104-731: USS Abnaki (ATF-96) was the lead ship of the Abnaki class of fleet ocean tugs in the service of the United States Navy , named after the Abenaki tribe of Native Americans. She was laid down on 28 November 1942 at Charleston, South Carolina by Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock , launched on 22 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. James Mayon Jones, and commissioned at the Charleston Navy Yard on 25 November 1943. Abnaki earned three battle stars for service during
208-414: A Fijian minesweeper at Seattle, Wash., for the voyage to Fiji. The two ships got underway on 16 August and set a course for Pearl Harbor where they arrived on 24 August and remained a week for repairs to the minesweeper's communications equipment. En route to Suva, Fiji, Abnaki assisted a civilian auxiliary sailboat grounded on a reef at Palmyra Island and towed it to Christmas Island . Abnaki and
312-537: A barge commanded by Lt. W.A. Hall, who was designated prize master, and had brought 18 sailors and 15 Marines from the barracks at Sumay . Seeing a launch from Cormoran hauling a barge of supplies back shore, Hall ordered shots fired across the bow of the launch until it hove to. Meanwhile, the two officers reached Cormoran and informed Captain Adalbert Zuckschwerdt of the situation. Zuckschwerdt agreed to surrender his crew but refused to turn over
416-430: A better experience for hotel guests. Tumon Bay has since been made into a preserve. A federal Guam National Wildlife Refuge in northern Guam protects the decimated sea turtle population in addition to a small colony of Mariana fruit bats . Harvest of sea turtle eggs was a common occurrence on Guam before World War II. The green sea turtle ( Chelonia mydas ) was harvested legally on Guam before August 1978, when it
520-603: A cable-laying ship to Panama. During that voyage, she also made a call at Esmeraldas, Ecuador , before returning to San Diego on 12 February 1978. Normal operations along the west coast occupied her time from mid-February until April. The first week in April brought fleet exercises followed by a resumption of fleet services. During the first half of June, Abnaki participated in another series of fleet exercises and then resumed her usual west coast missions. On 15 August 1978, Abnaki began preparations for decommissioning and transfer to
624-462: A course for Hong Kong on 30 April for a liberty call from 3 to 8 May. Following a visit to Yokosuka from 14 to 20 May, the ship began the voyage back to Hawaii and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 June. After a 16-day leave and upkeep period, she resumed mid-Pacific operations out of her home port. Following a three-month overhaul, three weeks of refresher training, and almost two months of local operations, Abnaki departed Pearl Harbor on 29 March 1966 for
728-434: A course for Sasebo. However, the fleet tug stopped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from 6 to 19 January 1968 to have the patch on the hull of the barge she was towing replaced. Continuing on, Abnaki towed her charge into Sasebo on the 24th. On 30 January, she stood out of Sasebo on her way back to Pearl Harbor. The ship reentered her home port on 12 February and began over a month of post-deployment stand down. From 18 March to 8 July,
832-656: A course just a few degrees west of north. The tug arrived at Adak, Alaska , on the 14th and assisted in the salvage of USS Kodiak before sailing for Oahu on 5 May. Arriving in Pearl Harbor on 12 May, the ship resumed her mid-Pacific duties. On 3 April 1961, she embarked upon another deployment to the western Pacific. After four months of towing duties between such ports as Sasebo and Yokosuka in Japan, Ream in Cambodia , Naha and Buckner Bay at Okinawa, and Subic Bay in
936-454: A plateau. The rugged south of the island is a result of more recent volcanic activity. Cocos Island off the southern tip of Guam is the largest of the many small islets along the coastline. Guam's highest point is Mount Lamlam at 1,334 feet (407 meters) above sea level. If its base is considered to be the nearby Challenger Deep , the deepest surveyed point in the Oceans , Mount Lamlam
1040-516: A puppet regime under Kim Il Sung on 1 May 1948. Just over two years later, that event led to the invasion of South Korea by communist forces from the north late in June 1950. Though American units, under the auspices of a Soviet-boycotted United Nations, moved into the breach quickly, Abnaki did not enter the zone of combat operations for over a year. In July 1951, however, she joined Service Division (ServDiv) 31 in providing mobile logistics support to
1144-502: A remnant of pre-European culture. It is believed that " suruhånu " or " suruhåna " are the only ones who can safely harvest plants and other natural materials from their homes or " hålomtåno " without incurring the wrath of the " Taotao mo'na ." Their society was organized along matrilineal clans. The Chamorro people raised colonnades of megalithic capped pillars called latte stones upon which they built their homes. Latte stones are stone pillars that are found only in
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#17328008358411248-571: A restricted availability. She commenced local operations on 1 July and that assignment continued into 1970. Late in January of that year, Abnaki headed for the western Pacific and arrived in Subic Bay toward the end of the second week in February. Although most of that deployment was devoted to operations out of Subic Bay followed by visits to Sasebo and Hong Kong, the fleet tug made a voyage into
1352-482: A resurgence of interest among the Chamorro to preserve the language and culture. Hispanic influences are manifested in the local language, music, dance, sea navigation, cuisine, fishing, games (such as batu , chonka , estuleks , and bayogu ), songs, and fashion. The island's original community are Chamorro natives, who have inhabited Guam for almost 4000 years. They had their own language related to
