History
She served at Detroit, Michigan, into mid-1941 until she was transferred, as of 1 June 1941, to the 14th District and was based at Honolulu, Hawaii. She arrived there after undergoing a refit at the Coast Guard Yard. In Hawaii, she serviced aids to navigation in local waters and the waters around Midway Island and carried out search and rescue duties when required. She came under naval control in November 1941, when the United States drew closer to war. She was moored at Long Dock on Midway Island when a radio message was received indicating that Pearl Harbor was under attack. She immediately got underway and anchored in Midway Lagoon. A historical pamphlet noted:
"This was the day the WALNUT was to depart for Honolulu, but due to lack of fuel and being unarmed the WALNUT remained at anchor playing the role of Decoy in case any enemy craft should appear. For the rest of the day, the ship's crew worked quickly to extinguish all of the island's aids to navigation, for this was to be Midway's first of many evening black-outs. Then at 9:30 that evening, the first shot was heard. The enemy had arrived! The Japanese attack force consisted of two cruisers and one destroyer, which appeared to be circling the island, while they showered the island and lagoon with mortar shells. During the attack, a U.S. PBY Flying Boat crashed into Midway Lagoon. In response, the WALNUT'S crew immediately launched their small boat, manned by several members of the ship's crew. The small boat quickly arrived on the scene and rescued the plane's crew, two of whom had been seriously injured in the crash. Meanwhile, enemy shells were falling within 100 ft. of the WALNUT. The attack lasted approximately 30 minutes, and when it was over the ship and crew had endured without any casualties. The next two weeks were fairly quiet and work went on as usual. Due to prevailing circumstances, the WALNUT departed for Honolulu. One evening as the WALNUT approached their destination, an enemy submarine was sighted at a nearby island, which was on the ship's present course. Luckily, the WALNUT managed to slip past without being noticed and arrived safely in Honolulu."
Sometime in early 1942, she was classified as "miscellaneous tender" and given the hull number WAGL-252. By the spring of 1942, her armament comprised two 3-inch guns; four 20-millimeter Oerlikon machine guns; and two depth charge tracks. She spent the war in and around the Hawaiian Islands, servicing aids to navigation, search and rescue, and convoy "decoy" duties. In 1944, she was involved in the construction of a LORAN station on the Hawaiian Islands.
Resuming her peacetime pursuits with the Coast Guard after the cessation of hostilities, Walnut remained in the Hawaiian area until 31 August 1954. On 2 June 1953 she assisted the sampan Sunfish 18 miles south of Honolulu. From 8 to 9 March 1954 she searched for the ketch Novia between Hilo and Honolulu. She was modernized and converted from steam reciprocating to geared diesel drive by the Guy F. Atkinson Company d. b. a. Willamette Iron and Steel Company in Portland, Oregon beginning on 10 May 1954. After acceptance in late 1954 she transferred to the 7th Coast Guard District and was based out of Miami, Florida where she served until December, 1967.
On 3 July 1955 she towed the disabled M/V Antwerpen to San Juan, Puerto Rico. On 30 December 1956 she assisted the sinking yacht Melody. During February 1958 she patrolled the Miami to Nassau Race. On 14 June 1959 she assisted the M/V Johann Ahlers. On 25 November she assisted a disabled small craft. On 6 August 1960 she assisted the P/C Snow in the Old Bahama Channel. From 28 to 29 April 1961 she escorted the NASA Saturn barge Palaemon to Fort Pierce Inlet, Florida. From 15 to 16 November 1961 she searched for the missing ketch Blue Bell. From 12 to 13 March 1962 she assisted the M/V Flying Trader that was aground near the Matanilla Shoal. On 6 January 1963 she recovered a USAF drone 17 miles off Nassau. On 28 April 1963 she assisted the M/V Capri Koch which was aground northeast of Molasses Reef. On 1 September 1965 she collided with the M/V American Leader. On 4 October 1966 she unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the cutter Point Thatcher from grounding off Miami.
She transferred to San Pedro, California as of December, 1967. On 25 March 1968 she assisted following a collision between the M/Vs Atlantic Trader and Steel Designer two miles off Point Fermin, California. She played a "key role" in the experimental maintenance of deep water moorings using synthetic line instead of chain for floating aids. The Walnut was credited with having set the deepest Coast Guard aid to navigation, the San Pedro Channel Traffic Lane Buoy #7TL, which was moored in 2,700 feet of water off the coast of Southern California. On 12 March 1970 she set an Oceanographic Data Collection System (ODCS) buoy in the Pacific Missile Test Range for the Commander, Pacific Missile Range. During 1980 to 1982 she set weather information buoys for NOAA that provided information for offshore oil drilling off the coast of Southern California. On 4 March 1982 she fought a fire aboard a fishing vessel off Malibu, California.
By the time she was scheduled for decommissioning, she serviced the following "federal" aids to navigation: 76 lighted buoys, 50 unlighted buoys and 75 minor shore aids. She also serviced private aids: 520 lighted buoys and the aids on 33 off shore oil platforms. Walnut was decommissioned on 1 July 1982 and she was then transferred to the Honduran Navy.
The Walnut, in addition to carrying out ATON duties, saw considerable action in other venues, including fighting fires, assisting vessels in distress, recovering US Air Force drones, escorting a NASA barge that carried a stage of a Saturn V rocket, conducted SAR missions, and assisted in setting NOAA weather buoys.
