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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AH-17 Sanctuary

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Xray - Foxtrot
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (12) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Haven Class Hospital Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 June 1944 as Marine Owl a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-B2) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 748) at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA
  • Launched, 15 August 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 30 September 1944
  • Converted to a Hospital Ship at Todd Shipbuilding Co., Hoboken, N.J.
  • Commissioned USS Sanctuary (AH-17), 20 June 1945
  • Decommissioned, 15 August 1946 at League Island, Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia Group
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1961
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Reacquired and Reinstated on the Naval Register, 1 March 1966
  • Recommissioned, 15 November 1966
  • During the Vietnam war Sanctuary (AH-17) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    9 April 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VI
    2 November to 8 November 1968
    16 November 1968 to 22 February 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase II
    9 April to 31 May 1967     		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    23 February to 14 March 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase III
    1 June to 3 June 1967
    16 June to 18 July 1967
    25 July to 27 August 1969
    4 December 1967 to 6 January 1968
    14 January to 29 January 1968     		Vietnamese Summer-Fall 1969
    12 June to 21 August 1969
    2 September to 31 October 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 2 March 1968     		Vietnamese Winter-Spring 1970
    1 November to 15 November 1969
    28 November 1969 to 14 February 1970
    27 February to 25 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase IV
    2 April to 1 May 1968
    9 May to 30 June 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    8 May to 30 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase V
    1 July to 8 August 1968
    16 August to 1 November 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VII
    1 July 1970
    7 August to 8 October 1970
    10 October 1970
    31 December 1970 to 8 February 1971
    22 February to 2 May 1971

  • Decommissioned, 15 December 1971, at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA.
  • Laid up at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA.
  • Recommissioned, 18 November 1972
  • Decommissioned, March 1975, at Philadelphia, PA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register 16 February 1989
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal, sold to Project Life Foundation, Baltimore, MD.
  • Laid up at Locust Point Marine Terminal, Baltimore, MD. awaiting disposition
  • Sold at pubic auction in Baltimore, MD., 21 August 2007, for $50,000
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • Sanctuary earned twelve campaign stars for service in the Vietnam War
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,141.t(lt) 15,226 t.(fl)
    Length 522' 10"
    Beam 71' 9"
    Draft 30'
    Speed 17 kts.
    Armament none
    Complement 568
    Patient Accommodations 796
    Propulsion combination HP/LP 600 PSI steam turbine geared engine, single screw, shp 9.000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Sanctuary (AH-17)
    Sanctuary 40k Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor off Da Nang or Chu Lai, Vietnam
    US Navy photo    		 Courtesy Jack Faessler
    Sanctuary Photo Album Web Site
    Photo by Chuck Davis
    Sanctuary 18k Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor, date and place unknown. Courtesy Jack Faessler
    Sanctuary Photo Album Web Site
    Photo by Chuck Davis
    Sanctuary 44k Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date an place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in WWII Web Site
    Sanctuary 46k Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Naval Hospital Corps School Web Site
    Sanctuary 63k Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines Islands, circa 1967.
    Photo taken from Bausell (DD-845)    		 Photo by Lee Noland STGC, USN Ret. USS Bausell.
    Sanctuary 71k Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor off Da Nang, Vietnam, 1969 Photo by William P Jones, MD
    Sanctuary 60k Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor off Da Nang, Vietnam, 1969 Photo by William P Jones, MD
    Sanctuary 179k Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor off Da Nang, Vietnam, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1968.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sanctuary 91k Sanctuary (AH-17) and Repose (AH-16) at anchor off Da Nang, Vietnam, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1969.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sanctuary 77k Sanctuary (AH-17) arriving, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1987.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sanctuary 45k Sanctuary (AH-17) plaque mounted in the memorial ship Turner Joy (DD-951) at Bremerton, WA. Photo by Robert Hall
    Sanctuary 85k Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and place unknown. Cruise photo given to the crew at the completion of her 1973 Project Handclasp cruise. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. and Frank Kammerer USS Sanctuary 1972-74
    Sanctuary 60k Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and place unknown. Jack Treutle
    Sanctuary 77k Sanctuary (AH-17) Decommissioning Ceremony booklet. Robert M. Cieri
    Ex-Sanctuary
    Ex-Coral Sea 166k Ex-Sanctuary and Ex-Coral Sea (CV-43) moored at Locust Point Marine Terminal, Baltimore, MD., in March 1995. Photo ©Larry Backus
    Sanctuary 23k Ex-Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside, at Baltimore, MD., May 1996 Sanctuary Photo Album Web Site
    Courtesy Gilbert M Bohannon
    Sanctuary 55k Ex-Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Baltimore, MD., June 2001 Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Sanctuary 14k Ex-Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Baltimore, MD., date unknown. Courtesy Jack Faessler
    Sanctuary Photo Album Web Site
    Photo by Gilbert M Bohannon
    Sanctuary 410k Ex-Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Baltimore, MD., date unknown. Uploaded by "Radio Rover" to the Flickr web site. Bill Gonyo
    View the Sanctuary (AH-17)
    DANFS history entry located the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    US Navy Hospital Ship SANCTUARY (AH-17)
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To the Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Hospital Ship (AH) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 26 October 2007