USS Gold Star (AK-12)  USS "Gold Star" (AK-12) was a U.S. Navy cargo ship that saw service before and during World War II. She was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone. "Gold Star" (AK-12) was built in 1920 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Delaware: taken over by the Navy as "Arcturus" from the USSB 8 November [1921]; commissioned as "Arcturus" (AK-12) on 1 February 1922 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Commander. Katterfield, USNRF, in command and five days later renamed "Gold Star" (AK-12) on 6 February. The ship was reclassified AG-12, 12 May 1922. Renamed "Gold Star" sailed from Philadelphia 18 March 1922, arriving Seattle, Washington, 1 July via the Panama Canal Zone and California ports. During the next two years she served as a cargo ship on the United States West Coast, making three voyages with supplies for radio stations in the Territory of Alaska. The ship steamed out of San Francisco, California, 9 October 1924 to assume her duties as station ship at Guam, arriving 3 November 1924. During the 1920s and 1930s "Gold Star" became a familiar sight in the far-flung ports of Asia. Though assigned as flagship of the US Navy at Guam she made frequent voyages to Japan, China, and the Philippines with cargo and passengers. Prior to World War II, much of her crew was made up of Chamorro, natives of Guam with American non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers. "Gold Star" became a Q-ship dealing with communications intelligence as she moved from port to port and while in port in the Orient. As a station ship she was assigned to monitor 1) Internal Japanese Fleet frequencies 2) Frequencies measurements and DF or direction finder azimuths. She had three intercept operators and one chief radioman supervised by an officer. This all started in 1933 during the reconstruction of the Japanese fleet by Tokyo and continued into the summer of 1941. "Gold Star" along with ground stations at Guam, Olongapo and Beijing provided significant intelligence before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, "Gold Star" was coaling at Malangas, Philippine Islands. She sailed for Manila 8 December, but was ordered by Commander, Asiatic Fleet, to proceed to Balikpapan, Borneo.