USS ''Obstructor'' (ACM-7) was a in the

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 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Built by the Marietta Manufacturing Company in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, as a U.S. Army mine planter, USAMP ''1st Lt. William G. Sylvester'' (MP-5) was delivered in December 1942 to the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps,

Mine Planter Service The U.S. Army Mine Planter Service (AMPS) was an outgrowth of civilian crewed Army mine planter ships dating back to 1904. It was established on July 22, 1918 by War Department Bulletin 43 and placed the Mine Planter Service under the U.S. Army Co ...

. She was named for the first coast artillery officer killed (at Hickam Field, Hawaii, on 7 December 1941) in action in World War II. ''Sylvester's'' embarked crew, designated, in Army terminology as the 12th Coast Artillery Mine Planter Battery, was implemented in November 1942 stationed at Fort Miles, Delaware. The ship was transferred to the Navy on 4 January 1945. She was renamed ''Obstructor'' on 19 January 1945, converted at the

Charleston Navy Yard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston. H ...

and commissioned on 1 April 1945. After transfer to the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...

in 1946 the ship was commissioned 1 February 1947 as USCGC ''Heather'' until 15 December 1967.

U.S. Navy service history

Pacific Theatre operations

Following shakedown in

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

, ''Obstructor'', a minesweep gear and repair ship, loaded gear and other supplies at

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, and sailed on 11 June 1945 for the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

. Transiting the canal on 21 June 1945, she proceeded up the coast to San Diego. There at the end of the war, she sailed for the Far East on 18 August 1945. Steaming via the Marshalls and the

Marianas The Mariana Islands (; also the Marianas; in Chamorro: ''Manislan Mariånas'') are a crescent-shaped archipelago comprising the summits of fifteen longitudinally oriented, mostly dormant volcanic mountains in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, betw ...

, she arrived at

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

and reported for duty with MinRon 106 on 8 October 1945. On 17 October 1945 she got underway for Haiphong, arriving and joining task unit TU 74.4 on 22 October 1945. Assuming duties as

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

, MinRon 106, the same day, ''Obstructor'' served as a minesweeper tender for that task unit as it operated off Haiphong harbor, the island of

Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. , the largest and most populous island in China,The island of Taiwan, which is slightly l ...

and off Chinese ports during the next six months.

Decommissioning

In early May 1946, she sailed east en route back to the United States. Arriving at San Francisco on 15 June 1946, she was decommissioned and was transferred to the

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...

on 28 June 1946 and was struck from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

on 19 July 1946.

U.S. Coast Guard service history

The second tender named ''Heather''; one of the five Chimo-Class Army minelayers acquired by the U.S. Coast Guard, was commissioned in service with the Coast Guard on 1 February 1947. USCGC ''Heather'' (WAGL / WLB-331) was stationed at

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

and was assigned to tend Aids to Navigation (ATON) and conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations as needed. She served out of Mobile until 5 December 1949. On 23 July 1949 she assisted a sinking barge off

Isle aux Herbes (Alabama) Isle aux Herbes, also known as Coffee Island, is a barrier island located in the Mississippi Sound south of downtown Bayou la Batre, Alabama. It is a , state-owned and tidally inundated island The island is an important site for colonial nesting sho ...

. On 6 December 1949 she began operations out of

San Pedro, Los Angeles San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

. In addition to tending ATON, she participated in numerous SAR operations as well as other duties. On 9 February 1953 she escorted the M/V ''Greece Victory'' into

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California. On 23 April 1956 she escorted the P/C ''Avalon'' to San Pedro, California. From May to June 1957 she patrolled outboard races in Los Angeles harbor. On 19 July 1960 ''Heather'' assisted following a deadly collision off

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island, Newport ...

between the USS ''Ammen'' (DD-527) and USS ''Collett'' (DD-730) as ''Ammen'' was in transit between

Seal Beach Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 census. Seal Beach is located in the westernmost corner of Orange County. To the northwest ...

and

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, California. From 15 to 16 March 1961 she rescued the Greek M/V ''Dominator'' off Palos Verdes Point, California and transported survivors to San Pedro. On 19 May 1961 she assisted in raising the sunken ''CG-40453''. On 22 May 1966 she salvaged a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that had crashed 96 miles off San Diego, California. After 3 years of U.S. Army, 1 year of U.S. Navy and 20 years of U.S. Coast Guard service ''Heather'' was finally decommissioned on 15 December 1967 and transferred to Seattle, Washington on 12 April 1968.

References

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