1456-567: A round-trip voyage to Britain. During that mission, she towed barges and tank landing ships. On the return leg of that voyage, the ship made stops at Reykjavík , Iceland; and NS Argentia , Newfoundland ; before returning to Norfolk . During January and February 1945, she again steamed to Oran and returned to Norfolk for repairs in preparation for duty with the Pacific Fleet . On 24 April 1945, Abnaki passed between Capes Henry and Charles on her way to her new assignment. She arrived in
1560-532: A six-day layover there, Abnaki headed for Oahu on 4 May and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 12th. That summer, between 23 July and 7 September, she again deployed to the Aleutians. A return to mid-Pacific operations came early in September and lasted until she moved to the western Pacific on 21 May 1963. That four-month tour of duty consisted of the normal round of port visits and of towing services to units of
1664-696: A stop at Okinawa en route, she arrived at Shanghai on 16 July and began operations between that port and Tsingtao in support of American forces in China. On 24 October, she received orders sending her to the Mariana Islands . She arrived at Guam during the second week in November and provided towing service between the Marianas and the Admiralties through the end of the year. After February 1947,
1768-556: A tow, because she departed the Vietnamese port on the same day she arrived. The Vietnam War does not appear to have played a major role in her 1971 deployment since she made only a few brief stops there—mostly at Vung Tau. She spent a large proportion of her time in and around Subic Bay and made port visits to Hong Kong; Singapore; and Ream, Cambodia. Following the grounding of the USS ; Regulus on Kau I Chau Island, Hong Kong, on
1872-513: Is 86 °F or 30 °C. The mean low is 76 °F (24.4 °C). Temperatures rarely exceed 90 °F (32.2 °C) or fall below 70 °F (21.1 °C). The relative humidity commonly exceeds 84 percent at night throughout the year, but the average monthly humidity hovers near 66 percent. The highest temperature ever recorded in Guam was 96 °F (35.6 °C) on April 18, 1971, and April 1, 1990. A record low of 69 °F (21 °C)
1976-541: Is a class of United States Navy fleet ocean tugs which began construction in November 1942. Comprising 22 oceangoing tugboats , the class was constructed in response to the needs of World War II , but members of the class served in the Korean War and Vietnam War as well. The United States Navy no longer has any ships of this class in active duty. Guam Guam ( / ˈ ɡ w ɑː m / GWAHM ; Chamorro : Guåhan [ˈɡʷɑhɑn] )
2080-552: Is a non-voting member. They do, however, vote for party delegates in presidential primaries. In 1969, a referendum on unification with the Northern Mariana Islands was held and rejected. During the 1970s, Maryly Van Leer Peck started an engineering program, expanded University of Guam , and founded Guam Community College . In the same period, Alby Mangels , Australian adventurer and filmmaker of World Safari visited Guam during his six-year escapade on
2184-580: Is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean . Guam's capital is Hagåtña , and the most populous village is Dededo . It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States, reckoned from the geographic center of the U.S. In Oceania , Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands and the largest island in Micronesia . As of 2022, its population
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#17328008358412288-482: Is generally hot and humid throughout the year with little seasonal temperature variation. Guam is known to have equable temperatures year-round. Trade winds are fairly constant throughout the year. There is often a weak westerly monsoon influence in the summer months. Guam has two distinct seasons: Wet and dry season. The dry season runs from January through May. June is the transitional period. The wet season runs from July through November. Guam's average annual rainfall
2392-570: Is located on the micro Mariana Plate between the two. Guam is the closest land mass to the Mariana Trench , the deep subduction zone that runs east of the Marianas. Volcanic eruptions established the base of the island in the Eocene , roughly 56 to 33.9 million years ago. The north of Guam is a result of this base being covered with layers of coral reef , turning into limestone , and then being thrust upward by tectonic activity to create
2496-468: Is the 32nd largest island of the United States . It is the southernmost and largest island in the Mariana Islands , as well as the largest in Micronesia . Guam's Point Udall is the westernmost point of the U.S. , as measured from the geographic center of the United States . The Mariana chain of which Guam is a part, was created by collision of the Pacific and Philippine Sea tectonic plates . Guam
2600-406: Is the world's tallest mountain at 37,820 feet (11,530 m). Politically, Guam is divided into 19 villages . The majority of the population lives on the coralline limestone plateaus of the north, with political and economic activity centered in the central and northern regions. The rugged geography of the south largely limits settlement to rural coastal areas. The western coast is leeward of
2704-555: The SMS Cormoran (or SMS Cormoran II ), a German armed merchant raider , was forced to seek port at Apra Harbor on the U.S. territory of Guam after running short on coal. The United States, which was neutral at the time refused to supply provisions sufficient for the Cormoran to make a German port so the ship and her crew were interned until 1917. On the morning of April 7, 1917, word reached Guam by telegraph cable that
2808-532: The Caroline Islands , victims of a resultant tsunami . This earthquake was much more powerful than the 8.2 one that occurred on August 8, 1993. After a smallpox epidemic killed 3,644 Guamanians in 1856, Carolinians and Japanese were permitted to settle in the Marianas. After almost four centuries as part of the Kingdom of Spain , the United States occupied the island following Spain's defeat in
