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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Lost to enemy action, 12 September 1943

USS Navajo (AT-64)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Pearl Harbor) - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (17-KIA) 12 September 1943
Navajo Class Fleet Tug:
  • Laid down, 12 December 1938, at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Staten Island, N.Y.
  • Launched, 17 August 1939
  • Commissioned, USS Navajo (AT-64), 26 January 1940, LCDR. Myron E. Thomas USN, in command
  • During World War II USS Navajo was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns/actions:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Action and Dates
    Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941 USS Navajo - salvage operations
    Rennel Island, 29 to 30 January 1943  

  • USS Navajo (AT-64) with gasoline barge YOG-42 in tow was sunk by Japanese submarine HIJMS I-39, 150 miles east of Espiritu Santo, 12 September 1943.
  • USS Navajo earned 3 battle stars during World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,235 t.(lt) 1,675 t.(fl)
    Length 205'
    Beam 38' 6"
    Draft 15' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 5
    Enlisted 80
    Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 2,265 Bbls
    Propulsion
    four General Motors 12-567 Diesel-electric main engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 100Kw 120V D.C.
    one 60Kw 120V D.C.
    three General Motors 3-268A auxiliary services engines
    single propeller, 3,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Navajo 228k Launching of USS Navajo (AT-64), 17 August 1939, at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Staten Island, N.Y.
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Dale Hargrave
    Navajo
    093906414    		 212k
    Navajo 189k USS Navajo (AT-64) Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Staten Island, N.Y., 4 October 1939. The bow of USS Seminole (AT-65) is visible in the bottom left corner of the photo.
    A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Alan Owens
    Navajo 99k USS Navajo (AT-64) underway, builders completion photo taken off Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island Yard shortly after completion in January 1940.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-21708A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Navajo 50k USS Navajo (AT-64), underway, date and location unknown. Submitted by Walter Adams
    to NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Navajo 93k USS Navajo (AT-64) at San Francisco, CA., 7 June 1943
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 4239-43, 6/7/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Navajo 120k USS Navajo (AT-64) at San Francisco, CA., 7 June 1943
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 4238-43, 6/7/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Navajo 60k USS Navajo (AT-64) under way off San Francisco, 16 June 1943
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 4456-46, 6/16/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Navajo 83k USS Navajo (AT-64) underway off San Francisco, 16 June 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 4458-43, 6/16/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Navajo 84k USS Navajo (AT-64) under way off San Francisco, 16 June 1943.
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 4455-43, 6/16/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Navajo 58k USS Navajo (AT-64) under way off San Francisco, CA., 16 June 1943
    Mare Island Navy Yard photo # 4453-43, 6/16/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Navajo 3419k USS Navajo (AT-64) during rescue operations for the mined troop transport SS President Coolidge off Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, on 26 October 1942. Note the Consolidated PBY in the background.
    U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # QUA.2013-11.07.04 Courtesy CDR. Gerald P. Pulley    		 Robert Hurst
    Navajo 23k USS Navajo (AT-64) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from Hyper War    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Navajo (AT-64)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Thomas Myron Edgar USN (21)26 January 1940 - June 1941
    02LCDR. McLean, Hugh Buchanan USNJune 1941 - April 1942
    03LCDR. Ouellet, Joseph Alphonse USNApril 1942 - 1 December 1942
    04LTjg. Rigley, Frank USN1 December 1942 - 12 September 1943
    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
    National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Fleet Tug (AT) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 11 June 2021