USCGC Mariposa

USCGC Mariposa (WLB-397) was a Cactus-class 180-foot seagoing buoy tender commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1944. Built during World War II, she played a crucial role in maintaining and servicing navigational aids along the Pacific coast and later in Alaskan waters. Throughout her decades of service, Mariposa also conducted search and rescue missions, law enforcement operations, and icebreaking duties. After a distinguished career, she was decommissioned in 1990, marking nearly half a century of service to maritime safety and navigation.