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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Sustain (AFDM-7)
ex
 YFD-63
USS YFD-63

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Delta - Echo
 NCDE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
AFDM-3 Class Medium Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock:
  • Built by Everett Pacific Shipbuilding Co., Everett, WA
  • Laid down, date unknown
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Delivered, January 1945
  • Departed Everett in tow of Melucta (AK-131) for Moore Drydock, Alameda, CA, 23 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS YFD-63 date unknown
  • Decommissioned and placed in service, date unknown
  • Redesignated Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium AFDM-7, 01 August 1946
  • On commercial lease, 28 October 1950 - October 1971
  • Taken through Panama Canal and leased to Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company, Mobile, AL, 1956
  • Returned to Navy control, October 1971
  • Refurbished by Navy Seabees at Davisville, RI, January 1972
  • Stationed at Melville, RI, June 1972 - 1974
  • Towed to Norfolk, April 1974
  • Stationed at NOB Norfolk, VA, 1974 - 1997
  • Named Sustain (ARDM-7), 07 June 1979
  • Placed out of service, 01 August 1997
  • Leased to Atlantic Marine and Dry Dock, Inc., Jacksonville, FL, 30 November 1999
  • Parted towline in storm off Cape Hatteras, 14 January 2000
  • Drifted 300 miles in Gulf Stream until taken under control by salvage team and towed to Bermuda
  • Finally arrived at Jacksonville, Fl, 24 February 2000
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 30 January 2007
  • Sold outright to Atlantic Marine, 29 February 2008
  • Company renamed BAE Systems Southeast Shipyards, May 2010
  • Currently active at BAE Southeast
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,000 tons
    Length 622'
    Beam 124'
    Draft 6 ft. (max.)
    Complement 4 Officers, 139 Enlisted
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    YFD-63
    Sustain 379k Three views of YFD-63 upon completion, being prepared for deployment. Note the censorship present in the photos.
    Photos from The Log magazine, March 1945.    		 Dave Wright
    Sustain 194k
    Sustain 189k
    Sustain (AFDM-7)
    Sustain 379k Sustain (AFDM-7) with USS Nantahala (AO-60) in the dock, circa December 1972 at Melville, Rhode Island.
    US Navy photo    		 Morgan Little, courtesy Dave Roddy.
    Sustain 194k
    Sustain 189k
    Sustain 84k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, with USS Talbot (FFG-4) in the dock, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, June 1979 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sustain 109k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, drydocking USS King (DDG-41) entering the dock, 4 April 1985 John W. Shupe
    USS Sustain September 1982 - April 1985
    Sustain 118k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, drydocking USS King (DDG-41) in the dock, 4 April 1985 John W. Shupe
    Sustain September 1982 - April 1985
    Sustain 121k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, drydocking USS King (DDG-41) in the dock, 4 April 1985 John W. Shupe
    Sustain September 1982 - April 1985
    Sustain 120k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, drydocking USS King (DDG-41) in the dock, 4 April 1985 John W. Shupe
    Sustain September 1982 - April 1985
    Sustain 137k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, with USS Caron (DD-970) in the dock. August 1985. Rick Rowen
    Sustain
    DN-SC-91-08180    		 281k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, 28 March 1991.
    DOD photo #'s DN-SC-91-08180 and DN-SC-91-08179    		  
    Sustain
    DN-SC-91-08179    		 313k
    Sustain 160k Sustain (AFDM-7) at NOB Norfolk, spring 1991. Yard tug Menominee (YTB-790) is under repair in the dock. Dave Spence
    Sustain 80k Sustain (AFDM-7) at the D&S piers, NOB Norfolk, VA, with USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51) in the dock, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1994 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sustain 58k Sustain (AFDM-7), date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Sustain 825k Sustain (AFDM-7)'s Ballast Control Station. Morgan Little
    There is no DANFS history available for Sustain (AFDM-7) at NavSource
    Officers in Charge
     LT James Wallace Watts9 August 1963 - 9 June 1964
     LT Alfred E. Manson (AOIC)9 June 1964 - ???
     LCDR Norman Walter Simonelli1973
     LCDR George Earle Bodenner1976 - 1977
     LCDR Bill Richardson1978 - ???
     CAPT Woodsno dates
     LCDR John Wilfred Brown 10 October 1990 - ???
     CDR Donald H. FlowersJuly 1993 - July 1995
     CAPT Allie W. MilliganOctober 1996 - October 1997
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Incident of ex-Sustain breaking away during a tow and susequent events
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Dry Dock Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page was created by Gary P. Priolo and is maintained by David L. Wright
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 June 2017