The USS Abnaki (ATF-96) was the lead ship of tug boats in her class, laid down in 1942, launched, and commissioned in 1943. Between 1944 and 1949, the vessel served the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, aided U-505’s capture, and later assisted American occupation and logistics missions in Japan and China. During the Korean War, the tug supported UN forces, operated across the Pacific and Far East, towed naval vessels, and continued logistics missions from Hawaii through 1959. From 1960 to 1969, the ship conducted Pacific towing, salvage, and support missions, participated in Vietnam War operations, assisted damaged vessels, trained allied navies, survived typhoons, and operated extensively across Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Vietnam combat zones. Between 1969 and 1978, she participated in Pacific and Vietnam operations, conducted salvage, towing, evacuation, and training missions, aided disaster responses, delivered humanitarian supplies, and later served along America’s west coast until concluding active naval service operations. The USS Abnaki was decommissioned and struck from the Navy list in 1978. Given that the ocean tug served during the peak period of asbestos use aboard Navy ships, personnel risked exposure to asbestos dust and developing severe illnesses decades after service.
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