USS Beaufort (ATS-2) was an Edenton-class salvage and rescue ship acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1972 and maintained in service until struck in 1996.

The salvage tug transited the Panama Canal on 24 April and headed up the U.S. West Coast of North America to San Diego, arriving there on 3 May.

The ship remained in port until 5 June at which time she began shakedown training in the Hawaiian Islands operating area.

August brought final contract trials; and, in September, she resumed salvage training and capability evaluation.

Between 8 and 22 July, she served as a support ship for the minesweepers engaged in Operation End Sweep, the removal of mines from Haiphong harbor in North Vietnam.

From there, the salvage tug went to Naha, Okinawa, to pick up three pontoon barges for towing to Ream, Cambodia.

While in Ream she picked up another tow, a Cambodian Landing Craft, Infantry (LCI), for the voyage back to Subic Bay.

As the storm subsided, the Beaufort hooked its steel cables to the aft section of the Pendleton and attempted to tow her off of the white coral reef; there was no moving the ship.

While the unloading was being completed, the crew of the Beaufort put its Navy divers both Scuba and hardhat into the water to recon the bottom hull of the Pendleton.

During the same time, China sent a message stating it owned the island and to stop all procedures and depart the island; North Vietnam also stated it owned the coral reef and to make haste out of the area or it would send a warship to engage the Navy ships, both dispatches were taken seriously, however, no county was taking another operational naval vessel.

The ship was hit so hard, the mast began to shake violently, and the men on the bridge were on the deck waiting for it to crash.

Beaufort removed all men from the Pendleton and loaded divers into a "Mike Boat" (LCM), landing craft.

Beaufort's hull technicians shored its bulkhead with wood and steel until it could get back to port for major repairs.

There was a 'wood camel', a floating dock between the ships, for which shipyard workers were painting the hull of the starboard side.

The Beaufort crew were securing from normal operation for the day, and as sailors were taking showers in the head (bathroom), the shipyard welders arc and metal slag fell into the fuel laden water.

Then he directed his fire team to put water onto the destroyer three port side torpedo tubes, which had three live torpedoes; the type one would view on a World War II PT Boat, the Fire Scene Leader of the Beaufort was giving orders to a lieutenant, who refused to listen, so the Fire Scene Leader of Repair Party #3, hosed him to get the Officer away from the torpedoes, as flames were reaching the weapons.

On the latter day, Beaufort took two tank landing ships in tow and began the voyage back to Pearl Harbor.

That employment lasted until 16 August when she stood out of Pearl Harbor in company with USNS Silas Bent (T-AGS-26) bound for Alaskan waters.

Type training, diving drills, and local tows kept her busy until 30 June when she entered the Dillingham Shipyard for a pre-deployment restricted availability.

Between 24 November and 4 December, Beaufort salvaged some amphibious equipment that had been blown to sea by a storm near Numazu, Japan.

After visits to Keelung and Tsoying, Taiwan, she conducted five days of salvage training with the Taiwanese Navy before heading back to Subic Bay on the 17th.

The salvage tug brought her charge into Apra Harbor on 22 February and, two days later, got underway with USS Tuscumbia in tow and headed for Midway Island.

She underwent a restricted availability for the installation of firefighting equipment and new navigational lights during the latter part of April and most of May.

She stopped at Chinhae from the 21st to the 23d, then headed for Numazu, Japan, where she conducted salvage operations between 26 January and 9 February.

That mission continued until 23 April when the ship entered Apra Harbor, Guam, for a two-day port call.

On 1 April, the salvage tug began preparations for overseas movement and, on the 24th, departed Pearl Harbor for the western Pacific.

For the next four months, she performed the usual U.S. 7th Fleet duty visiting a number of ports, towing ships, and conducting salvage training.

Beaufort arrived in Pearl Harbor on 10 October and, after post-deployment standdown, resumed local operations on 13 November.

On 26 November, the salvage tug arrived in Subic Bay but remained only until the 30th when she embarked upon a voyage which took her to Thailand and Singapore.

Beaufort reentered Pearl Harbor on 28 April and remained there until 8 June when she resumed operations in the Hawaiian Islands.