . In March 1995 , " Yocona " earned the Pacific Area Cutter Achievement Award at San Diego , California with a final average 98 % overall rating . In November 1995 , " Yocona " participated in a fisheries law enforcement exchange with Russian Maritime Border Guard officers who were on a training visit in Kodiak , Alaska . On her last patrol prior to being decommissioned , " Yocona " was awarded her fifth Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation , with the Operational Distinguishing Device , for : " " exceptionally meritorious service while promoting Safety of Life at Sea and enforcing the complex Magnuson - Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act during the period of 19 May 1994 through 30 May 1996 . " " After four years of U . S . Navy service , and fifty years of U . S . Coast Guard service , the " Yocona " was decommissioned on 14 June 1996 . In June 1999 the " Yocona " was photographed by Mr Joe Lewis of the National Association Fleet Tug Sailors ( NAFTS ) tied up at the north side of Ford Island in Pearl Harbor , Hawaii and was supposedly to be made a museum ship . The museum effort did not succeed and " Yocona " was returned to the U . S . Navy to be used as a naval gunnery target at Guam scheduled in 2006 . " Yocona " was sunk during Fleet Exercises on 20 June 2006 . Awards and honors . The " Yocona " was awarded the following unit decorations : The crew of " Yocona " was authorized the following individual decorations : http : / / www . uscg . mil / directives / cim / 1000 - 1999 / CIM _ 1650 _ 25D . pdf