ABANDONED & RUSTING AWAY NAVAL SHIPS

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel, my father served as one of only two engineering officers aboard USS LST-78 during WWII. There were only two because LST-78 was commissioned on 8JUL43 and decommissioned on 8MAR46. It wasn't even in commissioned service for three full years! When the ship returned from the Pacific to San Francisco in January, 1946, he assisted in the decommissioning of this vessel.
About March of 1946, he was sent to NAS Green Cove Springs (FL), where he assisted in the decommissioning of the USS Stern (DE 187).
At the end of the war, the USN just had too many ships and they couldn't get rid of them fast enough! Even without war, the US still has these mothball fleets everywhere it seems.
Here's a photo of the mothball fleet at Green Cove Springs in 1947, still there after my father departed and separated from the service.

Does seem a shame but what do you do once they have served their purpose

I wonder how many of these ships that are still afloat that have oil and other liquids in them that could potentially harm the environment.