Decommissioning and Disposal
Mackinac was decommissioned on 28 December 1967 and placed in storage at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay. On 21 July 1968 the Coast Guard returned her to the Navy, and she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register that day.
The Navy sank Mackinac as a target off the coast of Virginia on 23 July 1968, using her for target practice by United States Naval Academy midshipmen. Mackinac sank in 1,800 fathoms (10,800 feet or 3,300 meters of water) at position 36°22’ North, 73°09’ West. Although under fire from four ships—heavy cruiser USS Newport News (CA-148), guided missile light cruiser USS Springfield (CLG-7), guided missile frigate USS King (DLG-10), and destroyer USS New (DD-818)—and despite King's first Terrier missile scoring a direct hit, Mackinac proved hard to sink, and her hull remained largely intact as she slipped beneath the waves.
Read more about this topic: USCGC Mackinac (WAVP-371)
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