Military Veterans

Herschel McCoy served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.  His ship was the USS Sarsi (ATF-111) .  The Sarsi performed her towing services until she was sunk during Typhoon Karen in 1952 by a drifting naval mine off the coast of Korea.

Korean War service

On 24 March 1952, Sarsi, commanded by Lt. W. M. Howard, departed San Diego, California, and sailed west. On 18 April, she arrived at Sasebo, Japan. On the 20th, she took on ammunition; and, a week later, she continued on toward the embattled Korean peninsula. At the end of the month, she moored on the east side of Yodp, in the approaches to Wonsan harbor; and, as a unit of Task Group 92.2, the east coast Blockade and Escort Force, she performed towing, salvage, patrol, escort, buoy tender, and transportation duties.

On 19 May, she returned to Sasebo, whence she completed one rescue mission and several towing assignments to southeastern Korean and Japaneseports. In late June, she operated off the west coast of Korea. In July, she again operated between southeastern Korea and Kyūshū; and, on 19 August, she returned to the Wonsan area and resumed her varied duties there.

[edit]Sunk in Typhoon Karen

On the 20th, typhoon “Karen” hit the coast. For the next week, Sarsi towed various vessels; carried light cargo and personnel; relocated buoys and conducted nighttime, close-inshore anti-mining and anti-junkpatrols.

On the afternoon of 27 August 1952, she refueled from Cimarron; and, at 1847, moved north to patrol along the edge of the mineswept waters between Wonsan and Hungnam. At 2200, all unnecessary lights were extinguished. She reached Hungnam without incident; but, as she turned to return to Wonsan, a drifting mine, probably cut loose by the typhoon, exploded against her hull. Damage control efforts proved futile, andSarsi sank in twenty minutes.

Four men were killed. The remainder, including four wounded, spent the night in, or clinging to, life rafts, life preservers, and the ship's whale boat. The whale boat, kept pointed out to sea with lines to the rafts, prevented drifting onto the enemy held shore. Rescue ships – destroyer Boyd, and minesweepers Zeal and Competent -- arrived in the morning; and carried the survivors to friendly territory for medical treatment and reassignment.

]Honors and awards

Sarsi earned two campaign stars for her service during the Korean Conflict.

Electrician's Mate

Korean War—1951 - 1953

USS Sarsi, a sea-going Tug