The Life And Times Of The USS Manatee And Its Always Ready And Sometimes Willing Crew. It came through World War II, the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, a fire, one of the biggest hurricanes on record, an oil spill, a collision, a run-in with a sitting president, a brush with the King, Elvis Presley, a stow-a-way chicken from Knots Berry Farm, a colossal-sized band-aide on its stern and a hydrogen bomb. Some believe the ship was the target that would have started the Vietnam War if two U.S. destroyers hadn't gotten in the way. It even had Hollywood calling. But wait... there's more.