USS PRAIRIE AD-15

• Commissioned in WWII: USS Prairie (AD-15) was commissioned on 5 August 1940, just before the United States entered World War II, and served as a destroyer tender throughout the conflict. • Pacific Theater Service: During WWII, Prairie operated primarily in the Pacific, providing essential repair and maintenance services to destroyers and other ships at forward bases such as Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Ulithi. • Pearl Harbor Survivor: On December 7, 1941, Prairie was present at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack but was not damaged. Her crew assisted in firefighting and rescue operations on other ships. • Vital Repair Role: Prairie’s skilled crew performed thousands of repair jobs on damaged ships, helping keep the U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet operational during critical campaigns. • Postwar Service: After WWII, Prairie continued its service through the Korean War, supporting United Nations naval forces by repairing and supplying destroyers and other vessels. • Vietnam War Service: Prairie also played a significant role during the Vietnam War, serving as a floating repair base for ships operating in the Western Pacific and off the coast of Vietnam. • Longest Serving Destroyer Tender: By the time she was decommissioned in 1993, Prairie was one of the longest serving destroyer tenders in U.S. naval history, with more than 52 years of active duty. • Tradition of “Prairie Dogs”: Crew members of the USS Prairie were affectionately known as “Prairie Dogs,” forming a close-knit and proud community with their own traditions and esprit de corps. • Multiple Home Ports: Over her career, Prairie was homeported at several locations, including San Diego and Long Beach, California, and Yokosuka, Japan, reflecting the shifting priorities of the U.S. Navy during the Cold War. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS Prairie was decommissioned on 26 March 1993 and sold for scrapping in 1995, ending her long and storied career of service to the U.S. Navy and its sailors.