USCGC Owasco (WHEC-39)

After the refit, Owasco returned to regular Coastguard duties, including law enforcement, ocean station, and search and rescue operations. She was decommissioned in 1951 and recommissioned on 15 August 1955, at which time her homeport was changed to New London, Connecticut, which would remain Owasco's homeport for the rest of her operational career.

A typical ocean station patrol for Owasco was described in a 1973 unit history: "When the OWASCO leaves New London for ocean station she is heading for a 210 mile square, and once there remains for 28 days obtaining meteorological and oceanographic data and information. A characteristic signal from her radiobeacon serves as an aid to navigation. She also furnished all passing aircraft within radar range accurate information as to their position, course, speed, and up to date weather forecasts. While performing her duties as an Ocean Station Vessel, she carries a crew of 13 officers and 121 men."

Owasco was damaged during a series of violent storms in January 1962, when wind gusts at times reached 80 miles an hour. A lifeboat was damaged by a wave and her SPS-29 radar antenna sheared off, while the crew was obliged to work continuously to keep the cutter free from ice. A photo caption from the time noted: "Using muscle power and a baseball bat, a crewman attacks ice formed of spray on the superstructure of the Coast Guard's 255-foot cutter OWASCO during her recent weather patrol and plane guard duty on Ocean Station "Bravo" situated in the passage between Labrador and Greenland. A northeaster picked up spume from high waves and deposited it as ice over the vessel. Crewmen fought this ice battle for ten hours to preserve the ship's stability. They use bats, pick handles, meat cleavers, fire axes, shovels and other objects to crack away the dangerous tons of white weight."

A few weeks later in November, Owasco crewmen went to the aid of a Navy Swift boat in an incident that was described in the ships official cutter scrapbook:[2]

Six Owasco crewmen were cited for meritorious service as a result of direct action with the enemy, while the ship was patrolling Market Time Area Two on Wednesday 6 November 1968. The six men had just completed a medcap mission ashore in Phouctan...Embarked in Navy Swift Boat PCF-75 for rendezvous with the Owasco, the boat, in company with the ill-fated PCF-70, received hostile gunfire during which PCF-70 personnel were hit from a surprise recoilless rifle ambush on the beach. Two men were killed and four others wounded. LCDR Spott USPHS (medical officer) and SN Maison (corpsman assistant) rendered medical aid in the midst of the enemy attack. Four other Owasco men, LTJG Mack, BM2 Scheyer, DC3 Bane, EM3 Switlik all assisted in rescue and salvage operations to the battle damaged Navy craft. For their achievement under fire, Doctor Spott and seaman Maison received Navy Commendation medals, while the other four were cited in Letters of Commendation by Commander, 7th Fleet. On 19 June 1969, LTJG Warren Hudson USN, the PCF-70 skipper who was wounded in the action, visited the Owasco in New London to express his thanks to the commanding officer.

Owasco returned to Subic Bay for emergency dry dock repairs between 15 and 25 January. Between 26 January and 11 March the vessel was back on Market Time Station One duty. On 14 March 1969 Owasco departed Subic for her home port of New London, but on the way was diverted for a medevac mission for crew members of the Norwegian M/V Norefjell 300 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, after which she resumed her journey, arriving at New London on the 23rd.

Owasco replenishing while underway with USS Guadalupe. Note the single barrel 5"/38 instead of the original twin 5"/38.

By the end of her tour overseas, Owasco had supplied logistical support to 86 Navy Swift boats and 47 Coast Guard 82-foot patrol boats. She had detected 2,596 junks and conducted 178 "actual boardings and 2,341 inspections", exceeding the "results of any Squadron Three cutter thus far." She conducted 17 Naval Gunfire Support Missions, firing 1,330 rounds of 5-inch ammunition."

Owasco was officially credited with killing four enemy soldiers, destroying 18 bunkers and damaging 10, destroying 11 "military structures" and damaging 17, destroying 550 meters of "Enemy Supply Trails", destroying 1 sampan, 1 loading pier, and interdicting 3 "Enemy Troop Movements." The ship carried out 49 underway replenishments while in theatre and her medical personnel carried out 7 medical and civic action programs (MEDCAP), treating 432 Vietnamese civilians.