Please help us pin down the key events in the USS Rankin's 24 years as a commissioned ship. What we know is summarized below, and you can help us expand our knowledge. We are interested in any and all information about cruises made, ports visited, significant events, and so forth. If you have personal photos or memorabilia, we'd like to know what you have. Click here to send us email about what you know or what you have. You can also call Skip Sander at (412) 367-1376.
1944	10/31, laid down; 12/22, launched. Somewhere there are reports of this. We want them.
1945	1/25, acquired by the Navy; 2/25, commissioned. Who has news of the commissioning? A detailed list of 1945 sailings is in the Ship's History section of this web site.
1946	???
1947	5/21, Decommissioned. Who has a program for the ceremony?
---	Out of commission, 1948-1951
1952	3/22, Recommissioned. Do you have a program for the ceremony?
1953	???
1954	???
1955	???
1956	???
1957	???
1958	Beirut, Lebanon. We have much general information, but very little specific to the Rankin.
1959	2/27, began six month Med Cruise. We have a cruise book.
1960	???
1961	September, began shipyard overhaul in Brooklyn, New York
1962	10/26 - 12/11, Cuban Missile Crisis. We have general descriptions, but no specific Rankin info
1963	1/7-3/7, Caribbean cruise; we have crew and officer photos. April-June, training & yard period.
1964	January, Guantanamo Bay training. 9/28-12/3, Steel Pike I, off Spain
1965	Tender availability, USS Amphion (AR-13); 4/26-4/30, Dominican Republic Intervention. We have lots of general info on this, but very little specific to Rankin.
1966	???
1967	???
1968	December, said to have performed launch support, U.S. Navy Recovery Force, Apollo 8 Moon Orbital Flight. Need more information about this. Is it true? Who has details?
1969	1/1, redesignated LKA-103. Late July-12/13, Med Cruise.
1970	Eastern seaboard operations. July-12/14 Med Cruise.
1971	5/11 decommissioned. Who has details? A program?
---	Out of commission, 1972-1987
1988	7/24 sunk as an artificial reef. We have a video!