USS Seminole ( AT - 65 ) USS " Seminole " ( AT - 65 ) , the third ship named " Seminole " of the United States Navy , was a whose task was to travel with the fleet and provide towing services as required . " Seminole " was laid down on 16 December 1938 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Staten Island , New York ; launched on 15 September 1939 ; sponsored by Miss Grace Svenningsen , daughter of the Foreman Carpenter at the Staten Island Yard ; and commissioned on 8 March 1940 , Lt . Comdr . William G . Fewel in command . East Coast operations . Following shakedown along the U . S . East Coast , " Seminole " steamed for San Diego , California , and towing operations along the U . S . West Coast , and around Hawaii , Wake Island , and to the Panama Canal . World War II Pacific Theater operations . On one such trip , " Seminole " departed Pearl Harbor en route to San Diego . At 1317 on 7 December 1941 , however , the ocean - going tug sounded general quarters , reversed her course , and anchored at Pearl Harbor on the 12th . With her sister ship , , " Seminole " operated in Pearl Harbor during the busy , hectic days following the Japanese attack . On 15 February 1942 , however , " Seminole " embarked a salvage team and departed Pearl Harbor for Canton Island where , from 21 February to 24 March , she assisted in salvage operations for the grounded Army transport , . On the 24th , she reembarked her divers ; took in tow ; and steamed for Pearl Harbor . Arriving on 31 March , she remained in the harbor on channel escort duty until 31 May , when she commenced salvage operations on patrol craft , " YP - 108 " , off nearby Wahie Point , Lanai . Three days later , she returned to Pearl Harbor . Sailing to the South Pacific . On 4 June , the ocean tug got underway for Midway Island . Arriving on 10 June , she took in tow and delivered her to Pearl Harbor on the 17th . Repairs and further channel escort duty followed ; then , on 15 August , she got underway . Moving south and west , " Seminole " anchored in Suva Harbor , Fiji Islands , on the 26th ; continued on the next day to the Tonga Islands ; anchored at Tongatapu on the 29th ; and commenced channel escort duty in Nukualofa anchorage , Tongatapu . She continued her escort duties at Tongatapu until 8 October . Battle action at Tulagi . " Seminole " arrived off Tulagi on 18 October , where she was assigned to ferry ammunition , gasoline , and troops . On the morning of 25 October , " Seminole " and " YP - 284 " were unloading aviation gasoline , howitzer s , and U . S . Marines about three and one - half miles east of Lunga Point when three enemy destroyers , , and appeared to the northwest . The smaller vessels immediately got underway , heading eastward in hopes of avoiding the enemy fire . The enemy , after breaking contact with two American destroyers , changed course and pursued the slower " Seminole " and " YP - 284 " . The first shells to hit " Seminole " did so at about 1115 , and were followed by two more hitting salvos . Abandoning ship . The order to abandon the burning , sinking ship was given at 1120 , minutes after " YP - 284 " went under , and " Seminole " sank about 1 , 000 yards off - shore between Lengo and the point to the east . Since the majority of the enemy projectiles had passed through her thin - skinned sides without exploding , " Seminole " lost only one crew member in the action . " Seminole " was struck from the Navy list on 2 December 1942 . Awards . " Seminole " received one battle star for World War II service .