was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

yard

tug A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

laid down on 23 September 1939 at

Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerto ...

, by the Puget Sound Navy Yard; launched on 6 November 1939; and completed on 11 March 1940. Placed in service in the

13th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

, ''Ala'' operated out of Bremerton, providing local tug and tow service. On occasion, however, in the course of such prosaic but vitally important work without which a well-balanced fleet could not exist, circumstances sometimes called for selfless heroism on board yardcraft as well as combatant vessels. Late in the afternoon watch on 16 November 1941, the harbor tug was moving three ammunition lighters alongside the pier at the Naval Ammunition Depot,

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

. With most of the deck force gathered aft, engaged in securing the lighters, no one apparently noticed Seaman 2nd class L.A. Minton, not a qualified swimmer, lose his footing and slip and fall over the side, forward. Once the men began coming from aft, they noted Minton’s absence. A hasty search yielded the sight of the missing sailor, clad in heavy clothing about four feet below the surface of the water, sinking between two of the lighters, repeatedly forced under by the high winds and flooding tide. Instantly sizing up the situation, Seaman 1st Class George E. Martin dove into the water and rescued Minton, saving him from drowning.

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

Frank Knox William Franklin Knox (January 1, 1874 – April 28, 1944) was an American politician, newspaper editor and publisher. He was also the Republican vice presidential candidate in 1936, and Secretary of the Navy under Franklin D. Roosevelt during ...

later commended Martin for his “prompt and heroic action,” and the petty officer received a Life Saving Medal from the

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the Treasury, national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an United States federal executive departments, executive department. The departme ...

. With the onset of hostilities soon thereafter, Ala continued carrying out her humble but invaluable tasks. On 15 April 1944, with the Alaskan portion of the 13th Naval District established as the 17th Naval District, Ala was assigned to the new entity. Exactly one month later, on 15 May 1944, she underwent reclassification as a large harbor tug and a redesignation as YTB-139. Following the war, Ala was reassigned to the 13th Naval District and she operated in and around Puget Sound until 1954. At that time, she returned to Alaskan waters under the operational control of the Commandant, 17th Naval District. Ala spent the remaining decade of her Navy career serving in the

Aleutians The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a chain of 14 large vo ...

and along the Alaskan coast. In February 1962, she was reclassified a medium harbor tug and redesignated YTM-139. Her activities came to an abrupt halt on 19 May 1964, however, when she ran aground and then sank in

Kuluk Bay Kuluk Bay also known as Khulukh Bay is a small bay located at on the northeastern side of Adak Island, one of the larger Andreanof Islands of the Aleutian Islands. The bay is significant for its ecology, role in the Second World War, and various ...

near the Naval Station, Adak. Ala was stricken from the Navy list on 20 May 1965.

References

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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive Ala (YTM-139) ex ALA (YTB-139) ex Ala (YT-139)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ala 1939 ships Ships built in Bremerton, Washington Tugs of the United States Navy