USS Elder ( AN - 20 ) USS " Elder " ( AN - 20 / YN - 15 ) was an " Aloe " - class net laying ship which was assigned to serve the U . S . Navy during World War II with her protective anti - submarine nets . Built in West Virginia . " Elder " ( YN - 15 ) was launched 19 June 1941 by Marietta Manufacturing Company , Point Pleasant , West Virginia ; and placed in service 12 November 1941 , Lieutenant T . D . E . Martin , USNR , in charge . She was redesignated " AN - 20 " on 20 January 1944 . World War II service . Serving in the 1st Naval District " Elder " laid and tended nets at Boston , Massachusetts , until 15 March 1942 , then sailed to Portland , Maine , to serve as controlling gate vessel in Hussey Sound . She was commissioned 15 December 1942 , Lieutenant D . H . Morse , USNR , in command . " Elder " returned to Boston 25 June 1943 , and sailed 8 August , for San Diego , California , Pearl Harbor , and Funafuti , Ellice Islands , arriving 15 November . She assembled , launched , and tended nets there , and after the capture of the Gilbert Islands , sailed to Tarawa in December for mooring and net operations off that island , Makin , and Abemama . Departing the Gilberts in February 1944 with " LCT - 247 " in tow for Kwajalein , she laid and cared for nets in the Marshall Islands until the end of the year . After an overhaul on the U . S . West Coast , " Elder " returned to the South Pacific Ocean to repair nets at the fleet base at Manus , arriving there 30 April 1945 . The following month she got underway for Luzon , searching for and towing the disabled merchant tanker " SS McKitterick " Hills en route . She delivered the tanker to Mangarin Bay , Mindoro , then continued to Subic Bay for voyage repairs . " Elder " remained in the Philippines for the rest of the war . She laid sonar buoy moorings to protect against Japanese submarine s entering Subic Bay ; made a sounding survey of North Channel between Corregidor and Bataan ; and in September began plotting the position of known wrecks in Manila Harbor . In October she returned to Subic Bay to remove and salvage net defense . End - of - war activity . " Elder " sailed back to Corregidor in November 1945 for a unique assignment . Until May 1946 she conducted diving operations in Caballo Bay to recover thousands of silver pesos , Philippine currency , which had been dumped in the bay to prevent its capture by the Japanese . Remaining in the Philippines , " Elder " operated from her base at Subic Bay on a variety of assignments . She assisted in the decommissioning of small craft ; maintained moorings ; transported passengers and cargo between Philippine ports ; and occasionally escorted small craft to Okinawa . Post - war activity . " Elder " returned to the U . S . West Coast 3 August 1948 for duty at the Naval Net Depot at Tiburon , California . On 23 May 1949 she sailed for Alaskan waters where she conducted buoy operations at Adak ; carried a scientific party from Great Sitkin Island to Adak ; and transported three Navy petty officer s to service the weather station of Simeonoff Island . She returned to her base at Tiburon 13 October 1949 . Fire aboard the vessel at sea . In 1950 " Elder " was ordered to the western Pacific Ocean , but on 11 March when a week out of Pearl Harbor , a serious fire broke out in the engine room . With all headway lost and no water pressure , " Elder " appeared doomed . But sound training and Navy " know - how , " combined with determined courage in the ship ' s intrepid damage control parties , subdued the raging flames . Her engines damaged beyond repair , the stricken net tender drifted helplessly for a week before assistance in the form of " Comstock " ( LSD - 19 ) and " Piedmont " ( AD - 17 ) arrived on 18 March . The next day " Elder " was taken in tow by " Deliver " ( ARS - 23 ) and began the long slow haul to Pearl Harbor . Korean War support . Her extensive repairs complete , " Elder " sailed from Pearl Harbor 26 January 1951 for net operations at Yokosuka , Japan , a key operating base in the Korean War . She returned to Tiburon 27 January 1952 , and except for occasional cruises to Eniwetok , Kwajalein , and Guam for net and buoy operations , served on the west coast . In April 1954 she was assigned to the 13th Naval District for training duty with the harbor defense unit of the Pacific Northwest . Final decommissioning . She was decommissioned there 18 December 1959 . Honors and awards . Elder received one battle star for World War II service because of her participation in the Gilbert Islands operation .