The first USS Chemung (AT-18/YT-124) was launched 1 April 1916 by Norfolk Navy Yard as Pocahontas and commissioned 14 March 1917, Chief Boatswain

Boatswain

A boatswain , bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun is an unlicensed member of the deck department of a merchant ship. The boatswain supervises the other unlicensed members of the ship's deck department, and typically is not a watchstander, except on vessels with small crews...

 B. David in command. She reported to the 5th Naval District.

After minesweeping

Minesweeper (ship)

A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...

 operations off the Virginia and Maryland coasts, Pocahontas was renamed Chemung on 1 September 1917 and on 19 November 1917 was permanently assigned to Train, Atlantic Fleet, 5th Naval District, for operations in the Norfolk area until 27 January 1919 when she departed for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Arriving 3 February, Chemung served in the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 until 9 April.

In March she towed the disabled into Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

; for this humanitarian operation she was commended by the British Ministry at Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

.

Chemung arrived at New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 19 April 1919 for coastwise operations throughout the summer on range and torpedo practice, then gave local services at New York until 10 January 1920 when she sailed to serve at Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

, Key West

Key West

Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....

, Fla., and in the Caribbean.

In April 1920 she heroically rescued the crew of the burning Canadian schooner J. T. Ralston and carried them to San Domingo, for which she was commended by the British legation there.

Chemung served as yard tug at the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 from 14 May 1921 until 25 August 1926 when she sailed to Philadelphia.

Chemung was decommissioned 25 October 1926 and sold 12 February 1937. Her classification had been changed to YT-124, 31 January 1936.