USS Lipan ( AT - 85 ) USS " Lipan " ( AT - 85 ) was a constructed for the United States Navy during World War II . Her purpose was to aid ships , usually by towing , on the high seas or in combat or post - combat areas , plus " other duties as assigned . " She served in the Pacific Ocean and after successful support of World War II and the Korean War , her crew returned home proudly displaying two battle stars for World War II and four battle stars for their efforts during the Korean War . " Lipan " was laid down 30 May 1942 by United Engineering Co . , San Francisco , California ; launched on 17 September 1942 ; sponsored by Miss Jean Kell ; and commissioned on 29 April 1943 , Lt . F . W . Beyer in command . World War II Pacific Theater operations . After shakedown in Puget Sound and San Francisco , California , harbor duty , the new ocean - going tug departed with three lighters for the New Hebrides and arrived Espiritu Santo on 2 October . She towed war equipment and supplies from Espiritu Santo to the new base at Guadalcanal until 20 November . Transferring to Guadalcanal on 6 December , " Lipan " was redesignated ATF - 85 ( fleet ocean tug ) on 13 April and operated in the Solomons during the first half of 1944 . Supporting the invasion of Saipan . " Lipan " departed Guadalcanal on 4 June with Rear Admiral Reifsnider ' s Southern Transport Attack Group for the scheduled assault on Guam . When the invasion of Guam was postponed by the Battle of the Philippine Sea , the ship joined Service Squadron 10 at Eniwetok on 3 July supporting the invasion of Saipan . Departing on 8 July with barge in tow , she arrived at Saipan on 15 July and remained under constant enemy fire until 20 July , then rejoined Admiral Reifsnider ' s group at Agat Bay , Guam , on D - Day , 21 July . During the two weeks of fierce fighting after D - Day , " Lipan " rescued landing craft grounded by the treacherous surf ringing Agat Bay . Once the U . S . Marines had gained a foothold , the tug towed supply ships bringing in reinforcements to liberate the island and transform Guam into an advanced base for the Philippine campaign . Supporting Leyte operations . Returning to Eniwetok on 30 September , she sailed for Ulithi with two boats in tow on 12 October , arrived the 20th , and performed ready tow service to aid the ships liberating Leyte . Taking in tandem tow with tug the ship sailed on 14 December for Manus and arrived on 21 December . Dropping the tow , she immediately set course for home and made San Francisco on 9 January 1945 . Supporting Okinawa operations . After overhaul " Lipan " departed for Okinawa on 24 February dropped fuel barges at Pearl Harbor and Guam , and arrived on 1 May . Three days later , as the Japanese intensified the suicide attacks in a costly but futile campaign to hold Okinawa , the tug undertook salvage and firefighting duties . For two and a half months , as the savage attacks continued , " Lipan " salvaged and rescued damaged Navy ships off the beaches of Okinawa . Under attack by kamikaze aircraft . The ship ' s closest brush with disaster came late afternoon on 21 June . While she was towing the already salvaged to Ie Shima escorted by , two suicide aircraft attacked the convoy . One immediately crashed and sank " LSM - 59 " . The second barely missed " Lipan " and crashed into " Barry " which sank the next day . The tug made Ie Shima and returned to Okinawa the 25th . End - of - war operations . With Okinawa nearly secure , the ship departed for overhaul at Leyte on 18 July and arrived on 1 August . Overhaul completed after V - J Day , she departed for a supposedly peaceful run to Okinawa , on 23 September , with two boats in tow . Damaged in a typhoon . While " Lipan " was en route on 30 September a typhoon with seas and winds over battered the tug with 55° rolls , snapping the tow , and starting a fire which destroyed the propulsion panel and the lower motor room . After riding out the storm , she made Subic Bay on 7 October . Following extensive repairs , " Lipan " sailed for San Francisco on 3 December and arrived on Christmas Day . Post - war activity . During the postwar years , " Lipan " towed gasoline barges , landing craft , disabled submarines , floating drydocks , and target sleds in operations off the U . S . West Coast and in the western Pacific . Korean War operations . With the outbreak of the Korean war , " Lipan " departed Long Beach , California , for the Orient on 20 June 1950 . The tug arrived Yokosuka , Japan , on 15 July and shoved off that afternoon to deliver mail and medical supplies to Task force TF 90 in Korean waters . She called at Hoko Ko , Korea ( 18 – 24 July ) and returned for harbor services at Yokosuka until 5 September . She then steamed with TF 90 for Inchon Harbor for the brilliant flanking amphibious assault . As the landing forces swept ashore and caught the North Koreans completely by surprise , the tug cast off her pontoon tows , and began various towing and salvage assignments . A month later she was relieved at Inchon and steamed for Pusan en route to duty along the east coast of Korea . Arriving Riwon Harbor near Wonsan on 1 November " Lipan " planted channel buoys , retracted 23 damaged LSTs from the beach , and recovered lost anchors in Wonsan Harbor , then steamed north and laid buoys at Hŭngnam Harbor and Songjin Harbor . Returning to Wonsan on 26 November , she left the next day for Sasebo , Japan , and arrived the 30th . For the next two months the tug towed Army pontoon barges from Inchon to Taechon , Korea , or back to Sasebo . She sailed from Sasebo to Yokohama on 16 February with in tow , and steamed independently for Pearl Harbor the 18th , arriving on 1 March . After a three - month overhaul and towing missions to the Marshall Islands and Subic Bay , she departed Hawaii on 26 November for a six - month tour of duty at Apra Harbor , Guam , then returned to Pearl Harbor on 9 June 1952 . For the next eleven months she again operated between Hawaii and the Marshalls . On 2 May 1953 the tug left Pearl Harbor for towing duty between Sasebo and various Korean ports such as Inchon , Pusan , and Wonsan . She returned to Hawaii on 19 November . Post - Korean War activity . Based at Pearl Harbor from 1954 on , the tug continued to meet the towing and salvage needs of the U . S . Pacific Fleet from the west coast to the western Pacific . Assigned to the Military Sealift Command . She was assigned to the Military Sealift Command ( MSC ) in 1972 and placed in service as USNS " Lipan " ( T - ATF - 85 ) . On loan to the Coast Guard . " Lipan " was placed out of service , c . 1980 , and transferred on loan to the United States Coast Guard . She was commissioned , USCGC " Lipan " ( WMEC - 85 ) on 30 September 1980 and served the Coast Guard until she was decommissioned , on 31 March 1988 and returned to U . S . Naval custody . Decommissioning . " Lipan " was struck from the Naval Register on 23 January 1989 and sunk as a target on 22 January 1990 . Awards . " Lipan " received two battle stars for World War II service and four battle stars for Korean service .