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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Preserver (ARS-8)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Oscar - Delta NQOD

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - (20 October 1944) - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (3)
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Dominican Republic) - Coast Guard Unit Commendation - Philippines Liberation Medal

Diver Class Rescue and Salvage Ship:

Laid down, 26 October 1942 at Basalt Rock Co., Napa, CA.

Launched, 1 April 1943

Commissioned USS Preserver (ARS-8), 11 January 1944, LCDR. Arthur T. Ostrander USNR (Ret.)in command

During World War II USS Preserver was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June to 7 August 1944	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 October 1944
Tinian capture and occupation, 24 July to 1 August 1944

Following World War II USS Preserver was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 20 September 1945 to 11 January 1946

USS Preserver (ARS-8) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.7 Target Vessel Group - Salvage Units for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946

Decommissioned, 23 April 1947, at San Diego, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Recommissioned, 1 December 1950, at San Diego

Decommissioned, 30 September 1986

Recommissioned, 26 September 1987

Decommissioned, 7 August 1992

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA, 1 February 1993

Struck from the Naval Register, 16 March 1994

USS Preserver earned three battle stars for World War II service

Final Disposition, moved to Bay Bridge Enterprises yard at Chesapeake, VA., 30 November 2005, for dismantling. Note: Bay Bridge was paid a combined $442,640 to dismantle USS Preserver and USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282)

Specifications:
Displacement 1,630 t.
Length 213' 6"
Beam 39'
Draft 14' 4"
Speed 15 kts.
Complement 120

Armament

four single 40mm AA gun mounts

four .50 cal machine guns

Propulsion diesel-electric, twin screws, 2,780hp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	40k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** under way, date and location unknown.	Craig Rothhammer via NAFTS National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
	165k	Forward plan view of *USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 28 March 1946. USS Preserver is outboard of *USS Deliver* (ARS-23)**. Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1243-46	Darryl Baker
	178k	Aft plan view of *USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 28 March 1946. USS Preserver is outboard of *USS Deliver* (ARS-23)** Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1244-46	Darryl Baker
	100k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8) anchored in the Chesapeake Bay, off Lookout Point, MD., 9 December 1955. Preserver was searching for the wreckage of a Navy Seamaster seaplane that crashed near this spot on 7 December 1955, with a crew of four. Divers from Preserver** located the wreckage in 90 feet of water enabling the ship to recover a large section of the aircraft. AP wirephoto.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	89k	Stern view of *USS Preserver* (ARS-8)**, 2 March 1956, while moored at the D & S Piers, Naval Station, Norfolk, VA.	Melissa Fish for her father Robert Pooler USS Preserver, 1951-56
	220k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8) with the U.S. Navy Bathyscaphe Trieste I in tow, 20 June 1963, in Boston Harbor. Preserver and Trieste I are standing out to sea in search of the missing submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593)**. US Navy photo from the collections of the of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	649k	The crew of the *Trieste I* prepare to dive as they attempt to locate the sunken submarine *USS Thresher* (SSN-593), 24 June 1963. USS Preserver (ARS-8) appears above after towing Trieste I** to the site. Photo by Pictorial Parade/Getty Images, courtesy of gettyimages.com.	Michael Mohl
09370822	333k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** moored pierside Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmounth, VA., 25 June 1964.	Rick Davis and John Chiquione
	115k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** underway in Valletta harbor, Malta, in 1964. Photo from 1966/67 Edition of "Jane's Fighting Ships". courtesy of A & J Pavia.	Robert Hurst
	108k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation award for service, from 11 March to 5 April 1968, in removing more than one million gallons of crude oil from the bow section of S/T Ocean Eagle, re-floating the wreck, towing it to sea and sinking it well beyond the shores of Puerto Rico. US Navy "All Hands" magazine, May 1979	Orlando Gallardo
	62k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8) at anchor at the Space Shuttle Challenger** salvage site, March 1986. US Navy photo by JOC(SS) Peter D. Sundberg USN, FLTAVCOMLANT NORVA.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	64k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** in the Chesapeake Bay, during sea trials, circa 1983.	Charles Lagoueyte
	52k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** in the Chesapeake Bay, during sea trials, circa 1983.	Charles Lagoueyte
	60k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Tom Langford
	109k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	108k	A diver in a MK12 diving suit goes over the side of *USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** to recover wreckage from the space shuttle Challenger in the Atlantic Ocean in February 1986.	Tommy Trampp
	60k
	112k
	120k
	127k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** retrieving a component of space shuttle Challenger in the Atlantic Ocean in February 1986. US Navy photo from "Mud, Muscle, and Miracles" by Captain Charles A. Bartholomew, USN and Commander William I. Milwee, Jr., USN (Ret.)	Robert Hurst
	143k	Aerial view of *USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** and Nahoke (YTB-536) at sea, date and location unknown.US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
	128k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8) moored astern of an LST and across from USS Denebola (AF-56)** at Naval Station Norfolk, VA., date unknown. Note the floating crane between the piers.	Richard Miller, BMCS USNR Ret.
	99k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	106k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	86k	*USS Preserver* (ARS-8)** underway for the last time, not under her own power, as she is moved to Bay Bridge Enterprises yard at Chesapeake, VA., for dismantling, 30 November 2005 .	Mabel Clark

