Coordinates N26 33.075’ , W82 43.481’
The USCGC Mohawk WPG-78, launched in 1934, retired to its final resting place in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday July 2, 2012.
The ship, which had been docked in Fort Myers Beach for preparation, was towed some 30 miles off of Sanibel Island before being scuttled in 90 feet of water by six strategically placed charges meant to allow it to rest upright.
The 165-foot vessel played a part in World War II combat operations, serving U.S. Naval forces in the North Atlantic; during the war the ship was named the USS Mohawk CGC.
In order to ensure no negative environmental impacts from its aging equipment, experts cleaned and prepared the ship prior to sending it on its last voyage. The USS Mohawk CGC Veterans Memorial Reef is the first military ship artificial reef to be a dedicated memorial to all U.S. veterans.
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