Missouri Naval Militia
In 1906, the Missouri Naval Militia received USS Huntress, a former private yacht which had been purchased by the federal government to serve in the Spanish–American War.[5] In 1912, the naval militia was deployed by Governor Herbert S. Hadley to assist in rescue operations in Caruthersville following flooding on the Mississippi River.[6] In 1915, the Missouri Naval Militia participated in a summer drill, serving aboard USS Kentucky, during which time they practiced firing 5-inch (127 mm) guns.[3] On April 6, 1917, following the declaration of war against Germany by the United States, the Missouri Naval Militia was mobilized in St. Louis.[3] The naval militia began shifting its planning towards modernization in 1937 when it petitioned the Appropriations Committee of the Missouri State Senate for the funds to purchase heavy duty boats which could be used in flood rescue work.