For more information about USS Preserver, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Ostrander, Arthur Thomas USNR Ret.	11 January 1944 - 29 July 1944
02	LT. Frank, Louis Burdett, USN	29 July 1944 - 6 October 1944
03	LT. Boyers, Charles James, USNR (temporary)	6 October 1944 - 3 December 1944
04	LT. Anderson, Adrian Wallace, USNR	3 December 1944 - 22 February 1945
05	LT. Boyers, Charles James, USNR	22 February 1945 - 6 June 1945
06	LTjg. Richards, Charles, USNR (temporary)	6 June 1945 - 5 July 1945
07	LT. Hiner, Carl Ballard, USN	5 July 1945 - 23 April 1947
	Decommissioned	23 April 1947 - 1 December 1950
08	LT. Culbert, George William, USN	1 December 1950 - 20 August 1953
09	LT. Ross, C. S.	20 August 1953 - 1 September 1955
10	LCDR. Sholar, Marvin Edward, USN	1 September 1955 - 9 August 1957
11	LCDR. Kornegay Jr., Perry Randolph, USN	9 August 1957 - 28 February 1958
12	LCDR. Yelton, Harold Mitchell, USN	28 February 1958 - 8 December 1959
13	LCDR. Graves Jr., Robert Frederick, USN	8 December 1959 - 1961
14	LCDR. Rosenbach, Richard Warren	1961 - 19 June 1962
15	LCDR. Bailey, George Gavin, USN	19 June 1962 - 22 November 1963
16	LCDR. Knight, Cecil Francis, USN	22 November 1963 - 30 October 1965
17	LCDR. Creighton, Percy Frank, USN	30 October 1965 - 1 June 1967
18	LCDR. McCullough, Robert Francis, USN	1 June 1967 - 22 May 1969
19	LCDR. Cowan, Terrance Eugene, USN	22 May 1969 - 22 June 1971
20	LCDR. McGuire, Thomas Patrick, USN	22 June 1971 - 12 April 1973
21	LCDR. Tieman, Barry Vincent, USN	12 April 1973 - 9 September 1974
22	LCDR. Tillinghast, Theodore V.	9 September 1974 - 29 August 1975
23	LCDR. Sargeant Jr., Harry, USN	29 August 1975 - 26 April 1977
24	LCDR. Manley III, Jerry Bell, USN	26 April 1977 - 27 April 1979
25	LCDR. Meyer, Francis Douglas, USN	27 April 1979 - 30 July 1981
26	LCDR. Bassett, William Thomas, USN	30 July 1981 - 23 September 1983
27	LCDR. Devlin, John Charles, USN (USNA 1972)	23 September 1983 - 27 March 1985
28	CDR. Honey, Robert Mark	27 March 1985 - 30 September 1986
	Decommissioned	30 September 1986 - 26 September 1987
29	LCDR. Harding, Warren Anthony	26 September 1987 - 19 January 1990
30	LCDR. Nolte, Paul Stuart	19 January 1990 - 7 August 1992


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 3 November 2023