USCGC Bramble (WLB-392) is one of the 39 original 180-foot (55 m) seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942 and 1944 for the United States Coast Guard. In commission from 1944 until 2003 she saw service in Pacific, Caribbean and Atlantic waters as well as the Great Lakes. In 1947 Bramble was present at the Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll and in 1957 a circumnavigation of North America involved a forced traverse of the Northwest Passage. After decommissioning in 2003 Bramble became a museum ship in Port Huron, Michigan. In 2018 she was sold to a private owner, who is preparing MV Bramble to repeat her historic 1957 circumnavigation of North America.
USCGC Balsam (WLB-62) was a Cactus-class seagoing buoy tender (WLB) in the United States Coast Guard. She operated in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, then saw service along the United States West Coast, Hawaii, and Alaska. After her decommissioning in 1975, she was repurposed as a crab catcher-processor and is active in Alaskan fisheries as F/V Baranof.
The Sassafras is a C-Class, 180 ft, seagoing buoy tender constructed for the USCG by Marine Iron & Shipbuilding Corp. of Duluth, Minnesota. The Sass was one of 39 tenders commissioned for duties that would include aids-to-navigation, ice breaking, search-and-rescue, fire fighting, law enforcement, providing fuel and potable water, and assistance to the National Oceanographic and Seismographic Survey.
USS Obstructor (ACM-7) was a Chimo-class minelayer in the United States Navy during World War II.
USCGC Juniper (WLB-201) is the lead ship of the U.S. Coast Guard's current class of seagoing buoy tenders. She is outfitted with some of the most advanced technological and navigational capabilities currently available.
USCG Winnebago (WHEC-40) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter which served with the United States Coast Guard from 1945 to 1973. Originally intended for World War II service, she was commissioned only weeks before the end of the war and consequently did not see combat until her deployment in the Vietnam War more than 20 years later.
USS Matagorda (AVP-22/AG-122) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission from 1941 to 1946 that saw service in World War II. After the war, she was in commission in the United States Coast Guard as the cutter USCGC Matagorda (WAVP-373), later WHEC-373, from 1949 to 1967.
For other ships of the same name, see ARC San Andres
USCGC Sorrel (WAGL/WLB-296) was a Cactus (A) class buoy tender of the United States Coast Guard built by Zenith Dredge of Duluth, Minnesota. Her keel was laid 26 May 1942, launched 28 September 1942 and commissioned on 15 April 1943.
USCGC Aspen (WLB-208) is the eighth cutter in the Juniper-class 225 ft (69 m) of seagoing buoy tenders. She is under the operational control of the Commander of the Eleventh U.S. Coast Guard District and is home-ported at Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco, California. Her primary area of responsibility is the coastal waters, river bars and high seas from the California–Oregon border to San Diego, California. Aspen conducts heavy lift aids-to-navigation operations, and law enforcement, homeland security, environmental pollution response, and search and rescue as directed.
USCGC Kukui (WLB-203) is the third cutter in the Juniper-class 225 ft (69 m) of seagoing buoy tenders and is the third ship to bear the name. She is under the operational control of the Commander of the Seventeenth Coast Guard District and is home-ported in Sitka, Alaska. Her primary area of responsibility is the inland and coastal waters of southeastern Alaska. Kukui conducts heavy lift aids-to-navigation operations, and law enforcement, homeland security, environmental pollution response, and search and rescue as directed.
USCGC Walnut (WLB-205) is the fifth cutter in the Juniper-class 225 ft (69 m) of seagoing buoy tenders and is the second ship to bear the name. She is under the operational control of the Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District and is home-ported on Sand Island in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her primary area of responsibility is the coastal waters and high seas around the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa. Walnut conducts heavy lift aids-to-navigation operations, and law enforcement, homeland security, environmental pollution response, and search and rescue as directed.
The USCGC Blackhaw (WLB-390) was a Iris-class buoy tender belonging to the United States Coast Guard launched on 18 June 1943 and commissioned on 17 February 1944.
USCGC Ironwood (WAGL-297/WLB-297) was a Mesquite-class sea-going buoy tender operated by the United States Coast Guard. She served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War as well as a variety of domestic missions. She currently serves as a seamanship training vessel for Job Corps.
USCGC Buttonwood (WAGL-306/WLB-306) was a Mesquite-class sea-going buoy tender operated by the United States Coast Guard. She served in World War II as well as a variety of domestic missions. After decommissioning she was acquired by the Dominican Republic Navy and renamed Almirante Didiez Burgos. She is still active as the flagship of the Dominican Navy.
USCGC Planetree (WAGL/WLB-307) was a Mesquite-class seagoing buoy tender operated by the United States Coast Guard. She served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, as well as in a variety of domestic missions.
The USCGC Sweetbrier (WAGL-405/WLB-405) was an Iris-class 180-foot seagoing buoy tender operated by the United States Coast Guard. She served in the Pacific during World War II. Her entire post-war career with the Coast Guard was spent in Alaska. After she was decommissioned in 2001, she was transferred to the Ghana Navy and renamed Bonsu. She is still active.
USCGC Sedge (WAGL-402/WLB-402) was an Iris-class 180-foot seagoing buoy tender operated by the United States Coast Guard. She served in the Pacific during World War II and in Alaska during the rest of her Coast Guard career. Sedge was decommissioned in 2002 and transferred to the Nigerian Navy where she is still active as NNS Kyanwa.
USS YF-339 was an American YF-257-class covered lighter built in 1944 for service in World War II. She was later acquired by the United States Coast Guard and renamed USCGC White Bush (WAGL-542).
USS YF-416 was an American YF-257-class covered lighter built in 1943 for service in World War II. She was later acquired by the United States Coast Guard and renamed USCGC White Sumac (WAGL-540).
United States 
Honduras 
