Token AM-126

Token

(AM-126: dp. 890; 1. 221'2"; b. 32'2"; dr. 10'9"; s. 18.1 k.; cpl. 102; a. 2 3", 4 20mm., 2 dct., 4 dcp.;

Token (AM-126) was laid down on 21 July 1941 at Chickasaw, Ala., by the Gulf Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 28 March 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Charles Hunt Ross, and commissioned on 31 December 1942 Lt. Comdr. William H. Harrison, USNR, in command.

After shakedown cruises off the Florida coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, the new minesweeper steamed from Miami on 2 April 1943; transited the Panama Canal; and arrived at San Francisco on 1 May. Following training and escort duty in western coastal waters, she departed San Francisco on 28 August for the New Hebrides. From October until the following June, Token escorted convoys between Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal. Late in June, she proceeded via Florida Island to Sydney, Australia. A severe vibration developed en route, and Token's stay in Sydney was prolonged for the replacement of bent and damaged propeller blades. She departed Sydney on 30 July 1944 and proceeded to the Solomons, where she spent the month of August conducting exercises and undergoing additional repairs.

In September, Token engaged in minesweeping in the Palau and Ulithi groups before proceeding to Manus where the 7th Fleet was concentrating for the invasion of Leyte. On 17 October, while conducting minesweeping operations en route to Leyte, Token was caught in a typhoon which caused her some minor damage. Following two days of minesweeping in Leyte Gulf, Token anchored in the south transport area off Leyte on 24 October. The next day, Token scored several hits on an enemy aircraft and rescued a downed flier from Sangamon (CVE-26). Heavy air activity continued until Token got underway for the Admiralties arriving at Manus on 5 November.

Token steamed from Manus on 14 November and proceeded via Pearl Harbor and San Francisco to Portland, Oreg., where she underwent major overhaul. On 13 April, Token departed the west coast for Pearl Harbor where she resumed escort duty.

Arriving off Okinawa on 20 May 1946, at a time of mass kamikaze attacks, Token experienced her first of many days of enemy air activity. While performing screening activities on the 28th, Token rescued and captured two survivors from a splashed Japanese plane. After repairs at Kerama Retto in June, she swept waters off Okinawa, in the East China Sea, and in Tokyo Bay. In the following months, Token continued sweeps of formerly contested waters off the Pescadores and China before steaming-via Sasebo, Kyushu, and Pearl Harbor-to Charleston, S.C. She then operated off the east coast until finally berthing in June 1947 at Orange, Tex., where she was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, and placed out of commission on 6 January 1948.

Recommissioned on 12 April 1961, Token participated in training exercises off Charleston in company with Mine Squadron 8, Mine Force, Atlantic Fleet. Departing from Charleston in August, Token headed for the Mediterranean and touched at Gibraltar, Istanbul, Naples, and Seville before returning to Charleston on 7 February 1963.

She operated off the Atlantic and gulf coasts before being inactivated and decommissioned again on 16 April 1964. Token was reclassified a steel-hulled fleet minesweeper on 7 February 1966 and redesignated MSF126. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 December 1966.

Token received four battle stars for World War II service.