USS Lucid (MSO-458) facts for kids
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Lucid underway in the Pacific Ocean in February 1970
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | Lucid |
| Namesake | bright, shining |
| Builder | Higgins Inc. Shipyard, New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Cost | $9 million |
| Laid down | 16 March 1953 |
| Launched | 14 November 1953 |
| Commissioned | 4 May 1955 |
| Decommissioned | 23 December 1970 |
| Stricken | 15 May 1976 |
| Homeport | Long Beach, California |
| Fate | Currently undergoing restoration as a museum ship in Stockton, California |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Aggressive-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 775 tons |
| Length | 172 ft (52 m) |
| Beam | 35 ft (11 m) |
| Draft | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 6 officers 65 enlisted |
| Sensors and processing systems |
AN/SQQ-14 mine hunting sonar |
| Armament |
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The USS Lucid (AM-458/MSO-458) is a special kind of ship called an Aggressive-class minesweeper. Her job was to find and remove naval mines from the water. Mines are like underwater bombs that can stop other ships from moving safely. Lucid was built right after the Korean War. She sailed on many trips across the Pacific Ocean and served four times in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Lucid was taken out of service in 1970 after only 15 years. This happened because the Vietnam War was ending, and the Navy didn't need as many minesweepers. After her Navy service, she was sold to regular people. For ten years, she was used as a houseboat. Later, she became a storage building for a scrap metal dealer. In 2005, a group decided to save Lucid. They wanted to turn her into a museum ship. Since 2011, she has been at the Stockton Maritime Museum in Stockton, California. Volunteers are working hard to bring her back to her original look. Lucid is the very last Aggressive-class minesweeper still floating in the United States.
Contents
Military Service of the USS Lucid
The USS Lucid was the second ship in the United States Navy to have this name. Her construction began on March 16, 1953, at the Higgins Inc. Shipyard in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was officially launched on November 14, 1953. The ship was then renamed MSO-458 in February 1955. Finally, Lucid officially joined the Navy on May 4, 1955.
After some test trips in the Caribbean Sea, Lucid sailed to the Pacific Ocean. She arrived in Long Beach, California, on August 22. For over a year, she practiced mine warfare exercises near the U.S. West Coast. Then, on October 1, 1956, she began her first trip to the western Pacific (called a WestPac cruise). Between 1956 and 1963, Lucid completed four more WestPac cruises. During these trips, she worked with the U.S. 7th Fleet. She also took part in friendly visits to different countries. When she wasn't on WestPac cruises, she practiced finding mines off the southern California coast.
Protecting Ships in Vietnam
In 1964, Lucid continued her training exercises. On April 5, 1965, she left Long Beach for her fifth WestPac cruise. She arrived at U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay in the Philippine Islands in May. From there, she got ready for Operation Market Time off the coast of Vietnam.
From June to October, Lucid patrolled the waters and watched for Vietnamese boats. She stopped and checked 186 boats, including small wooden "junk" ships and larger steel ones. Her work helped reduce the number of enemy soldiers and supplies coming into Vietnam by sea. Lucid returned to Long Beach in December and worked off California until May 1966. Then, she went into a shipyard for major repairs.
More Vietnam Tours
After her repairs, Lucid got ready for another trip to the western Pacific. She left Long Beach on January 6, 1967. Again, Lucid joined the Market Time forces. She performed surveillance and search duties. She also hunted for mines in the harbors of South Vietnam. On October 16, 1967, she left Subic Bay to head home. Lucid arrived back in Long Beach on November 18.
After a short break and some new training, she sailed for WestPac again on April 1. Besides patrolling the Vietnamese coast, Lucid also practiced minesweeping with navies from other countries. She returned to Long Beach in mid-October. The ship then went into a shipyard for more work, which included big changes to her operations and communication systems.
The USS Lucid was officially taken out of service on December 23, 1970. This happened at the U.S. Naval Shipyard in Long Beach, California. The ship was then moved to a repair facility.
Lucid was removed from the Navy's official list of ships on May 15, 1976. She was sold by the Navy on November 1, 1976. A company bought her for $40,250. This company removed valuable metals and equipment from the ship.
Lucid was then turned into a houseboat. Several people lived on board for many years. They moved the boat to different places, including San Francisco and Oakland. This ended in late 1986. The ship was then towed to Bradford Island in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. There, it sat for years. The new owner removed and sold everything valuable from the ship. He used the ship as a storage building. He even cut a hole in the side of the ship to make a door. In 2004, the owner passed away after a property dispute.
In 2005, the owner's family gave the ship to Mike Warren. Mike Warren was a Navy veteran who had served on Lucid in the 1960s. For years, Mike Warren and his "Save an MSO Foundation" had tried to save an Aggressive-class minesweeper to be a museum ship. The government had refused to give them one of the last six ships of this type. They said it was too expensive to maintain wooden ships. Eventually, all six ships were taken apart. Mike Warren and a group of volunteers started the huge job of restoring Lucid. First, they removed tons of junk. Then, they repaired the big hole in her side.
_under_restoration_in_Stockton,_CA_-_May_2020.jpg)
_under_restoration_in_Stockton,_CA_-_June_2022.jpg)
Becoming a Museum Ship
The Stockton Maritime Museum finally took ownership of Lucid. In November 2011, she was moved from Bradford Island to her new home in Stockton, California. She is now at a pier that used to be a Navy Reserve Center.
On March 15, 2012, the USS Lucid had a special dedication ceremony. This event was put on by the Stockton Maritime Museum and the San Joaquin Building Futures Academy. Students from the Academy and volunteers are currently working to restore the ship.
Once Lucid looks like she did when she was in the Navy, she will move to a historic shipbuilding area. This area is near Weber Point in downtown Stockton. Many boats and ships were built there from the 1850s to the 1980s. Lucid will help honor Stockton’s history of building ships. She will also honor the people who worked there and those who served in the Navy.
The goal is to have the ship moved downtown and open to the public by October 2025. This date marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Navy. Visitors will be able to tour the ship and attend special events.
Awards and Recognition
The USS Lucid received several important awards during her time in the Navy.
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These include the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal (with 4 awards), the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross), and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Lucid also won the Battle Efficiency Award twice (between 1957 and 1961). This award goes to the best ship in each class. In 1963, she was nominated for the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award. This award recognizes ships with excellent food services. In 1968, Lucid earned the White "M" for her great minesweeping skills.
