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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Pigeon (ASR-21)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Tango - Yankee
 NDTY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (6) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
ASR-21 Pigeon Class Submarine Rescue Ship:
The ASR-21 class Submarine Rescue Ship was the Navy's response after the loss USS Thresher (SSN-593) in 1963. The ASR-21 class Submarine Rescue Ship design was built around the new Deep-submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) mission. The new ASR class was designed to be a mother ship for DSRVs, Mystic (DSRV-1) and Avalon (DSRV-2), with protected launch/recovery between the hulls, deck crane machinery, 4 point mooring system and two Deep Dive Systems MK2 Mod1.

  • Laid down, 17 July 1968, at Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Co., Mobile, AL.
  • Launched, 13 August 1969
  • Commissioned USS Pigeon (ASR-21), 28 April 1973
  • Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 31 August 1992
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Title transfer to MARAD, 18 December 1998
  • Reacquired, 23 March 2002, for use as a non-operational training platform at Naval Station San Diego
  • Returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in early 2012 to International Shipbreaking Ltd., for $383,000
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,706 t.(lt) 4,545 t.(fl)
    Length 251
    Beam 93'
    Draft 26' (max)
    Speed 15 kts.
    Complement 139
    Armament two 3"/50 guns
    Aircraft helicopter pad only
    Propulsion four diesel engines, two propeller shafts
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Pigeon 103k US Navy drawing of a Pigeon Class Salvage and Rescue Ship. Robert Hurst
    Pigeon
    09322129    		 220k Launching of Pigeon (ASR-21) at the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Co., Mobile, AL., 13 August 1969.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 68446    		 Robert Hurst
    Pigeon
    09322112    		 305k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) underway during sea trials at Mobile AL. in 1971.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1978.    		 Joe Neumann.
    Pigeon
    09322125    		 96k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) drydocked in 1973 at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA. Joe Neumann.
    Pigeon
    09322126    		 97k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) moored pierside in 1973 at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA. Joe Neumann.
    Pigeon
    09322127    		 72k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) moored pierside in 1973 at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, CA. with view of mooring buoys and cradles. Joe Neumann.
    Pigeon
    09322124    		 86k View of the Deep-submergence Rescue Vessel Avalon (DSRV-2). in the well of USS Pigeon (ASR-21) in 1974 Joe Neumann
    Pigeon 389k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photos.    		 Scott Koen
    Pigeon 389k
    Pigeon
    09322131    		 233k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) underway off Southern California, on 28 July 1976.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier (NAID) 639200 A U.S. Navy photo now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 Robert Hurst
    Pigeon 177k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) under way, circa 1977-78, location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1978.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Pigeon 248k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "Mud, Muscles and Miracles", by CAPT. Charles A. Bartholomew, USN and CDR. William I. Milwee, Jr., USN (Ret.)    		 Robert Hurst
    Pigeon 174k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) in drydock #3 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 6 August 1979. Pigeon was in overhaul at Mare Island from 30 July 1979 to 23 June 1980.
    File name: ASR 21 DD3 080679, Navy Photo, 8/6/79.    		 Darryl Baker
    Pigeon 341k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) under way at Vancouver, B.C., 5 June 1991
    Photo by Rick Garcia    		 Chris Howell, Southland Ship Stores Limited, Port of Bluff, N.Z.
    Pigeon 428k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo # NH 97310 from the collection of Christopher P Cavas, 2000    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Pigeon 253k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) under way after October 1978, location unknown. This photo has been dated based on the fact that Pigeon was award the Battle "E" and Engineering "E" in October 1978.
    US Navy photo    		 Darryl Baker
    Pigeon 332k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) entering dry dock #3 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 6 August 1979.
    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum file # ASR 21 195000-8-79, US Navy Photo, 8/6/1979    		 Darryl Baker
    Pigeon
    09322130    		 129k USS Pigeon (ASR-21) sits in dry dock during an overhaul at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. shipyard at San Diego, CA., 13 April 1992.
    U.S. National Archives Identifier (NAID) 6479737 A U.S. Navy photo now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives    		 Robert Hurst
    Pigeon 362k Ex-USS Pigeon (ASR-21) laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
    US Maritime Administration photo    		 Ron Reeves
    Pigeon 260k
    Pigeon 872k Ex-USS Pigeon (ASR-21) at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 22 January 2012. Ex-Pigeon was there for cleaning before being towed to the International Shipbreaking Ltd. yard for dismantling. Beyond Pigeon is Ex-USNS Mispillion (T-AO-105) in Dry Dock #3, also at the yard for cleaning before being towed to ESCO Marine in Brownsville, TX. for dismantling. Photos by Darryl Baker
    Pigeon 1071k
    1972 photos of Personnel Transfer Capsule, Winches and Deck Decompression Chamber installed in Pigeon (ASR-21)
    Personnel Transfer Capsule, Winches and Deck Decompression Chamber before installation
    Pigeon
    09322123     		Pigeon
    09322116     		Pigeon
    09322117
    Deck Decompression Chamber
    Pigeon
    09322118     		Pigeon
    09322119     		Pigeon
    09322120     		Pigeon
    09322121     		Pigeon
    09322122
    Additional Ship's Patches
    Ortolan
    1973 Ship's Slogan
    Contributed by Joe Neumann    		 Pigeon
    Contributed by Darryl Baker    		 Pigeon
    Contributed by Darryl Baker

    For more photos and information about USS Pigeon see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • National Register Eligibility Assessment
  • National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
  • USS Pigeon (ASR-21) Commissioning Program
  • Ship History/Command Operations Reports, 1974 through 1979
  • Welcome Aboard pamphlet, 1978-79
    • Commanding Officers
    01CDR. McDermott, James Joseph28 April 1973 - 28 February 1974
    02CDR. Doyle, William James28 February 1974 - 11 June 1976
    03CDR. Smith, Anthony J.11 June 1976 - 4 August 1978
    04CDR. Duchock Jr., Charles Jack4 August 1978 - 15 August 1980
    05CDR. Leeke Jr., Howard Warfield (Warrie)15 August 1980 - 12 August 1982
    06CDR. Shotts, Willard Edward12 August 1982 - 17 August 1984
    07CDR. Cleal, Stephen Roger17 August 1984 - 17 June 1986
    08CDR. Appleby, Robert Thomas17 June 1986 - 13 June 1989
    09CDR. Glidden, Eric Stanley13 June 1989 - 21 November 1991
    10CDR. Mills, Gary Bond21 November 1991 - 31 August 1992
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Submarine Rescue Ship (ASR) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 17 March 2023