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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Sanctuary (AH-17)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Xray - Foxtrot
 NXXF
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 USS 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
  • USS Sanctuary earned twelve campaign stars for service in the Vietnam War
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,141.t(lt) 15,226 t.(fl)
    Length 520'
    Beam 71' 6"
    Draft 30'
    Speed 17.5 kts. (trial)
    Armament none
    Complement
    Officers - 70
    Enlisted - 498
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Patient Accommodations 796
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO - 13,170 Bbls
    Diesel - 280 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 745°
    double Falk Main Reduction Gear
    Ships Service Generators
    three 500Kw 450V A.C.
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 9,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Sanctuary (AH-17)
    Sanctuary 40k USS 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 USS Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor, date and location unknown. Courtesy Jack Faessler
    Sanctuary Photo Album Web Site
    Photo by Chuck Davis
    Sanctuary 44k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in WWII Web Site
    Sanctuary 46k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Naval Hospital Corps School Web Site
    Sanctuary 46k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) refueling from USS Kennebec (AO-36) off the coast of Vietnam, circa 1966-1968. Photo by LCDR George E. Pillow Jr., USN CO USS Kretchmer (DER-329)
    Sanctuary 63k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Naval Base Subic Bay, Philippines Islands, circa 1967.
    Photo taken from USS Bausell (DD-845)    		 Photo by Lee Noland STGC, USN Ret. USS Bausell.
    Sanctuary 71k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor off Da Nang, Vietnam, 1969 Photo by William P Jones, MD
    Sanctuary 60k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) at anchor off Da Nang, Vietnam, 1969 Photo by William P Jones, MD
    Sanctuary 179k USS 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 USS Sanctuary (AH-17) and USS 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 USS Sanctuary (AH-17) arriving, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1987.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sanctuary 45k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) plaque mounted in the memorial ship USS Turner Joy (DD-951) at Bremerton, WA. Photo by Robert Hall
    Sanctuary 85k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and location 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 USS Sanctuary (AH-17) underway, date and location unknown. Jack Treutle
    Sanctuary 77k USS Sanctuary (AH-17) Decommissioning Ceremony booklet. Robert M. Cieri
    Ex-USS Sanctuary (AH-17)
    Ex-Coral Sea 166k Ex-USS Sanctuary and Ex-USS Coral Sea (CV-43) moored at Locust Point Marine Terminal, Baltimore, MD., in March 1995. Photo ©Larry Backus
    Sanctuary 23k Ex-USS Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside, at Baltimore, MD., May 1996 Sanctuary Photo Album Web Site
    Courtesy Gilbert M Bohannon
    Sanctuary 55k Ex-USS Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Baltimore, MD., June 2001 Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Sanctuary 14k Ex-USS 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-USS Sanctuary (AH-17) moored pierside at Baltimore, MD., date unknown. Uploaded by "Radio Rover" to the Flickr web site. Bill Gonyo
    View the USS Sanctuary (AH-17)
    DANFS history entry located the US Navy History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    US Navy Hospital Ship SANCTUARY (AH-17)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 12 June 2009