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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, patch at right courtesy Paul Knierim via NAFTS

USS Bolster (ARS-38)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Echo - Whiskey
 NHEW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (3)
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 (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (7) - Vietnam Service Medal (11) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (2)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Bolster Class Rescue and Salvage Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 July 1944, at Basalt Rock Co., Napa, CA.
  • Launched, 23 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS Bolster (ARS-38), 1 May 1945, LT. W. F. Lewis in command
  • During the Korean War USS Bolster participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    15 September to 2 November 1950     		Second Korean Winter
    8 to 23 February 1952
    13 March to 12 April 1952
    Communist China Aggression
    3 November 1950 to 19 January 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    3 to 16 June 1952
    15 July 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive
    9 February to 10 March 1951
    11 to 16 April 1951     		Korea Summer-Fall 1953
    8 March to 11 April 1953
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    17 to 21 May 1951     		.

  • During the Vietnam War USS Bolster participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    11 to 17 February 1966     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    1 to 14 May 1970
    7 to 24 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    21 October to 19 December 1967
    24 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    24 July to 12 August 1970
    30 August to 15 September 1970
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 27 February 1968     		Consolidation I
    26 October to 30 November 1971
    Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    3 to 7 March 1969
    7 April to 25 May 1969     		Consolidation II
    1 to 3 December 1971
    1 January to 29 March 1972
    Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    7 July to 4 August 1969     		Vietnam Ceasefire
    30 March to 30 September 1972
    Vietnam Winter-Summer 1970
    26 to 30 April 1970     		.

  • Decommissioned, 24 September 1994
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 24 September 1994
  • Transferred, 1 February 1999, to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Current Disposition, laid up at Suisun Bay
  • USS Bolster received seven battle stars for her Korean War service and eleven campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,497 t.(lt) 2,048 t.(fl)
    Length 213' 6"
    Beam 43'
    Draft 13' 9"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 7
    Enlisted 113
    Largest Boom Capacity10 t.
    Armament
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    Diesel 2,150 Bbls
    Gasoline 2,500 Gals
    Propulsion
    Cooper-Bessemer Diesel-electric, GSB-8 engines
    single Fairbanks-Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    two Diesel-drive 200Kw 120V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    twin propellers, 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Bolster 29k USS Bolster (ARS-38) underway during builders trials, San Francisco Bay, 20 May 1945 Courtesy John Ackerman
    via NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Bolster 102k USS Bolster (ARS-38) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1951.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Bolster 357k Bow view of the Mare Island model of USS Bolster (ARS-38) Photo is dated 11 February 1952.
    File name: ARS 38 11856-2-52, Navy Photo, 2/11/52    		 Darryl Baker
    Bolster 30k USS Bolster (ARS-38), at Yokosuka, Japan, 1952 Courtesy Lynn Miller
    via NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Bolster 49k USS Bolster (ARS-38) underway, date and location unknown. NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    PC-485 49k The main deck of the ROK Han Ra San (PC 705) ex-USS PC-485 about to break the surface after being sunk at Guam by Typhoon Karen, November 1962. The salvage ships USS Bolster (ARS 38) and USS Reclaimer (ARS 42) are in the background.
    US Navy photo.    		 Bob Daly USS PC-1181
    Bolster 347k USS Bolster (ARS-38) returning from sea to Naval Station Long Beach, Spring 1992. Photo by ©David Buell
    Bolster 108k Stern view of ex-USS Bolster (ARS-38) moored in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., November/December 2006. Christopher Edwards
    View the USS Bolster (ARS-38)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Lewis, William F.1 May 1945 - 26 December 1945
    02LT. Maul, Henry P.26 December 1945 - 4 August 1947
    03LT. Root, Merton F.4 August 1947 - 4 December 1948
    04LT. Whitworth, Billis L.4 December 1948 - 18 February 1951
    05LT. Harding, Harold J.18 February 1951 - 31 December 1951
    06LT. Eason, George E.31 December 1951 - 18 June 1954
    07LCDR. Herver, George E.18 June 1954 - 15 June 1956
    08LCDR. Taylor, Robert Henry15 June 1956 - 1 January 1959
    09LCDR. Jennings, George W.1 January 1959 - 1 January 1961
    10LCDR. Nourse, James Arnold1 January 1961 - 6 July 1963
    11CDR. Looney, Francis L.6 July 1963 - 5 November 1965
    12LCDR. Alldredge, Donald Leslie5 November 1965 - 24 June 1967
    13LCDR. Connolly, Lawrence J.24 June 1967 - 15 January 1968
    14LCDR. Reed, Calvin Clarke15 January 1968 - 18 March 1970
    15LCDR. Marckfeld, William E. 18 March 1970 - 29 May 1970
    16LT. Hamilton, J. D. M.29 May 1970 - 5 June 1970
    17LCDR. Melton, Jack Leroy 5 June 1970 - 25 October 1973
    18LCDR. Siemer, John Robert25 October 1973 - 7 May 1975
    19LCDR. Malkus, Kenneth Charles7 May 1975 - 20 April 1977
    20LCDR. Landers, Michael Francis20 April 1977 - 2 July 1979
    21LCDR. Lynch, Robert Burgess2 July 1979 - 1 October 1980
    22CDR. Lundahl, David C.1 October 1980 - 25 June 1982
    23LCDR. Speer, John Paul25 June 1982 - 1 July 1983
    24LCDR. McCampbell, David Perry1 July 1983 - 21 September 1985
    25LCDR. Herb, Michael Curtis21 September 1985 - 21 November 1987
    26LCDR. Murray, Christopher Cyrus21 November 1987 - 22 September 1990
    27LCDR. D'Amico, William T.22 September 1990 - 23 October 1992
    28LCDR. Scholley, Barbara L.23 October 1992 - 24 September 1994
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    American Fleet Tug Museum
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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 30 October 2009