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the 7th Fleet and routine duties along the west coast of the United States. After six months on the west coast, the ship embarked on her fourth tour of duty with the 7th Fleet, her first under peacetime conditions. She provided routine support for the 7th Fleet ships and a fast carrier task force operating in the Indian Ocean. Wichita returned to Long Beach on 26 March 1974, and following post-deployment standdown and a brief period of west coast operations, she entered the Long Beach Naval
Shipyard on 28 June for her first regular overhaul, remaining in the shipyard until the following January.
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because of that damage, the
Wichita spent 3 weeks in Subic Bay for repairs and was detached from the Ranger Battlegroup which continued on into the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. Shortly after the repairs at Subic Bay, the Wichita became the lead support ship in the search for the KAL-007 Korean airliner that was shot down and spent 45 days at sea, searching off the coast of northern Japan.
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which had the highest number of ships assembled together since the end of World War II. PacEx had five complete battle groups and a flotilla of
Japanese ships aligned in six columns. Ports of call include Hong Kong in October, Philippines (Subic Bay) in November, Pattaya Beach, Thailand and Singapore
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78, the ship visited Pearl Harbor on 5 and 6 April 1978 to take on stores and to give her crew a brief liberty. She returned to Pearl Harbor later in the month at the conclusion of her RIMPAC duties. Such activities as these occupied her time until 2 November when she entered the Triple A Shipyard at
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The end of that deployment coincided with the conclusion of
American involvement in the Vietnam War. While this ceased Wichita's support of combat operations, it did not disrupt her pattern of deployments to the western Pacific. She settled into a routine alternating between peacetime operations with
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spent the entire year of 1976 engaged in normal operations out of San
Francisco. She participated in type training and in several operational readiness exercises. By the end of the year, she was preparing for her sixth deployment to the western Pacific. That deployment began on 12 April 1977 after a
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While en route to
Central America, the Wichita met the Ranger off the coast of San Diego. During "UNREP" the next day, the Ranger collided with the Wichita causing extensive damage to two sets of the Wichitas kingposts, winch control booths and the aft superstructure. Later in the deployment,
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finally arrived in her new home port on 4 April. After a month of preparations, the ship departed San
Francisco on 6 May, bound for a seven-month deployment to the western Pacific. She arrived in Subic Bay on 24 May and began a tour of duty with the 7th Fleet characterized by a full schedule of
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made six replenishment voyages to the waters surrounding
Vietnam. She also made frequent stops at Subic Bay to load supplies and conduct repairs as well as liberty calls at Hong Kong and at Sattahip, Thailand. She concluded that deployment when she arrived back in Long Beach on 16 March 1973.
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spent the next six months engaged in operations out of her home port. These included refresher training, underway replenishments, and port visits to other
American and Canadian ports. She also participated as a support ship in the tests conducted on the new
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resumed normal west coast operations. These included the usual type training and operational readiness exercises as well as port visits to
American and Canadian ports. She also helped to train naval reservists. While participating in the initial phases of
632:, operating from the Japanese ports of Sasebo and Yokosuka. Those duties in support of the 7th Fleet continued until 6 November when she departed Yokosuka to return to the United States. She concluded the deployment at Alameda, California, on 21 November.
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On 24 January 1975, her home port was changed from Long Beach to San Francisco. Four days later, she completed overhaul and got underway for the first time since early in the previous summer. Following trials out of Long Beach, a voyage to
570:, however, after a very brief tour on station off Vietnam went to Subic Bay for a much-needed upkeep. She made one more line swing to Yankee Station in February and then headed back to Long Beach, where she arrived on 31 March.
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period of refresher training. After a somewhat extended voyage, she arrived in Subic Bay on 4 May. During this deployment, the ship initially operated from Subic Bay; but, after 26 July, she limited her activities to the
550:. On 7 August, she departed Long Beach for her second tour of duty with the 7th Fleet. She arrived in Subic Bay on the 24th and embarked upon her first line swing on the 31st. After two periods on station off Vietnam,
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for their actions. The transit from the Indian Ocean to Alameda was on one shaft so this took almost 30 days. Also on the transit to Alameda, a mural was painted on the aft elevator by one of the Mess Specialists.
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in addition to Subic Bay. Her assignment lasted until 26 November at which time she departed Subic Bay to return home. She made a stop at Pearl Harbor early in December and reentered San Francisco on the 15th.
688:. Three crewmen were lost at sea in the Gulf of Oman on 16 July 1980. They were LTJG Paul Cappellino, AT3 Philip Zahlout and AMS3 Robert Malvica. The Shellback initiation was cancelled to a later date. The
489:, her home port, on 19 July. For the next four months, she remained at Long Beach undergoing post construction availability. In December, she got underway to conduct standardization trials, followed by
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The ports of call in the '83 deployment included, Naval Station Panama Canal, Pearl Harbor, Guam, Subic Bay, Singapore, Chin Hae Korea, Pattaya Beach Thailand, Hong Kong, Yokosuka and Nagasaki Japan.
