USS Waccamaw (AO-109) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

USS Waccamaw (AO-109) was a replenishment oiler

Replenishment Oiler

A replenishment oiler or fleet tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds, which can replenish other ships while underway in the high seas. Such ships are used by several countries around the world....

in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. She was named after Waccamaw River

Waccamaw River

The Waccamaw River is a river, approximately 140 miles long, in southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina in the United States. It drains an area of approximately 1110 square miles in the coastal plain along the eastern border between the two states into the Atlantic Ocean...

. The original capacity was 146000 barrels (23,212.1 m³).

Waccamaw was laid down on 28 April 1945 by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...

; launched on 30 March 1946; sponsored by Miss Irene F. Long; and commissioned on 25 June 1946, Capt. Guy W. Stringer in command.

Atlantic Fleet operations

After completing shakedown and training at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, and Guantanamo Bay

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...

, Waccamaw spent her first two years engaged in transporting oil from the Persian Gulf

Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...

to the United States. In September 1948, she was assigned to duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean and, in the spring of 1949, was transferred to the 2nd Fleet for exercises in the Caribbean. A second tour of the Mediterranean followed in the early part of 1950 and a third in 1951, the latter extending to nine months.

After a shipyard overhaul at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1952, Waccamaw participated in the development of the Thompson-Arwood method of fueling destroyers at sea in heavy weather. In 1953, the ship made her first midshipman

Midshipman

A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

cruise, which included a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. During the summer of 1954, Waccamaw was again in the Mediterranean for her fourth tour with the 6th Fleet. This was followed by logistic services in the western Atlantic and Caribbean. On a second midshipman cruise in 1955, she visited Copenhagen, Denmark and Edinburgh, Scotland. In the fall of 1955, the ship entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

The Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...

for overhaul and proceeded to the Caribbean for training the following spring. A third midshipman cruise was made in June and July 1956, the visit this time being to Halifax, Nova Scotia

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

. At the end of July, the ship departed for a fifth assignment to the 6th Fleet. This tour was extended until January 1957 because of the Suez crisis

Suez Crisis

The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...

. During this period, Waccamaw provided logistic support to the ships engaged in the evacuation of Haifa, Israel; and Alexandria, Egypt.

After returning from the Mediterranean, Waccamaw operated in the Caribbean for two months, participated in the International Naval Review at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

, on 12 and 13 June 1957, and then departed on her fourth midshipman cruise which took her to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Aruba

Aruba

Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...

, Dutch West Indies.

During September and October 1957, Waccamaw, as a member of the underway replenishment group, supported the international fleet participating in the NATO fall exercises. These exercises were designed to test the ability of the navies of the Atlantic community to cooperate in mutual defense. In the course of these operations, Waccamaw played a novel role in the rapidly developing character of the Fleet; she was the last oiler to fuel , the last of the battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

s, and the first to fuel the new super carriers, and .

Supporting U.S. landing in Lebanon

In the winter of 1957 and 1958, Waccamaw underwent a much-needed overhaul at Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, followed by training at Guantanamo Bay

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

. During the spring of 1958, she provided logistic support to antisubmarine groups in the western Atlantic. Refitted and retrained, Waccamaw joined the 6th Fleet for a Mediterranean deployment, during which she participated in the operations connected with the 1958 Lebanon crisis. Waccamaw returned to Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...

, her home port, in November 1958.

After a brief rest in December 1958, Waccamaw returned to her assigned mission by fueling Destroyer Flotilla 2 in January 1959 and then proceeded south to the Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...

where she remained until the end of March.

On 20 April 1959, Waccamaw departed for another Mediterranean tour. This seventh tour, however, was shorter than those previous, and she returned to Newport in June. Upon her return, the ship continued her familiar role of logistic support to the antisubmarine forces in the western Atlantic. This continued until November when she began a period of overhaul at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, New York. Due to a labor-management dispute in January 1960, Waccamaw was moved by tugs to the New York Shipyard at Brooklyn, New York, to complete her overhaul in April.

After completing refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, the ship returned to Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

, and embarked 18 midshipmen from several eastern colleges for a cruise in Atlantic waters. After an eight-day tender availability at Newport, Waccamaw departed for an eighth tour with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. During this deployment, Waccamaw was the first naval ship to visit the newly independent country of Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

. On 25 February 1961, she returned to Newport for a leave and upkeep period.