2912-582: The Chamorro language is not classified as a Micronesian or Polynesian language. Rather, like Palauan , it possibly constitutes an independent branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family . The Chamorro people settled Guam and the Mariana islands approximately 3,500 years ago. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan , while in the service of Spain, was the first European to visit and claim
3016-488: The Empire of Japan attacked and invaded in the 1941 Battle of Guam on December 8, at the same time as the attack on Pearl Harbor . The Japanese renamed Guam Ōmiya-jima (Great Shrine Island). The Japanese occupation of Guam lasted about 31 months. During this period, the indigenous people of Guam were subjected to beatings, forced labor, family separation, concentration camps, massacres, beheadings and rape. During
3120-642: The Guam Organic Act of 1950 established Guam as an unincorporated organized territory of the United States , provided for the structure of the island's civilian government, and granted the people U.S. citizenship. The Governor of Guam was federally appointed until 1968 when the Guam Elective Governor Act provided for the office's popular election. Since Guam is not a U.S. state, U.S. citizens residing on Guam are not allowed to vote for president and their congressional representative
3224-641: The Korean War and 10 battle stars during the Vietnam War . The fleet ocean tug completed shakedown in Chesapeake Bay on 10 December and began operating with the Atlantic Fleet . She conducted towing operations up and down the eastern seaboard of the United States until the spring of 1944. On 12 April, she was in a collision off the Azores with the repair tug USS ATR-98 which resulted in
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3328-627: The Marshall Islands on 25 July and discharged her tow. The following day, she got underway again and proceeded to Eniwetok Atoll , also in the Marshalls. Abnaki remained there through the end of hostilities. Early in October, she shifted north to join the forces occupying Japan. That mission lasted through the end of 1945 and the first six months of 1946. On 6 July, the fleet tug departed Japanese waters and proceeded to China. Following
3432-643: The Panama Canal Zone on 9 May, transited the canal, and continued her voyage from Balboa, Panama , on the 16th with an Army dredge in tow. The tug arrived in San Diego , on 2 June and remained for five days. On the 7th, she took the dredge in tow once again and weighed anchor for the Central Pacific. After a stop at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii, the fleet tug entered the lagoon at Kwajalein Atoll in
3536-690: The Spanish East Indies , and part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain , based in Mexico City . The Spanish-Chamorro Wars on Guam began in 1670 over growing tensions with the Jesuit mission, with the last large-scale uprising in 1683. Intermittent warfare, plus the typhoons of 1671 and 1693, and in particular the smallpox epidemic of 1688, reduced the Chamorro population from 50,000 to 10,000, and finally to less than 5,000. Up until
3640-788: The Tachen Islands in March of that year, the tug served in the Orient for a little over three months more. On 15 July 1955, she got underway from Sasebo , Japan, for Hawaii. En route to Hawaii, the fleet tug encountered an Army ship, FS-179, in distress and took her in tow. The two ships arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 August. For the next 17 months, Abnaki operated from that base in the mid-Pacific operating area, voyaging only as far as such outlying islands as Midway and Johnston . Her itinerary changed late in February 1957 when she steamed to San Francisco, to take USS Springfield in tow for
3744-493: The U.S. Congress had declared war on Germany . The Naval Governor of Guam , Roy Campbell Smith , sent two officers to inform the Cormoran that a state of war existed between the two countries, that the crew were now prisoners of war , and that the ship must be surrendered. Meanwhile, the USS Supply blocked the entrance to Apra Harbor to prevent any attempt to flee. In a separate boat, the two officers were accompanied by
3848-496: The U.S. military , for which Guam is a major strategic asset. Its future political status has been a matter of significant discussion, with public opinion polls indicating a strong preference for American statehood . Guam's de facto motto is "Where America's Day Begins", which refers to the island's proximity to the International Date Line . Guam is among the 17 non-self-governing territories listed by
3952-457: The trade winds and is the location of Apra Harbor , the capital Hagåtña , and the tourist center of Tumon . The U.S. Defense Department owns about 29% of the island, under the management of Joint Region Marianas . Guam has a tropical rainforest climate on the Köppen scale (Köppen Af ). Its driest month of March almost qualifies as a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am ). The weather
4056-691: The 1898 Spanish–American War , as part of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 . Guam was transferred to the United States Navy control on December 23, 1898, by Executive Order 108-A from 25th President William McKinley . Guam was a station for American merchants and warships traveling to and from the Philippines , which was another American acquisition from Spain, while the Northern Mariana Islands were sold by Spain to Germany for part of its rapidly expanding German Empire . A U.S. Navy yard
4160-557: The 18th, she exited Pearl Harbor on her way back to the Far East. Following stops at Guam and Subic Bay, the ship arrived at Danang on 15 September, took up duty on trawler surveillance patrol on Yankee Station, and spent most of the following month shadowing the Soviet trawler Ampermetr . Relieved on 15 October, Abnaki proceeded to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. On the way, however, she encountered Typhoon "Carla" and had to detour. Later, she went to
