Volume 5 Number 49
5 December 1960
STATION AT F
This is the 3rd tour to Adak for
the station ATF USS HITCHITI (ATF-103)
Built by-the Charleston Shipbuilding
and Dry Dock Company of Charleston,So*
Carolina the HITCHITI was launched by
the wife of His Honor OrlinD* Johnston,
then Governor of South Carolina, her
sponsor, and commissioned on 27 May
1944. With her war paint fresh and
shiny she headed for the Pacific and
the attackson Luzon, Formosa,the China
Coast and Naneei Shoto all in the month
of January 1945. Then from 17 March
to 11 June of that year she assisted
the Kamikaze-battered Third and Fifth
fleet in the struggle for Okinawa.
With the war over the tired warrior
headed home to Alameda Naval Reserve
Group where on April 30th 1948 the
colors were lowered and she was decom
missioned. She.had steamed more than
84,000 miles in less than 4 years.
Two years later there was another
call to arms and the tired warrior re
freshed, refurnished and with new war
paint was off to the Korean Theatre.
Continuous support of the fleet in
(continued next column)
Korea, Japan and the Marianas gained
her more campaign bars and a "can-do”
reputation.
Since the conclusion of the Korean
War HITCHITI has become a permanent
member of ComServPac family and is home
ported in Pearl Harbor, Since 1955the
regular rotation of ATF’s has been HIT
CHITX in Japan, Marianas, Taongi, Mar
shalls Is,, and now a third tour as
SAR Ship in Adak.
The ATF, or Fleet Tug, was primarily
designed for long, heavy tows of ships
and dry dock sections and groups of
barges that require moving accross the
oceans. Being large enough to be emin
intly sea worthy and powerful enough
for heavy towing they soon became an
intergral part of the salvage team. In
addition a generous cargo space added
another use to this vessels versatility
and inter-islandtransport became a re
gular source of employment,•Throughout
the fleet, throughout the world, the
ATF is hauling a recalcitrant string
of barges, putting a 60 ton strain on
a brachgear wire on threading asinuous
channel to supply a remote outpost.
On the job and doing the job—even as
our motto states "Servitiumhic et ubi
que"—Serving here and everywhere.
. -OSH