The spring months of 1961 were spent supporting the 2nd Fleet and conducting a sixth midshipman cruise. During August, Waccamaw underwent a much-needed tender availability, and a one-day dependents' cruise was fitted into her busy September schedule. In October, Waccamaw supported the newly created antisubmarine warfare group operating in the eastern Atlantic. She arrived back in the United States just in time for Christmas after an 11800 miles (18,990.2 km) cruise. Waccamaw then commenced preparations for overhaul at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Hoboken, New Jersey

Hoboken, New Jersey

Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...

. Completing overhaul in April 1962, the ship sailed for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay.

In June 1962, Waccamaw again resumed support of the 2nd Fleet; and, in August, she set sail for the Mediterranean on her ninth tour with the 6th Fleet. On the way, Waccamaw participated in Operation "Riptide", working in support of such ships as the nuclear carrier . The ship spent the holiday season at Golfe Juan, France, and gave a Christmas party for some 50 orphans. She returned to her home port, Newport

Newport

Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...

, on 2 March 1963.

Search for the USS Thresher

During the period from March through June, Waccamaw held a dependents' cruise; supported the fruitless search; and conducted two deployments which totaled five weeks with Canadian antisubmarine warfare forces. Late in July, Waccamaw departed Newport for six weeks in the Caribbean supporting Commander, ASW Forces, Atlantic Fleet, embarked in . Waccamaw fueled the carrier and her five escorting destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

s 10 times. Upon her return, she stopped at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

, for a successful operational readiness inspection.

Waccamaw spent most of the fall in Newport, with scattered brief commitments and type training periods underway. Much time was devoted to the administrative inspection for fiscal 1964 which was held in November. At the year's end, preparations were hard underway on board Waccamaw for the most extensive yard period in the ship's 17-year history. She was scheduled to enter the Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

Bridge and Dry-dock Co. in Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

on 29 February 1964.

West Coast operations

On 27 January 1964, Waccamaw got underway for Seattle, Washington

Seattle, Washington

, and arrived on 21 February. During a seven-month yard period, she received the oiler equivalent of "framming", "jumbo conversion."

On 26 February 1965, the ship returned to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...

, Bremerton, Washington

Bremerton, Washington

Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...

. At that time, her status was changed from "in commission, in reserve" to "in commission, active." Following a fitting out and ready-for-sea period, Waccamaw departed the Puget Sound

Puget Sound

area and proceeded to San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, arriving there on 23 April. After stopping at Acapulco

Acapulco

Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, the ship returned to Newport, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

, on 12 May 1965.

Reassigned to homeport of Norfolk

During the period between 14 May and 17 June, Waccamaw engaged in shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay

Guantanamo Bay Naval Base

; then proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

, her new home port, for a period of upkeep and acceptance trials. On 13 July, she sailed for the Boston Naval Shipyard for post-shakedown availability which lasted from 19 July through 9 November. On 14 November, Waccamaw returned to Norfolk and underwent type training and services before serving as a replenishment ship for the primary recovery group assigned to the Gemini

Project Gemini

Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966....

VI and VII space missions. She returned to Norfolk on 19 December and spent the remainder of 1965 in type training and services.

Waccamaw got underway on 10 January 1966 for the Caribbean and Operation "Springboard." During this exercise, she refueled 42 ships and conducted gunnery exercises and other at-sea trials before returning to Craney Island

Craney Island (Virginia)

Craney Island is a point of land in the independent city of Portsmouth in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. The location, formerly in Norfolk County, is near the mouth of the Elizabeth River opposite Lambert's Point on Hampton Roads. It is managed by the U.S...

on 4 February. Upon her return, she operated in the Virginia Capes

Virginia Capes

The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....

area and began making preparations for overseas deployment.

On 4 May 1966, Waccamaw departed Norfolk destined for the Mediterranean. She was the first "jumbo oiler" to operate with the 6th Fleet. During her Mediterranean cruise, she steamed in excess of 20000 miles (32,186.8 km), refueled 256 ships, and pumped more than 32 million USgals (121,133.2 m³) of fuel oil. On 20 October, she returned to the Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...

, then proceeded to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...

to repair the damage sustained in a minor collision with .

