From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A river in northern Oregon which is tributary of the Columbia River.

(LSMR - 511; dp. 790; l. 206'3"; b. 34'6"; dr. 7'2"; s. 13 k.; cpl. 138; a. 1 5", 4 40mm., 8 20mm., 4 4.2", 10 rkt.; cl. LSMR-401)

LSMR-511 was laid down by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Tex., 7 April 1945; launched 5 May 1945; and commissioned 3 July 1945, Lt. Ralph L. Clifford in command.

After shakedown along the Texas coast, LSMR-511 departed Galveston 10 July and arrived Charleston, S.C., 15 July. From 5 to 7 August she sailed to Little Creek, Va., for training in Chesapeake Bay and along the Virginia coast. Assigned to LSMR Squadron 4, she departed Little Creek for New Orleans, La., 20 September and arrived on the 27th. She departed Algiers, La., 2 October and for the next few weeks cruised the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Mo., and St. Paul, Minn. Departing St. Paul 30 October, she reached New Orleans 13 November and Little Creek 15 December.

After additional training and readiness operations out of Little Creek, LSMR-511 sailed 30 January 1946 for squadron exercises in the Caribbean. She reached San Juan, P.R., 5 February and operated off Culebra Island until sailing for Guantanamo Bay 12 February. She arrived 14 February and during the next month participated in tactical exercises off the southern coast of Cuba. Sailing for the United States 15 March, she touched at Bermuda 19 March and reached Little Creek the 25th.

During the remainder of the year LSMR-511 operated in Chesapeake Bay out of Norfolk and Baltimore. Between 22 and 24 January 1947 she sailed from Little Creek to Charleston and entered Charleston Naval Shipyard. Departing Charleston 12 May, she arrived Green Cove Springs, Fla., 13 May; decommissioned there 21 May 1947; and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. While berthed at Green Cover Springs [sic], she was named John Day River 1 October 1955. Her name was struck from the Navy List 1 February 1960. She was sold to Atlas Iron & Metal Corp., 5 July 1960.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)