Gila River LSMR-04

Gila River

A river in southwestern New Mexico and southern Arizona that empties into the Colorado River near Yuma, Arizona.

(LSMR~04: dp. 790; 1. 206'3"; b. 34'6"; dr. 7'2", s. 13 k.; cpl. 138; a. 1 5", 4 40mm., 8 20mm., 4 4.2" m., 10 rkt.; cl. LSMR-401 )

LSMR 504 was laid down 24 March 1945 by Brown Shipbuilding Co., Houston, Texas; launched 21 April 1945 and commissioned 11 June 1945, Lt. Leslie W. Bolon in command.

Departing Houston 18 June, LSMR-504 steamed via Galveston to Charleston, S.C., where she arrived 28 June. She proceeded to Little Creek, VA., 16 July and operated in Chesapeake Bay and along the Virginia coast until sailing for the West Coast 7 August. She reached San Diego 29 August, was assigned to LSMR Squadron 3, and operated along the coast of southern California during the next 6 months. She joined the 19th Fleet 4 March 1946 and between 18 and 22 March steamed to Astoria, Oreg., for duty with the Columbia River Group. She decommissioned 11 May 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet in the Columbia River. LSMR-504 was named Gila River 1 October 1955. On 1 February 1960 she was struck from the Navy List and on 7 July sold to the Zidell Exploration Corp., Portland, Oreg.