The USCGC Storis (WAGL-38/WAG-38/WAGB-38/WMEC-38) was a distinguished United States Coast Guard vessel serving for over 64 years, making her the oldest vessel in the fleet at the time of her decommissioning in 2007. Constructed by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Ohio, she was laid down on July 14, 1941, launched on April 4, 1942, and commissioned later that year as an ice patrol tender. Her initial role involved Arctic and North Atlantic patrols, notably participating in Greenland Patrols during World War II to thwart German efforts to establish weather stations in Greenland. Originally slated to be named Eskimo, her name was changed to Storis—meaning "great ice" in Scandinavian—due to objections from the U.S. Department of State regarding cultural sensitivities. During her wartime service, she was involved in convoy escort duties, including the escort of convoy GS-24 in June 1943. A notable wartime incident involved her response to the sinking of USS Escanaba, where she helped rescue two survivors and recovered a body after the vessel sank following an explosion. Post-war, Storis's homeport shifted from Boston to Curtis Bay, Maryland, before relocating to Juneau, Alaska, in 1948. In Alaska, she took on a variety of roles, including the Bering Sea Patrol, delivering essential services to remote native villages, establishing LORAN radio stations, supporting the Distant Early Warning Line, and conducting hydrographic surveys in Arctic waters. In 1957, she participated in Arctic exploration efforts, including searching for a deep draft channel through the Arctic Ocean. In 1972, Storis was extensively refurbished, converting from a light icebreaker to a medium endurance cutter, with her primary duties shifting to fisheries law enforcement in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. She underwent further upgrades in 1986, including a new power plant and expanded crew quarters. Her notable service included rescuing the fishing vessel Alaskan Monarch in 1990—an incident often featured on television—and she even made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film The Guardian. Decommissioned in 2007, Storis was eventually placed in the Mothball Fleet at Suisun Bay and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. She was auctioned in 2013, but the sale fell through, and the vessel was towed to Mexico for scrapping. Her legacy endures as a symbol of Arctic and maritime service, with plans for a commercial icebreaker to carry her name in the future.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.