USS Cardinal ( AMS - 4 ) USS " Cardinal " ( MSC ( O ) - 4 / AMS - 4 / YMS - 179 ) was a built for the United States Navy during World War II . She was the third ship in the U . S . Navy to be named for the cardinal . History . " Cardinal " was laid down as " YMS - 179 " on 27 October 1942 by Henry C . Grebe and Co . , Chicago , Illinois ; launched 8 May 1943 ; completed , 31 July 1943 ; and commissioned USS " YMS - 179 " on 28 August 1943 at New Orleans , Louisiana . Departing New Orleans 7 September 1943 she steamed to Norfolk , Virginia , and arrived 13 September for shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and final alterations in the Norfolk Navy Yard . She got underway for Key West , Florida , 13 October , assigned to Commander Gulf Sea Frontier at Naval Operating Base Key West , Florida . During the next six months , she was assigned as a convoy escort from Key West making countless voyages along the Gulf Coast with merchant ships and naval auxiliaries . She was sometimes diverted on escort voyages to Havana and Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , and frequently called at the Florida ports of Miami and Port Everglades . She departed Key West for the last time 16 April 1944 and joined a convoy at Havana for escort to Norfolk . She left the convoy off the coast of Virginia 21 April 1944 and entered the New York Navy Yard the next day for voyage repairs . " YMS 179 " arrived in Boston Harbor 17 May 1944 for duty under with Northern Group , Eastern Sea Frontier , and operated as a patrol ship off the Boston breakwater . She entered the Norfolk Navy Yard 6 July 1944 to prepare for distant service and cleared Norfolk 24 July as part of a convoy which reached Mers El Kébir , Algeria , 10 August . She patrolled off that harbor while awaiting the staging of a task force and got underway 20 August 1944 to support the Invasion of Southern France . A unit of Mine Division 32 , Squadron 11 , Eighth Amphibious Force of the U . S . 6th Fleet , she arrived in the Golfe de Frejus , off St . Raphael , France 25 August 1944 . She was immediately engaged in sweeping minefields near the Harbor of Nice , when , on 14 September 1944 , she opened fire to help silence a troublesome enemy battery which had been harassing operations . Her actions were answered by shells that fell so close that shrapnel showered her deck wounding one man . She continued her operations under heavy fire of shore batteries until they were completely silenced by the . Stopping at Toulon 22 September , she reached Palermo on the 24th . For the next seven months she swept mines in the vicinity of Palermo and the port of Cagliari , Sardinia , and conducted brief rests at Naples , Leghorn , and Genoa . She got underway from Palermo 15 June 1945 for return to the United States arriving New York 30 June 1945 . While at New York , she underwent repairs until 16 August 1945 when she put to sea for the $ 3 . She sailed by way of San Pedro , California , on a cruise to the Hawaiian , Marianas , and Philippine Islands . She returned to San Pedro 1 February 1946 for local operations . She was placed out of commission , in reserve , at San Diego , California , 6 August 1946 . On 17 February 1947 her classification was changed to AMS 4 , and was renamed " Cardinal " the following day . The minesweeper remained in reserve until 1 December 1948 when she was placed in the service of the Eleventh Naval District at San Diego for local training of Naval Reservists . She continued in this important service until officially recommissioned 22 September 1950 . During the next three years she was employed in waters off the coast of California and the Hawaiian Islands . On 15 February 1954 , her home port was changed to Charleston , South Carolina from which she would operate for the next three years . On 7 February 1955 , her hull classification was changed to MSC ( O ) - 4 . Her time was split between training in local waters , periodic tours of service in the Chesapeake Bay as a school ship for students of the Naval Mine Warfare School of Yorktown , Virginia ; refresher training cruises which included visits to the Virgin Islands , Puerto Rico , and the Dominican Republic ; and upkeep periods in the Norfolk Navy Yard . This duty terminated 10 September 1957 when she stood out of Charleston Harbor for inactivation in the Boston Navy Yard . She arrived at Boston 14 September and was placed out of commission , in reserve , 18 November 1957 . She remained inactive at Boston until stricken from the Naval Register 1 November 1959 . Final Disposition , she was loaned to the Government of Brazil and renamed " Javari " ( M 11 ) on 15 August 1960 . There she remained in service until she was scrapped by the Brazilians in 1970 . Honors and awards . " YMS - 197 " received one battle star for her support of the invasion of Southern France during World War II .