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on Friday 15 July 1983 and were headed for the western Pacific when they were rerouted and ordered to steam for Central America to conduct training and flight operations in areas off the coasts of
804:, Thailand, and another visit to Subic Bay in February and a final port of call to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in March to clear customs and to pick up dependents for a tiger cruise back to the
493:
training. In February 1970, the ship began a two-month post-shakedown availability at Long Beach. In April, she began normal operations out of Long Beach, which included type training and
851:
hosted a complement of US Coast Guard personnel for drug-smuggling operations. In addition, the ship was in the yards during the end of 1990 and received two CIWS turrets.
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For the trip to Alameda, one of the shafts spun a stern tube bearing and the shaft had to be locked down. The last port call was to Pattaya Beach and while transiting the
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Completing the complex overhaul, the ship returned to its homeport of Alamedae from Hunters Point Shipyard. During the period of May 1979 to March 1980, the USS
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being robbed by Thai pirates. The crew rescued the refugees and took them to Pattaya Beach where they were taken to a Refugee Camp. The crew received the
497:
training which kept the ship busy until 22 June, when she began her first deployment to the western Pacific. She changed operational control to Commander,
581:
On 17 July, she again pointed her bow westward and set a course for the Far East. On 4 August, the ship arrived in Subic Bay. During the next six months,
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remained in the United States only long enough to allow for the usual month of post-deployment leave and upkeep and to conduct some major repairs at
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on 11 July. After adjusting her load at Subic, she got underway for her first line period in support of the combat ships operating off the coast of
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558:, Thailand, late in October. Two more line periods followed in November and early December. On 10 December, however, she received orders to join
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566:. She remained in the Indian Ocean until early January 1972 at which time all ships returned to the operating area off the coast of Vietnam.
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The final Westpac tour of duty commenced in September 1989. Notable item which occurred during this WestPac includes participation of
684:, Thailand. While operating in the Indian Ocean, the ship lost a detached CH-46 helicopter, Sideflare 70, from Detachment 5 from
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Hunters Point, California, to begin a nine-month overhaul. As of the summer of 1979, she was completing that overhaul.
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and San Diego. In 1980, the ship completed a WestPac that included ports of calls in Hawaii, Subic Bay, Philippines,
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888:, California. During 2013 she was recycled at EMR's International Shipbreaking Ltd. in Brownsville, TX, USA.
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was part of the Enterprise's battle group until after the port of call in Muscat, Oman. After that, the
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521:. The ship concluded her first deployment when she arrived back in Long Beach on 2 February 1971.
452:; launched on 16 March 1968; sponsored by Mrs. Howard B. Yeager; and commissioned on 7 June 1969.
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1011:", 52 photos, 8 measured drawings, 13 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
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Gray Steel and Black Oil: Fast Tankers and Replenishment at Sea in the U.S. Navy, 1912-1995
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843:, the ship completed some short-term deployments to Victoria, British Columbia, Mazatlan,
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During the period between the final WestPac deployment to the decommissioning of the
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for setting a record of replenishing the most ships in a 24-hour period (23 ships).
517:. She terminated each at Subic Bay and varied her routine with two liberty calls at
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completed refresher training and sea trials after the yard period. The ship won a
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as part of major military exercises planned for that summer. Besides the carrier
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3 Ă— boilers, steam turbines, 2 Ă— shafts, 32,000 shp (23,862 kW)
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along with seven other vessels in the Carrier Ranger Battle Group left
603:(Cinco de Mayo) (5 May 1975), and refresher training out of San Diego,
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underway replenishments and port visits to such places as Hong Kong,
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made five separate line swings to replenish the ships operating on
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was awarded to the crew during the 109 days in the Indian Ocean.
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Ports of call were to Vancouver, BC for their Seafarer Festival,
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Wichita, Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, Benicia, Solano County, CA
832:
proceeded to the East Coast of the US to Norfolk, Virginia.
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on 17 June sailed for the west coast. Following stops at
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became the lead ship of the remainder of that WestPac.
433:. She was the second ship to be named for the city of
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509:. During her first deployment to the western Pacific,
1163:Historic American Engineering Record in California
1148:Vietnam War auxiliary ships of the United States
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808:in Oakland, California. During the cruise, the
737:, the battle group was composed of the cruiser
1143:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States
1117:List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy
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450:General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division
167:General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division
985:. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press
876:on 15 February 1995. She was transferred to
957:Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
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978:
936:USS Wichita AOR-1, 1980 cruise book, pg-1
927:USS Wichita AOR-1, 1980 cruise book, pg-1
444:(AOR-1) was laid down on 16 June 1966 at
78:Learn how and when to remove this message
951:This article incorporates text from the
523:
41:This article includes a list of general
19:For other ships with the same name, see
880:on 18 December 1998 and laid up in the
872:on 12 March 1993 and stricken from the
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796:in January, a working port of call in
699:, the ship encountered a boat full of
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878:United States Maritime Administration
635:Following post-deployment standdown,
259:40,100 long tons (40,743 t) full
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1153:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts
1005:Historic American Engineering Record
27:
501:on Independence Day and arrived in
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1138:Wichita-class replenishment oilers
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47:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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481:, Cuba, and after transiting the
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909:Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
538:, before addition of the hangar.
403:Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
121:
100:
32:
743:, the guided missile destroyer
16:Oiler of the United States Navy
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882:National Defense Reserve Fleet
686:Naval Air Station North Island
1:
960:. The entry can be found
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576:Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
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7:
1049:-class replenishment oilers
979:Wildenberg, Thomas (1996).
359:United States Seventh Fleet
303:(37 km/h; 23 mph)
10:
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975:at NavSource Naval History
800:in February (five times),
705:Humanitarian Service Medal
398:Humanitarian Service Medal
18:
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1007:(HAER) No. CA-356, "
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465:After fitting out in the
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311:22 officers, 398 enlisted
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690:Navy Expeditionary Medal
393:Navy Expeditionary Medal
267:659 ft (201 m)
235:General characteristics
62:more precise citations.
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487:Long Beach, California
283:35 ft (11 m)
275:96 ft (29 m)
903:for Vietnam service.
874:Naval Vessel Register
771:and the support ship
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475:San Juan, Puerto Rico
467:Boston Naval Shipyard
446:Quincy, Massachusetts
711:On 20 July 1983 the
431:replenishment oilers
230:Sold for scrap, 2013
806:Naval Supply Center
701:Vietnamese refugees
250:replenishment oiler
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715:reported that the
564:Indo-Pakistani War
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697:Gulf of Thailand
654:Battle "E" award
601:Acapulco, Mexico
388:Battle "E" award
343:CH-46 Sea Knight
338:Aircraft carried
331:missile launcher
208:15 February 1995
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456:Service history
435:Wichita, Kansas
149:Wichita, Kansas
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987:. Retrieved
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899:earned four
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327:1 Ă— Mark 29
321:2 Ă— Phalanx
256:Displacement
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189:Commissioned
176:16 June 1966
138:
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92:
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1075:Kansas City
907:earned the
440:The second
369:Vietnam War
365:Operations:
345:helicopters
329:Sea Sparrow
192:7 June 1969
158:2 June 1965
68:August 2011
60:introducing
21:USS Wichita
1158:1968 ships
1132:Categories
915:References
886:Suisun Bay
829:Long Beach
824:Enterprise
815:Enterprise
308:Complement
288:Propulsion
217:IMO number
43:references
1096:Kalamazoo
1068:Milwaukee
802:Ko Phuket
725:Nicaragua
721:San Diego
676:, Misera
670:Singapore
535:Lexington
533:USS
519:Hong Kong
503:Subic Bay
499:7th Fleet
491:shakedown
448:, by the
421:lead ship
384:(Vietnam)
173:Laid down
1082:Savannah
989:28 April
826:and the
789:PACEX 89
752:Fletcher
729:Honduras
666:Mazatlán
628:and the
614:Yokosuka
556:Sattahip
554:visited
419:was the
355:Part of:
316:Armament
205:Stricken
181:Launched
145:Namesake
95:(AOR-1)
1103:Roanoke
1061:Wichita
1047:Wichita
973:Wichita
905:Wichita
897:Wichita
866:Wichita
849:Wichita
841:Wichita
834:Wichita
820:Wichita
810:Wichita
769:Wichita
717:Wichita
650:Wichita
637:Wichita
621:Wichita
605:Wichita
583:Wichita
572:Wichita
568:Wichita
552:Wichita
543:Wichita
529:Wichita
511:Wichita
507:Vietnam
471:Wichita
442:Wichita
426:Wichita
423:of the
417:(AOR-1)
415:Wichita
375:Awards:
245:Wichita
221:8644230
219::
163:Builder
155:Awarded
139:Wichita
115:History
107:Wichita
93:Wichita
56:improve
1089:Wabash
949:
892:Awards
774:Camden
734:Ranger
642:RIMPAC
612:, and
610:Sasebo
477:, and
428:-class
264:Length
247:-class
45:, but
740:Horne
531:with
301:knots
296:Speed
280:Draft
991:2009
962:here
868:was
758:Fife
755:and
680:and
678:Oman
413:USS
341:2 Ă—
323:CIWS
272:Beam
227:Fate
137:USS
134:Name
91:USS
971:of
884:at
299:20
1134::
777:.
672:,
656:.
578:.
469:,
437:.
380:4
1038:e
1031:t
1024:v
993:.
964:.
81:)
75:(
70:)
66:(
52:.
23:.
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