The ship took part in Exercise "Lantflex 66" in the Caribbean on 28 November. Waccamaw returned to the Norfolk Navy Station on 15 December and remained until the end of the year for tender availability and holiday leave.

After refueling ships of the 2nd Fleet and lifting fuel at Craney Island

Craney Island (Virginia)

, Waccamaw departed on 27 February 1967 to escort six destroyer

Destroyer

s to the Azores

Azores

The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...

. She returned on 21 March, then got underway again on 10 April for Operation "Clovehitch III" which lasted through the end of the month. On 1 May, the ship returned to Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

for upkeep and tender availability.

On 12 June 1967, Waccamaw departed for a midshipman training cruise to the Caribbean and returned to Norfolk

Norfolk

for upkeep. On 24 July, she took part in NATO Exercise "Lashout;" and, upon her return to Norfolk, she prepared for annual administrative and operational readiness inspections which were completed on 28 August and 12 September, respectively. From 6 to 27 October, the ship had tender availability at the Norfolk Navy Base.

Searching for the lost submarine USS Scorpion

Waccamaw departed on 13 November for her 11th Mediterranean cruise. At the close of 1967, Waccamaw was at Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, Italy, for a holiday liberty and upkeep period. This cruise ended on 23 April 1968 when the ship arrived at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

. On 28 May, she participated in the search for the nuclear submarine . This was followed by exercises in the Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

, and Virginia Capes

Virginia Capes

The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....

operating areas and participation in NATO exercise "Silvertower" with the British and Canadian Navies. During "Silvertower", Waccamaw refueled 69 ships before returning to Norfolk on 15 October. The ship then operated off the Virginia and Florida coasts until 21 November when she underwent tender availability at Craney Island

Craney Island (Virginia)

, Virginia, and returned to Norfolk on 18 December 1968 to finish the year in liberty and upkeep.

Waccamaw began the year 1969 in her home port of Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

, and, on 2 January, arrived at the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, for routine hull maintenance followed by regular overhaul at Home Bros. Shipyard, Newport News, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...

. After conducting exercises in the Virginia Capes

Virginia Capes

The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....

operating area, she completed refresher training in Guantanamo Bay on 20 June. The next month was spent in operations off the Virginia and Florida coasts. On 21 August, the ship moved to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

, Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth, Virginia

Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...

, to make final preparations for deployment.

North Atlantic operations

On 2 September 1969, Waccamaw got underwav for deployment to the North Atlantic. From 17 to 23 September, she participated in NATO Exercise "Operation Peacekeeper". Wacamaw returned to the Naval Station, Norfolk, on 11 December and remained there until the end of 1969 for leave and upkeep.

During January and February 1970, Waccamaw continued a period of tender availability. After a fuel lift at Craney Island

Craney Island (Virginia)

, she departed on 5 March for a Mediterranean deployment. However, problems with her feed pumps forced Waccamaw to return to Norfolk. Repairs completed, she again set sail for the Mediterranean on 17 March and arrived at Rota, Spain

Rota, Spain

-External references:*, official website * On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... ****- External links :...

, 12 days later. On 7 April, Waccamaw was visited by the Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Chief of Naval Operations

The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...

and the Commander, 6th Fleet. On 22 May, Admiral Zumwalt

Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.

Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of Naval Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Vietnam War. A highly-decorated war veteran,...

, Chief of Naval Operations, visited Waccamaw, high-lining on board from .

Supporting Jordan Crisis operations

On June 18, 1970 the and the Waccamaw are in a minor collision in the eastern Mediterranean during refueling operations.

The ship arrived at Rota, Spain

Rota, Spain

-External references:*, official website * On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... ****- External links :...

, on 17 September. However, just four hours before outchop, she was notified that her deployment was to be extended due to the crisis in Jordan. Underway on the 18th, she returned to the Mediterranean. After visiting Athens, Greece, and Souda Bay

Souda Bay

Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri peninsula and Cape Drapano, and runs west to east...

, Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

, Waccamaw again departed for Rota, Spain, and home. Waccamaw arrived at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

, on 31 October and spent the remainder of 1970 in leave and upkeep.