4264-486: The 1990s also disrupted the island's economy. Economic recovery was further hampered by devastation from super typhoons Paka in 1997 and Pongsona in 2002, as well as the effects of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the crash of Korean Air Flight 801 on tourism. Guam is 30.17 miles (48.55 kilometers) long and 4 to 12 miles (6 to 19 kilometers) wide. It has an area of 212 square miles (549 square kilometers). It
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4368-591: The 19th. On the latter day, she shaped a course for the Marianas. Abnaki arrived at Guam on Christmas Eve day 1976. On 29 December, she headed for Kwajalein to embark Rear Admiral Carroll, Commander, Naval Forces, Marianas, for transportation to Kusaie Atoll for its independence celebration. The round-trip voyage from Kwajalein to Kusaie took from 2 to 6 January 1977. On 8 January, Abnaki sailed to Guam where she picked up two-yard craft to tow to Pearl Harbor. Departing Guam on 12 January 1977, she dropped off her charges at Pearl Harbor on 13 February, resumed her voyage to
4472-526: The 7th Fleet in the western Pacific. Towing one Philippine minesweeper, escorting another, and making stops at Midway and Guam, Abnaki took over a month to make the voyage to Subic Bay. She arrived there on 28 September and remained until 3 October when she returned to sea to tow a floating crane to Vietnam. She arrived in Da Nang on 7 October, delivered her charge, and began duty as the standby salvage ship there. That duty involved staying in Da Nang harbor during
4576-475: The 7th Fleet until returning to Pearl Harbor on 27 February 1958 and resuming mid-Pacific operations. On 18 November, she stood out of Pearl Harbor for another deployment with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific. Upon her return to Hawaii midway through 1959, Abnaki took up the familiar chore of towing various types of vessels between locations in the islands and to the more distant Johnston and Midway. On 6 February 1960, she stood out of Pearl Harbor and shaped
4680-407: The 7th Fleet. Similarly, her return to Pearl Harbor brought the familiar towing and salvage operations in the mid-Pacific operating area. That routine was broken only once, during late January and early February 1964 when she made a round-trip voyage to San Francisco. Abnaki spent much of 1964 in operations out of Pearl Harbor and concluded the year preparing to deploy to the western Pacific. During
4784-709: The American period include the Typhoon of 1900 , Karen (1962), Pamela (1976), Paka (1997), Pongsona (2002), and Mawar (2023). Since Typhoon Pamela in 1976, wooden structures have been largely replaced by concrete structures. During the 1980s, wooden utility poles began to be replaced by typhoon-resistant concrete and steel poles. After the local Government enforced stricter construction codes, many home and business owners have built their structures out of reinforced concrete with installed typhoon shutters . Guam has experienced severe effects of invasive species upon
4888-464: The California coast kept the tug busy until the beginning of October when she began an extended restricted availability at San Diego. The new year began with the ship still in port at San Diego. However, she embarked upon her first tow on 2 January 1976 and remained active – shuttling tows between various California ports for the first seven months of 1976. On 7 August, the ship left San Diego to join
4992-597: The Commander, Service Force, Pacific Fleet, expanded her sphere of operations to include ports in Japan and in China. The latter ports, however, were closed to her after the communist revolution in 1949 . The tug continued to operate in Far Eastern waters while the communist tide swept over the Asian mainland engulfing not only China but also the northern half of Korea where the Soviet occupation forces had established
5096-466: The Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources has established several new marine preserves where fish populations are monitored by biologists. These are located at Pati Point , Piti Bomb Holes , Sasa Bay , Achang Reef Flat, and Tumon Bay . Before adopting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards, portions of Tumon Bay were dredged by the hotel chains to provide
5200-506: The Fijian minesweeper arrived at Suva, Fiji, on 17 September. The American ship remained at Suva until the 21st when she got underway for Subic Bay. En route, she stopped at Kapingamarangi Atoll to drop off cargo for the natives and at West Fayu Island to investigate a suspected violation of territorial waters by a Japanese fishing trawler. She finally arrived in Subic Bay on 4 October. The fleet tug conducted operations out of Subic Bay over
5304-619: The Mariana Islands. They are a recent development in Pre-Contact Chamorro society. The latte-stone was used as a foundation on which thatched huts were built. Latte stones consist of a base shaped from limestone called the haligi and with a capstone, or tåsa , made either from a large brain coral or limestone, placed on top. A possible source for these stones, the Rota Latte Stone Quarry ,
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#17328008358415408-602: The Mexican Navy. She was placed out of commission on 30 September 1978 and was simultaneously transferred to the Mexican Navy. Her name was struck from the Navy list that same day, and she was commissioned in the Mexican Navy as Yaqui (A-18), Lt. Guttierez . This article includes information collected from the public domain sources Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and Naval Vessel Register . Abnaki-class fleet ocean tug The Abnaki -class tug
