USS Redhead ( AMS - 34 ) USS " Redhead " ( AMS - 34 / YMS - 443 ) was a built for the United States Navy during World War II . She was the first U . S . Navy ship to be named for the Redhead duck . History . " YMS - 443 " was laid down 21 October 1943 by the Hiltebrant Dry Dock Co . , Kingston , New York ; launched 5 May 1944 ; and commissioned 15 December 1944 , Lt . ( jg . ) John P . Hanna in command . World War II service . Following shakedown , " YMS - 443 " operated off the U . S . East Coast until the spring when she transited the Panama Canal 10 April . She served briefly at Pearl Harbor , Eniwetok , and Guam , then steamed further west for her initial combat duty , at Okinawa . Arriving 26 June 1945 , she remained in the Ryukyus , engaged in minesweeping and antisubmarine patrol duties , with one interruption for availability in the Philippines until 6 September 1945 . Then ordered to Japan , she swept the Kochi Channel , Wakayama and Hiro Wan areas until 12 February 1946 when , with a crew of men eligible for discharge , she departed Kobe for the United States . Arriving at San Francisco , California , 27 March , she headed west again 27 November and operated at Pearl Harbor , Johnston Island , Eniwetok , Guam , and Woleai for the remainder of the year . Named " Redhead " and reclassified AMS - 34 , 18 February 1947 , she continued her postwar clearing operations at Truk , Satawan , Guam , Saipan , Ngulu Island , Palau , Malakal , Karor Island , Chichi Jima , and Yokosuka . Korean War service . Remaining in Japanese waters throughout 1948 , 1949 , and into 1950 , " Redhead " steamed for Korea on 12 July 1950 to help defend South Korea . A unit of Mine Division 31 , " Redhead " served in task force TF 95 and , during the latter part of 1950 and the early months of 1951 , operated off both coasts of the Korean Peninsula , sweeping moored mines with " O " type gear , acting as a mine destruction vessel and as a minesweep gear retriever . " Redhead " receives the Presidential Unit Citation . " Redhead " received the Presidential Unit Citation for operations against enemy forces in Korea from 11 to 24 October 1950 . Operating as part of task unit TU 95 . 61 , " Redhead " assisted in sweeping and buoying a channel 2 , 000 yards wide and 14 miles in length , to the outer limits of Wonsan Harbor , during which time heavy concentrations of enemy contact mines were swept . On 12 October , after aiding in the clearance of a channel through two heavily mined contact - type minefields , " Redhead " encountered a third field of extreme density and immediately conducted rescue operations for the survivors of and which had both been sunk by mines . Straddled continually by enemy shore battery fire for approximately a half hour , " Redhead " assisted in silencing at least three of the hostile shore batteries and successfully evaded many mines to carry out rescue activities . She then returned to the minesweeping assignment and completed the clearance of an area through " one of the heaviest concentrations of enemy mines ever encountered in naval history . " Varied minesweeping operations in Korean waters . During the latter part of 1951 and the early months of 1952 , " Redhead ' s " operations took her to Pukhan Suido ; Yasu , South Korea ; and Wonsan . There , in addition to her " O " type gear , she now streamed the acoustic hammerbox and " open and closed jigs " for use in sweeping acoustic and magnetic minefields , while incidental duties included air - sea rescue , night patrols , and investigation of suspicious fishing vessels and junks , which were often used by the Communists for minelaying . Clearing mines under enemy fire . From 7 May until 3 June 1952 , " Redhead " penetrated deep into Wonsan Harbor to clear mines while close to heavy shore guns and permit entry of friendly bombardment vessels . " Redhead " conducted magnetic , acoustic , and moored check sweeps off Inchon during June and July 1952 , and patrolled a night picket station off Songjin during August . Participating in operations off the east coast of Korea , 12 August to 8 September , " Redhead " dispersed a concentration of enemy sampans by scoring hits on two of the craft in the face of heavy enemy shore battery fire . Then from 12 to 15 October , she led her formation close to the shore at Kojo , where , under intense enemy fire , they successfully completed their mission . During 1953 " Redhead " continued minesweeping and night identification patrol duties off Wonsan , the Yang Do Islands , Cho To , Po Hang , and Daengyong Do . Post - Korean War operations . Remaining in Korea after the July 1953 truce , " Redhead " continued to carry out night patrol duties off the eastern coast of Korea into the later summer of 1954 . On 1 September 1954 , she reported to the Yokosuka Ship Repair Facility and was reclassified minehunter " AMCU - 48 " . She was again reclassified , to " MHC - 48 " , on 7 February 1955 . On 28 April 1955 she got underway for San Francisco , California , arriving 25 May . She then proceeded to Seattle , Washington , where she joined the Harbor Defense unit , 13th Naval District . Through 1956 and into 1957 she carried out channel investigation in the Strait of Juan De Fuca and Puget Sound . In October 1957 , however , she shifted to Astoria , Oregon , where she decommissioned 6 December 1957 and joined the Columbia River Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet , where she remained until struck from the Navy list 1 November 1959 . Awards and honors . In addition to receiving the Presidential Unit Citation , " Redhead " earned three battle star s for World War II service and 10 battle stars during the Korean War .