USS Prairie
In 1938 the second ship that would be known as The USS Prairie was laid down at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey. The ship was classified as a Dixie Class Destroyer Tender, to help service Destroyers and other ships that were damaged in battle. The second USS Prairie was launched on December 9, 1939 and commissioned by the US Navy on August 5, 1940 under the command of Captain J. B. W. Waller.
The Prairie was soon put into service for American and Allied ships in Argentina. In 1942, she was damaged by a major fire on board and had to be taken to the Boston Naval Shipyard for repairs. She returned to Argentina and was stationed there until September 23, 1943, when she was moved out to Pearl Harbor to continue her work there. That stint lasted until February of 1944, and afterwards she joined the troops at the Marshall Islands. The Prairie continued to attend to damaged ships as the war went on. She eventually moved to Ulithi and was stationed there until October 1, 1945 when the war was declared to be over. By November 30, she was on her way back to America.
The Prairie continued to work on ships in the US, most often in San Francisco, San Diego and Hawaii. Then in 1949 she was sent to Korea and provided support to the Seventh Fleet based in Sasebo, Japan and Yokosuka. She was deployed in Korea three times, the last and the final deployment ended on April 11, 1954.
Following the Korean War, The Prairie was given the rare opportunity to sail around the world, and eventually landed in San Diego. She made a return to Pearl Harbor in 1966 and during the trip the crew repaired over 100 ships, and participated in the rescue of survivors from a yacht that sank in dangerous waters.
The Prairie was also involved in the Vietnam war and helped repair ships in that area over an 18 month period of time. After the war, the ship eventually made its home in San Diego. By 1982 The Prairie had earned the exclusive honor of being the oldest ship that was still in active service since its creation. The ship saw even more action in the 1980's, and was finally decommissioned on March 26, 1993. She was eventually sold in Singapore for use as scrap.
The distinguished service of The Prairie will long be remembered. The numerous men and women who served aboard her should be proud, but they should also be aware that during their time on the ship, they were at risk of exposure to asbestos. Before it was determined to be hazardous, asbestos was used in many products that could be found on ships and in shipyards, most notably insulation. The asbestos inside these products is made up of tiny fibers that can break loose and be inhaled. Asbestos often leads to mesothelioma cancer and other respiratory diseases. Crew members and repair personnel from The Prairie should speak to their physicians and alert them to the possibility of exposure to asbestos so that they may be thoroughly examined.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