5512-596: The Northern Mariana Islands, the only Spanish outposts in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, were reprovisioning stops for the Manila galleons , a fleet that covered the Pacific trade route between Acapulco and Manila . Spanish colonization commenced on June 15, 1668, with the arrival of a mission led by Diego Luis de San Vitores , who established the first Catholic church. The islands were part of
5616-632: The Pacific Ocean, along with Wake Island in Micronesia, American Samoa and Hawaii in Polynesia, and the Philippines. On December 8, 1941, hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor , Guam was captured by the Japanese , who occupied the island for two and a half years before American forces recaptured it on July 21, 1944, which is commemorated there as Liberation Day . Since the 1960s, Guam's economy has been supported primarily by tourism and
5720-481: The Philippines or eastern Indonesia , by 900 AD. These original settlers of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands evolved into the Chamorro people , historically known as Chamorros after first contact with the Spaniards. The ancient Chamorro society had four classes: chamorri (chiefs), matua (upper class), achaot (middle class), and mana'chang (lower class). The matua were located in
5824-484: The Philippines, Abnaki returned to Pearl Harbor on 8 August. Following a leave, upkeep, and repair period, she once again began mid-Pacific duties early in September and continued the task through the year's end. On 24 January 1962, she departed Pearl Harbor and arrived in Adak on 1 February. The fleet tug conducted local operations in the Aleutians until 20 April when she shaped a course for Seattle, Washington . Following
5928-446: The Philippines. She operated locally out of Subic Bay until 5 March when she sailed for Vietnam. The tug served in Vietnamese waters as tender for a squadron of minecraft and conducted some patrols. She completed that assignment on 31 March and headed back to Subic Bay where she arrived on 4 April. After eight days of upkeep at Subic Bay, she put to sea for a second tour of duty in Vietnamese waters. That mission concluded, Abnaki shaped
6032-584: The South China Sea. Following that exercise, Abnaki visited Yokosuka and Sasebo in Japan. In March, she made a four-day liberty call at Hong Kong followed by a visit to Singapore. She returned to Subic Bay early in April but, on the 10th, got underway for Vung Tau where she salvaged the cargo door of a C-5A cargo plane which had crashed shortly after takeoff from Tan Son Nhut Air Base . After participation in Operation Frequent Wind –
6136-530: The Taiwanese Navy in salvage techniques. After a liberty call at Hong Kong early in April, the ship returned to Subic Bay until late in the month. She got underway on the 26th bound for Guam with the medium auxiliary floating dry dock USS Resourceful in tow. She and her charge reached Apra Harbor on 15 May; and, on the 16th, Abnaki continued on toward Hawaii. The fleet tug arrived in Pearl Harbor on 28 May and began post-deployment stand down and
6240-593: The United Nations , and has been a member of the Pacific Community since 1983. Guam is called Guåhan by Chamorro speakers, from the word guaha , meaning 'to have'; its English gloss 'we have' references the island's providing everything needed to live. Guam, along with the Mariana Islands , were the first islands settled by humans in Remote Oceania . It was also the first and
6344-696: The United Nations naval task forces engaged in the conflict. Abnaki's direct support for United Nations forces in Korea ended in February 1952, and she resumed service in Western and Central Pacific waters somewhat removed from the designated combat zone. Save for an overhaul or two at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard , her service in the Far East and in the waters of the Central Pacific continued unbroken until 1955. After participating in evacuation of Nationalist Chinese troops and civilians from
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#17328008358416448-471: The Vietnam combat zone when she visited Da Nang late in May. In mid-June, she headed back to Pearl Harbor where she arrived at the end of the month for operations out of that port into the spring of the following year. On 29 April 1971, she pointed her bow westward once more to deploy with the 7th Fleet in the Far East. She made a stop at Guam before arriving in Subic Bay in mid-May. Later in the month, she voyaged to Vung Tau, South Vietnam, apparently to deliver
6552-402: The assistance of an Army tug towing a crane. When the Army vessel suffered mechanical difficulties that forced her to cut loose the crane to save herself, Abnaki brought the crane in safely. Next, she spent six days of rest and relaxation at Hong Kong before returning to Subic Bay for a three-week upkeep period. Abnaki departed Subic Bay on 25 November and set course for Vietnam. On the 27th,
6656-425: The beginning of November, she resumed west coast operations out of San Diego. During December 1974 and the first part of January 1975, she prepared for overseas duty. On the 11th, the tug weighed anchor to begin her voyage to the Far East. She made only one stop – at Pearl Harbor from 20 to 22 January – before arriving in Subic Bay on 9 February. Two days later, she got underway to participate in Readex 1–75 conducted in
6760-527: The bulk of July. On 26 July, she put to sea for Yokosuka and – after a stop at Buckner Bay, Okinawa – arrived at that port on 5 August. The tug stood out of Yokosuka a week later, towing LSSL-102, and moored at the Army pier at Sattahip, Thailand , on the 29th. She remained in Thailand, making one liberty call at Bangkok , until 22 September. Getting underway that day, the tug shaped a course for Kaohsiung, Taiwan. After nine days of upkeep at Kaohsiung, she set sail for Guam on 8 October and picked up her final tow of
