USCGC BERING STRAIGHT WHEC 382

• Class and Type: USCGC Bering Strait (WHEC-382) was an Owasco-class high endurance cutter, originally designed for anti-submarine warfare during World War II. • Commissioning: She was commissioned by the United States Coast Guard on 14 July 1944. • WWII Service: Bering Strait served in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, conducting convoy escort, search and rescue, and weather patrol duties. • Korean War: The cutter was reactivated for the Korean War, participating in patrol and rescue operations in the Far East. • Weather Ship Role: After WWII, Bering Strait was converted to a weather ship, stationed in the North Pacific to provide crucial meteorological data for trans-Pacific flights and shipping. • Rescue Missions: She was involved in multiple high-profile rescue missions, including saving survivors of plane crashes and distressed vessels in the harsh North Pacific. • Vietnam Service: In the late 1960s, Bering Strait served in the Vietnam War under Operation Market Time, conducting coastal patrols and interdiction missions. • Humanitarian Operations: The ship was recognized for her humanitarian work, delivering aid and medical assistance to Vietnamese civilians during her deployment. • International Service: After her decommissioning from the US Coast Guard in 1971, Bering Strait was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy as HQ-1 Trần Quang Khải. • Final Fate: Following the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, the ship was taken by escaping South Vietnamese forces to the Philippines, where she served in the Philippine Navy as BRP Diego Silang (PF-9).