USS Xenia (AKA-51), an , was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1912) on 4 May 1945 at Providence, R.I., by the Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.

Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.

Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc. was a shipyard in both Cranston and Providence, Rhode Island. It was built during World War II and financed by the Maritime Commission as part of the country's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. It was originally operated by Rheem Manufacturing, a company with no previous...

; launched on 27 June 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Roger W. Armstrong; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 28 July 1945, Lt. Comdr. G. B. Service, USNR, in command. She served as a commissioned ship for 9 months.

Service history

Following shakedown, Xenia operated off the east coast with Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, from September 1945 until 17 April 1946, when she reported to the Commandant, 3rd Naval District, New York, N.Y., for disposal.

Decommissioned on 13 May 1946, Xenia was struck from the Navy list on 30 November 1946 and subsequently transferred to the government of Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

. Renamed Presidente Errazuriz (named after Federico Errázuriz Echaurren

Federico Errázuriz Echaurren

Federico Errázuriz Echaurren was a Chilean political figure. Born in Santiago, he served as President of Chile between 1896 and his death in 1901. Federico Errázuriz was of Basque descent.-Early life:...

), she served the Chilean Navy

Chilean Navy

-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...

, for a time serving as fleet flagship, until 1962.

Name background

The name, Xenia

Xenia

-Things:* Xenia , the ancient Greek concept of hospitality* Xenia motif, the representation of a host's generosity to his guests* Xenia epigram, an epigram accompanying a present or gift* Xenia , a genus of coral...

, may be in reference to the asteroid number 625

625 Xenia

625 Xenia is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. It was discovered in 1907 by August Kopff.-External links:* -References:...

, which was discovered by August Kopff

August Kopff

August Kopff was a German astronomer who discovered several comets and asteroids. He worked in Heidelberg, then joined the Humboldt University of Berlin where he became the Director of the Institute for Astronomical Calculation.He discovered some comets, including periodic comet 22P/Kopff and the...

 in Heidelberg, Germany, on 11 February 1907.

The word Xenia in Greek

Xenia (Greek)

Xenia is the Greek concept of hospitality, or generosity and courtesy shown to those who are far from home. It is often translated as "guest-friendship" because the rituals of hospitality created and expressed a reciprocal relationship between guest and host.The Greek god Zeus sometimes referred...

 is a term for hospitality or present. Shortly after the ship was commissioned, the town of Xenia, Ohio

Xenia, Ohio

Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...

demonstrated how well it deserved the name which it shares with the planet and the warship by offering to adopt the attack cargo ship.

External links

• NavSource Online: AKA-51 Xenia
• 51 Years of AKAs