6864-556: The coastal villages, which meant they had the best access to fishing grounds. The mana'chang were located in the island's interior. Matua and mana'chang rarely communicated with each other. The matua often used achaot as intermediaries. There were also " makåhna " or " kakahna ", shamans with magical powers and "' suruhånu " or " suruhåna ", healers who used different kinds of plants and natural materials to make medicine. Belief in spirits of ancient Chamorros called " Taotao mo'na " still persists as
6968-419: The combat zone off Vietnam. The tug arrived at Da Nang on 31 December 1968. On the morning of New Year's Day 1969, she departed Danang to pick up garbage lighter YG-52 at Subic Bay. The ship arrived there on the 3rd, departed the next morning with her charge in tow, and delivered it at Da Nang on the 8th before heading back toward Subic Bay that same day. En route, she received orders to Naha, Okinawa, to assist in
7072-519: The day to provide salvage services and putting to sea each night because of the threat posed by Viet Cong sapper -swimmers. She concluded that assignment on 20 October and then visited Hong Kong and Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The tug returned to Subic Bay in mid-November and then ended the year visiting such ports as Ream, Singapore, and Bangkok. During the latter portion of this deployment, Abnaki made no voyages to Vietnam. Instead, she operated exclusively out of Subic Bay, breaking that routine but once during
7176-493: The deployment there on 16 October before steaming on toward Vietnam. She anchored off Vung Tau on Navy Day 1966, transferred her charge, and then got underway on 28 October to return home via Sasebo and Yokosuka. The beginning of 1967 saw her resume local operations between Hawaii and the outlying islands. During the first three weeks in May, the fleet tug made a round-trip voyage to Seattle, Wash. After returning, Abnaki carried out mid-Pacific towing duties until mid-August. On
7280-451: The evacuation of Saigon – Abnaki returned to Yokosuka on 15 May for three weeks of upkeep before heading for the Marianas on 8 June. The tug arrived at Guam on 13 May, loaded supplies destined for the natives of the Marshall Islands, and put to sea again on the 16th. After dropping the supplies off at several of the smaller atolls in the Marshalls, she continued on via Pearl Harbor to San Diego where she arrived on 13 July. Operations along
7384-448: The first leg of her journey to the east coast for her conversion to a guided missile cruiser . The two ships departed San Francisco on 2 March and arrived at Rodman in the Panama Canal Zone on the 29th. There, Abnaki turned her charge over to USS Nipmuc and headed back to Oahu for operations in Hawaiian waters through the summer. On 17 September, the fleet tug set sail for the Far East and provided support services for units of
7488-410: The fleet tug joined USS Bolster and USS Ute near Đức Phổ , South Vietnam, to assist in salvaging USS Clarke County . After much labor, they refloated the tank landing ship on 1 December. On 7 December, she relieved USS Chanticleer as trawler surveillance unit. Relieved of that mission on the 23d, Abnaki steamed to My Tho where she picked up a tow on the 27th and shaped
7592-593: The following month. On 7 November, she stood out of Subic Bay bound for Borneo . She made a five-day visit at Kuching and then got underway on 16 November for Puerto Princesa on Palawan in the southwestern Philippines. Abnaki returned to Subic Bay on 22 November and remained there until the 26th when she shaped a course for Hong Kong. At the crown colony from 29 November to 9 December, she combined business with pleasure, serving as station submarine service ship while portions of her crew enjoyed liberty ashore. The ship returned to Subic Bay on 11 December and remained until
7696-482: The island on March 6, 1521. Guam was fully colonized by Spain in 1668. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Guam was an important stopover for Spanish Manila galleons . During the Spanish–American War , the United States captured Guam on June 21, 1898. Under the 1898 Treaty of Paris , Spain ceded Guam to the U.S. effective April 11, 1899. Before World War II , Guam was one of five American jurisdictions in
7800-484: The island. The estimated interracial marriage rate is over 40%. The official languages of the island are English and Chamorro . Unlike most of its neighboring languages, Chamorro is not classified as Micronesian or Polynesian . Rather, like Palauan , it possibly constitutes an independent branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family . Filipino is also commonly spoken across the island. Other Pacific and Asian languages are spoken in Guam as well. Spanish , which
7904-439: The languages of Indonesia and southeast Asia. The Spanish later called them Chamorros. A derivative of the word, Chamorri, means "noble race". They began to grow rice on the island. Historically, the native people of Guam venerated the bones of their ancestors. They kept the skulls in their houses in small baskets, and practiced incantations before them when it was desired to attain certain objects. During Spanish rule (1668–1898)
8008-455: The late 19th century, Guam was encountered by adventurers and pirates, including Thomas Cavendish , Olivier van Noort , John Eaton , William Dampier , Woodes Rogers , John Clipperton , George Shelvocke and William "Bully" Hayes . The island became a rest stop for whalers starting in 1823. A devastating typhoon struck the island on August 10, 1848, followed by a severe earthquake on January 25, 1849, which resulted in many refugees from
8112-594: The latter part of 1964, American involvement in South Vietnam began to escalate as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin Incident . That development heralded a change in the nature of Abnaki's western Pacific deployments over the ensuing eight years. She departed Pearl Harbor with a dredge in tow on 4 January 1965 bound for Yokosuka, Japan . The dredge sank on the 19th; and, the following day, Abnaki entered Subic Bay in
