High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The USCG medium endurance cutter Storis (WMEC-38) was the oldest vessel in commission with the United States Coast Guard fleet at 64 years and 5 months. She was the first American vessel to circumnavigate North America. The keel of STORIS was laid down on July 14, 1941. STORIS was launched on April 4, 1942 and commissioned on September 30, 1942 as an ice patrol tender. Initially assigned to the North Atlantic during World War II, STORIS participated in the Greenland Patrols. She was tasked with patrolling the east coast of Greenland to prevent the establishment of German weather stations.