USS Towhee (AM-388) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. Towhee was named after the Towhee, a North American bird of the sparrow family. Towhee was laid down on 21 March 1944 at Cleveland, Ohio, by the American Ship Building Company; launched on 6 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. C. E. Connors; and commissioned on 18 May 1945.