8216-613: The leg of his voyage through the Pacific aboard the Klaraborg . The removal of Guam's security clearance by President John F. Kennedy in 1963 allowed for the development of a tourism industry. When the United States closed U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and Clark Air Base bases in the Philippines after the expiration of their leases in the early 1990s, many of the forces stationed there were relocated to Guam. The 1997 Asian financial crisis , which hit Japan particularly hard, severely affected Guam's tourism industry. Military cutbacks in
8320-479: The longest of the ocean-crossing voyages of the Austronesian peoples , and is separate from the later Polynesian settlement of the rest of Remote Oceania. They were first settled around 1500 to 1400 BC, by migrants departing from the Philippines which was followed by a second migration from the Caroline Islands in the first millennium AD. A third migration wave took place from Island Southeast Asia , likely
8424-534: The marine life in reefs around the island. Soil stabilization efforts by volunteers and forestry workers (planting trees) have had little success in preserving natural habitats. Efforts have been made to protect Guam's coral reef habitats from pollution, eroded silt and overfishing, problems that have led to decreased fish populations. This has both ecological and economic value, as Guam is a significant vacation spot for scuba divers , and one study found that Guam's reefs are worth $ 127 million per year. In recent years,
8528-510: The natural biodiversity of the island. These include the local extinction of endemic bird species after the introduction of the brown tree snake , an infestation of the coconut rhinoceros beetle destroying coconut palms, and the effect of introduced feral mammals and amphibians . Wildfires plague the forested areas of Guam every dry season despite the island's humid climate. Most fires are caused by humans with 80% resulting from arson . Poachers often start fires to attract deer to
8632-431: The nearly three years of occupation approximately 1,100 Chamorros were killed, according to later US Congressional committee testimony in 2004. Some historians estimate that war violence killed 10% of Guam's then 20,000 population. The United States returned and fought the 1944 Battle of Guam from July 21 to August 10, to recapture the island. July 21 is now a territorial holiday, Liberation Day . After World War II,
8736-492: The new growth. Invasive grass species that rely on fire as part of their natural life cycle grow in many regularly burned areas. Grasslands and "barrens" have replaced previously forested areas leading to greater soil erosion. During the rainy season, sediment is carried by the heavy rains into the Fena Lake Reservoir and Ugum River , leading to water quality problems for southern Guam. Eroded silt also destroys
8840-545: The night of 16–17 August 1971 during Typhoon Rose , Abnaki was the first U.S. Navy vessel to arrive on scene to begin salvage operations. Late in September, Abnaki stood out of Subic Bay for Apra Harbor, Guam, on her way back to Pearl Harbor. After an eight-day layover at Apra Harbor, she continued her voyage to the Oahu base where she arrived on 20 October to resume Hawaiian operations. Towing and training missions occupied her time until she put to sea on 21 August 1972 to rejoin
8944-485: The population was Catholic, with 54 priests and 64 nuns across 27 parishes. The culture of Guam is a reflection of traditional Chamorro customs, in combination with American, Spanish and Mexican traditions. Post-European-contact Chamorro Guamanian culture is a combination of American, Spanish, Filipino, other Micronesian Islander and Mexican traditions. Few indigenous pre-Hispanic customs remained following Spanish contact, but include plaiting and pottery. There has been
9048-482: The population. Asians , including Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese, accounted for 35.5% of the population. Other ethnic groups of Micronesia , including those of Chuukese , Palauan , and Pohnpeians , accounted for 13.2%. 10% of the population were multiracial , (two or more races). European Americans made up 6.8% of the population; 1% are African Americans , and 3% are Hispanic ; there are 1,740 Mexicans in Guam, and there are other Hispanic ethnicities on
9152-509: The remainder of the year either in port at San Diego or making tows to various points along the California coast. That employment continued into the New Year 1974. On 19 February, the ship entered the Fellows & Stuart Shipyard for a seven-month overhaul. Abnaki completed the overhaul on 19 September and returned to San Diego the next day. Refresher training followed in October; and, at
9256-417: The salvage of a grounded tank landing ship. She completed that mission on 19 January, reentered Subic Bay on the 24th, and headed back toward Danang on the 29th. The ship arrived there on the 31st and, on 1 February, put to sea for a 21-day tour of duty on Yankee Station. Late in the month, she towed USS Asheville from Cam Ranh Bay to Yokosuka. In March, she visited Tsoying, Taiwan, to train members of
9360-474: The second half of January 1973 for missions to Kaohsiung and Tsoying in Taiwan. On 20 February, she departed Subic Bay to return home. Along the way, the tug made stops at Guam and Kwajalein before reentering Pearl Harbor on 13 March. Renewed operations out of Pearl Harbor lasted until 25 June 1973 when she got underway for a new home port – San Diego, California. The ship stood into her new base on 13 July and spent
9464-523: The ship resumed her familiar mid-Pacific duties. On 8 July, she entered the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for an overhaul which lasted until 25 October. For the next month, she completed refresher training and preparations for overseas movement. On 26 November, Abnaki returned to sea, again bound for the Far East. The voyage west brought stops at Guam and Subic Bay – where Abnaki delivered floating crane YD-127 – before she reentered
