The USS Inaugural (AM-242) was an Admirable-class fleet minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Commissioned in late 1944, the 180-foot vessel was designed to clear safe passages through deadly minefields ahead of major naval operations. Inaugural was deployed to the Pacific theater, where she actively participated in the Battle of Okinawa. Operating under constant threat from Japanese kamikaze attacks, her crew successfully cleared dozens of mines and escorted vital supply convoys. For her meritorious wartime service, which included post-war mine clearance operations around Japan and Korea, the vessel was awarded two battle stars before being decommissioned in 1946.
In 1968, the historic minesweeper found a second life when she was brought to St. Louis, Missouri, to serve as a floating museum on the Mississippi River. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986 as one of the few remaining examples of her class. However, tragedy struck on August 1, 1993, when the historic Great Flood of 1993 caused Inaugural to break free from her moorings. The rushing river dragged the ship downstream, crashing her into a bridge before she ran aground and rolled onto her side. Partially submerged and heavily damaged, the vessel was deemed a total loss and ultimately stripped of her landmark status in 2001. Her rusted hull remained a prominent, bittersweet riverfront fixture for nearly three decades until it was finally cut up and cleared away.
