Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Patch contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Picket (AGR-7)
ex
 USS Picket (YAGR-7) (1956 - 1958)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Mike - Yankee
 NXMY
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Jigger (X)ray - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal
Guardian Class Radar Picket Ship:
  • Laid down, 28 March 1945, as SS James F. Harrell, a Maritime Commission type (Z-EC2-S-C5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 3138) at J. A. Jones Construction Co. Inc., Panama City, FL.
  • Launched, 17 May 1945
  • Delivered, 11 June 1945 to the Maritime Commission to be operated under a WSA contract by Alcoa Steamship Lines from June to October 1945
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 6 October 1945 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Re-activated in January 1947 and chartered U.S. Navigation Co., Baltimore, MD, from January 1947 to August 1948
  • Chartered by Boland and Cornelius Co., New York, N.Y. in August 1948
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, DL., from 29 August 1948 to 11 July 1955.
  • Acquired by the Navy, 12 July 1955, for conversion to a Radar Picket Ship at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Commissioned, USS Picket (YAGR-7), 8 February 1956, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA., LCDR. Joseph R. Antink USN in command
  • Redesignated (AGR-7), 28 September 1958
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1965
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1965
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD for scrapping in 1978
    Specifications:
    Displacement 10,760 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 24'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement 13 officers, 138 enlisted
    Armament two 3"/50 guns
    Capacities
    Fuel Oil, 443,646 gals.
    Diesel, 68,267 gals.
    Fresh Water, 15,082 gals.
    Ballast, 1,326,657 gals fresh water
    Propulsion
    two 220 PSI boilers
    one 3 cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine,
    one 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller,
    Shaft Horsepower 2,500
    Electric Generators 2
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By
    USS Picket (YAGR-7)
    Guardian
    09620106    		 67k Especially designed for the transport of Tanks and Boxed Airplanes the Z-EC-S-C5 type had the same hull-form as the EC2-S-C1 type but with large hatches and heavier loading gear. Typical for this type is the arrangement of two pairs of kingposts each on the forecastle and poop contrary to the two single kingposts on the forecastle and one kingpost on the poop with the EC2-S-C1 basic design. All vessels remained under US Flag and Registry after WWII and were laid up.
    United States Maritime Commission 1936 thru 1950    		 John Spivey
    Picket 357k The U.S. Navy’s seventh ocean station radar vessel, USS Picket (YAGR-7), photographed after commissioning at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA. Assigned to the West Coast radar screen, this converted liberty ship will have a wide range of recreational facilities designed to ease the strain of long voyages put on its 172 man crew. These facilities will include a fully equipped hobby shop; motion picture theater basketball, badminton; tennis and squash courts; gymnasium; archery and golf driving ranges; plus, a hi-fi speaker system for living and messing spaces. Its new role will be with the Continental Air Defense Command, as a safeguard against enemy air or surface attack.
    US Navy photo # USN 686065    		 National Museum of the US Navy
    Picket 310k USS Picket (YAGR-7) docking at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 13 April 1956 with the assistance of Satanta (YTM 270).
    US Navy photo # 28941 from the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    Picket 57k USS Picket (YAGR-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1956 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Picket 112k USS Picket (YAGR-7) underway in San Francisco Bay, 1958. Robert M. Cieri
    USS Picket (AGR-7)
    Picket 71k USS Picket (AGR-7) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Higginbotham
    Picket 74k USS Picket (AGR-7) underway off San Francisco, CA., date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, April 1964 issue.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Picket 91k USS Picket (AGR-7) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    USS Picket (YAGR-7 / AGR-7)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Antink, Joseph Richard, USN8 February 1956 - June 1957YAGR-7
    02LCDR. Larsen, Fred Herbert, USNJune 1957 - January 1958YAGR-7
    03LT. Hoskinson, Elijah Palmer, USNJanuary 1958 - 30 November 1960YAGR-7/AGR-7
    04LCDR. Stewart, Rodney Lee, USN30 November 1960 - February 1961YAGR-7/AGR-7
    05LCDR. Bodamer, Robert Earl, USNFebruary 1961 - 14 November 1962AGR-7
    06LCDR. Jaeger, Adolphus Frederick, USN14 November 1962 - 16 November 1964AGR-7
    07LCDR. Jones, Carol William, USN16 November 1964 - 7 July 1965AGR-7
    08LT. Williams, Patrick Henry USN (OIC)7 July 1965 - 30 July 1965AGR-7
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    YAGR's (Radar Picket Ships) Association
    Online Air Defense Radar Museum
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Radar Picket Ship (AGR) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 20 October 2023