9568-596: The ship. The U.S. officers informed Zuckschwerdt that the Cormoran would be treated as an enemy combatant and left to inform Governor Smith of the situation. Unbeknownst to the Americans, the Germans had secreted an explosive device in the ship's coal bunker. Minutes after the Americans left, an explosion aboard Cormoran hurled debris across the harbor and her crew began abandoning ship. The two American boats and USS Supply immediately began to recover German sailors from
9672-511: The sinking of the latter. On 28 May of that year, she got underway from Norfolk, Virginia , bound for Oran, Algeria . On 4 June, however, while in the vicinity of the Azores , Abnaki received orders to rendezvous with Captain Daniel V. Gallery 's Task Group (TG) 22.3 built around USS Guadalcanal . That task group had just succeeded in capturing the German submarine U-505 , and Abnaki
9776-539: The water, saving all but seven of the roughly 370 Cormoran crew. This incident, including the warning shots against the launch, accounted for the first violent action of the United States in World War I , first shots fired by the U.S. against Germany in World War I, the first German prisoners of war captured by the U.S., and the first Germans killed in action by the U.S. in World War I. During World War II ,
9880-467: The west coast the following day, and reached San Diego on 22 February. Abnaki spent the remainder of her Navy career operating along the west coast. Following post-deployment stand down and an extended availability, in May, she resumed towing and other operations along the California coast including surveillance operations, other fleet services, and training evolutions. At the beginning of 1978, Abnaki towed
9984-872: The western Pacific. She stopped at Guam along the way, before arriving in Nagasaki, Japan , late in April. The fleet tug towed an Army power barge from Nagasaki to Naha, Okinawa, for 12 days of upkeep. She departed that port on 19 May and arrived in Da Nang , South Vietnam, on the 22d. Between 23 May and 20 June, Abnaki operated in the South China Sea in support of 7th Fleet ships assigned to Yankee Station and made an overnight stop at Da Nang on 20 and 21 June before getting underway for Hong Kong. The ship remained in Hong Kong from 25 June to 2 July and then headed for Subic Bay for an upkeep period which occupied her for
10088-490: Was 168,801. Chamorros are its largest ethnic group, but a minority on the multiethnic island. The territory spans 210 square miles (540 km ; 130,000 acres) and has a population density of 775 per square mile (299/km ). Indigenous Guamanians are the Chamorro , who are related to the Austronesian peoples of the Malay Archipelago , the Philippines , Taiwan , and Polynesia . But unlike most of its neighbors,
10192-495: Was 98 inches or 2,490 millimeters between 1981 and 2010. The wettest month on record at Guam Airport has been August 1997 with 38.49 inches (977.6 mm). The driest was February 2015 with 0.15 inches (3.8 mm). The wettest calendar year was 1976 with 131.70 inches (3,345.2 mm). The driest year was in 1998 with 57.88 inches (1,470.2 mm). The most rainfall in a single day occurred on October 15, 1953, when 15.48 inches or 393.2 millimeters fell. The mean high temperature
10296-452: Was discovered in 1925 on Rota . The first European to travel to Guam was Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan , sailing for the King of Spain , when he sighted the island on March 6, 1521, during his fleet's circumnavigation of the globe. Despite Magellan's visit, Guam was not officially claimed by Spain until January 26, 1565, by Miguel López de Legazpi . From 1565 to 1815, Guam and
10400-546: Was established at Piti in 1899. A United States Marine Corps barracks was established at Sumay in 1901. A marine seaplane unit was stationed in Sumay from 1921 to 1930, the first in the Pacific. The Commercial Pacific Cable Company built a telegraph/telephone station in 1903 for the first trans-Pacific communications cable, followed by Pan American World Airways establishing a seaplane base at Sumay for its trans-Pacific China Clipper route. On December 10, 1914,
10504-519: Was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) has been on the endangered list since 1970. In an effort to ensure the protection of sea turtles on Guam, routine sightings are counted during aerial surveys and nest sites are recorded and monitored for hatchlings. In the 2020 United States Census , the largest ethnic group were the native Chamorros , accounting for 32.8% of
10608-495: Was set on February 1, 2021. The lowest recorded temperature was 65 °F (18.3 °C), set on February 8, 1973. Guam lies in the path of typhoons and it is common for the island to be threatened by tropical storms and possible typhoons during the wet season. The highest risk of typhoons is from August through November, where typhoons and tropical storms are most probable in the western Pacific. They can, however, occur year-round. Typhoons that have caused major damage on Guam in
10712-530: Was the language of administration for 300 years, influenced the Chamorro language . The predominant religion of Guam is Christianity . Three-quarters of the population adheres to Catholicism , while most of the remainder belong to Protestant churches. According to the Pew Research Center , the religious demography of Guam in 2010 was as follows: In 2020, the Vatican claimed that 87.72% of
10816-521: Was to tow her to Bermuda . She arrived there with the prize on 19 June and remained 10 days before shaping a course for New York. The tug spent the early days of July in New York and stood out to sea on the 11th, towing two covered lighters, YF-445 and YF-447 , in an Oran-bound convoy. She returned to New York on 19 August, having towed the battle damaged Free French warship Senegalaise from Oran. From 19 September to 5 December 1944, Abnaki made
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