Waccamaw collides with USS Detroit

In 1971 Waccamaw was in restricted availability status in Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

. After sea trials on 10 February and a fuel lift at Craney Island

Craney Island (Virginia)

on 16 February, Waccamaw got underway for operations on 20 February. Three days later, she collided with during an underway replenishment but sustained very little damage. However, she returned to Norfolk for repairs which lasted from 24 February to 9 March.

During the next month, Waccamaw operated in the Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

, operations area. Upon her return to Norfolk, the ship remained in port for repairs until 28 June.

On 28 June 1971, Waccamaw deployed to the North Atlantic to support the antisubmarine warfare group. Steering difficulties forced her to return home early on 29 August. Waccamaw spent the remainder of the year in port undergoing steering repairs and upkeep, except for sea trials on 20 September and services in the Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

capes area from 2 to 24 November 1971.

Waccamaw departed on 3 January 1972 for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay. She returned to Norfolk on 12 February, after having visited Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Port Everglades, Florida. The ship spent the next month in port providing services for a naval reserve surface division. From 17 March through 30 May, Waccamaw conducted operations in the Virginia Capes

Virginia Capes

The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....

area and off the east coast of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

and South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

Circumnavigating the world by sea

On 30 May 1972, Waccamaw set sail from Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

,, for a nine-month deployment to Subic Bay, Philippines. On 21 June, the ship rounded the Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...

and entered the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

. Arriving on 11 July, she anchored in Subic Bay

Subic Bay

Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...

after a 41-dav transit. Five days later, she got underway for her first "line swing" off the embattled coast of Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

. This duty consumed the rest of the year, with the exception of periodic rests and repairs at Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

and Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

.

Waccamaw found herself working again early in the new year. On 4 January 1973, a milestone was reached: Waccamaw refueled , her last of 246 commitments off the coast of Vietnam

Vietnam

. The ship returned to Subic Bay

Subic Bay

, thence to Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

, the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

, and, finally, Norfolk, Virginia. She arrived at her home port on 17 February 1973, after circumnavigating the world.

Return to East Coast assignments

On 9 April, Waccamaw got underway to provide services to NATO forces operating off the coast of Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

. Upon her return to Norfolk, the ship underwent restricted availability from 4 May until 16 July. After extensive repairs, Waccamaw got underway on 8 December 1973 to operate off the coast of Virginia

Virginia

. She returned to Norfolk one week later and spent the last weeks of 1973 in her home port area.

On 8 January 1974, Waccamaw got underway for Mayport, Florida, and operated in the Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

area. On 27 January, she arrived at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, and took part in Operation "Springboard-74", followed by a stop at Guantanamo Bay, arriving on 18 February. Waccamaw departed on the 1st of March for Norfolk, Virginia, where she remained through April. On 3 May, the ship got underway for a Mediterranean cruise. This seven-month deployment took the ship to ports in Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Crete and Turkey.

Decommissioning

On 6 December 1974, Waccamaw returned to Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

, where she prepared for decommissioning. The ship was decommissioned on 24 February 1975. Waccamaw is presently serving in the Military Sealift Command

Military Sealift Command

The Military Sealift Command is a United States Navy organization that controls most of the replenishment and military transport ships of the Navy. It first came into existence on 9 July 1949 when the Military Sea Transportation Service became solely responsible for the Department of Defense's...

, where she is manned by a civilian crew.

On 3 April 1978, the and the Waccamaw received structural damage in a collision north of Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

when the Waccamaw loses steering control during refueling. Both proceeded under their own power to Naples,Italy, for repairs.

On 5 April 1979, the Waccamaw, now T-AO-109 collided with the which was operating with the 6th Fleet, during a refueling operation 50 miles (80.5 km) south of Crete

Crete

, suffering minor damage and no injuries.

On 24 September 1981 the and the Waccamaw collided during underway replenishment south of Sardinia

Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...

, Italy, causing minor damage but no injuries.

Awards

Waccamaw received one award of the Meritorious Unit Commendation

Meritorious Unit Commendation

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

for participation in the Jordan

Jordan

Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

ian crisis of 1970, and a Meritorious Unit Commendation and one battle star for service in Vietnam

Vietnam

Captains

Navy captains commanded:

Guy W. Stringer 1946
William C. Abhau 1958-9?
Thomas H. Henry 1959
John A. Leonard 1959–1960
Richard John DePrez 1965?
Enders P. Huey 1960s

External links

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