The USCGC Woodbine (WAGL-289/WLB-289) was a 180-foot (55-meter) buoy tender built as part of the Cactus- or A-class series for the United States Coast Guard. Constructed by the Zenith Dredge Company in Duluth, Minnesota, the vessel was laid down on February 2, 1942, launched on July 3, 1942, and commissioned on November 17, 1942. Designed primarily for aids-to-navigation (ATON) duties, her initial assignment was to Norfolk, Virginia, although her arrival was delayed until February 5, 1943, due to ice-breaking operations. In September 1943, Woodbine was transferred to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she undertook ATON responsibilities and law enforcement tasks, including vessel inspections related to drug trafficking. In early 1944, she underwent refitting at Portsmouth Navy Yard before being stationed in San Francisco. During World War II, Woodbine was deployed to the Pacific Theater, serving as a mobile service base for the U.S. Navy's Southern Attack force during the Mariana Islands campaign, notably supporting the assault on Guam, and participated in the Okinawa campaign in 1945. Following the war, Woodbine returned to the United States and was stationed in Grand Haven, Michigan, from September 1947 onwards. Her service included an incident in April 1965, when she sustained minor damage in a collision with the MV Meteor while ice-breaking off Green Bay, Wisconsin. Later that same year, she played a role in debris recovery efforts following the crash of United Airlines Flight 389 in Lake Michigan. In 1965, her designation was changed from WAGL to WLB, reflecting her classification as a buoy tender. In 1971, Woodbine participated in a search operation for the crew of a crashed B-52 bomber in Lake Michigan, with no survivors. She was decommissioned on February 15, 1972, and transferred to the Cleveland Public School System to serve as a training ship in marine engineering and electronics. In the early 1980s, she was sold to a private owner and repurposed as a mobile fish processing vessel in Alaska, where modifications included enclosing the buoy deck for processing, installing freezers, and adding holding tanks. The vessel suffered an engine room fire in 1984 but was repaired. Woodbine was ultimately scrapped in August 2008, marking the end of her maritime service.

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