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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Wichita (AOR-1)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Papa - Victor
NHPV

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (5)
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Persian Gulf)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (4) - Humanitarian Service Medal (Boat People) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Wichita Class Replenishment Oiler:

Laid down, 16 June 1966, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA.

Launched, 16 March 1968

Commissioned USS Wichita (AOR-1), 7 June 1969

During the Vietnam War USS Wichita (AOR-1) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VII 21 to 29-July 1970 7 to 15 August 1970 4 to 17 September 1970 11 to 24 October 1970 3 to 18 November 1970 29 November to 17 December 1970 4 to 8 January 1971	Consolidation II 10 to 13 January 1972 3 to 6 February 1972 12 to 23 February 1972 7 to 10 March 1972
Consolidation I 30 August to 16 September 1971 26 September to 28 October 1971 4 to 23 November 1971 30 November 1971	Vietnam Ceasefire 11 August to 1 September 1972 7 to 23 September 1972 2 to 24 October 1972 6 to 19 November 1972 10 to 22 December 1972 29 December 1972 to 26 January 1973 1 to 3 February 1973

Decommissioned, 12 March 1993

USS Wichita earned four campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Towed to Bremerton Naval Shipyard, 13 March, 1993 for stripping

Departed, 4 April 1993, Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet

Laid up, 7 April 1993, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., Row G, Berth 7

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 February 1995

Title transfer to MARAD, 18 December 1998

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 4 February 2013, to International Shipbreaking LTD. (ESCO), Brownsville, TX. (MA-14306)

Removed to BAE Pier 70 San Francisco for cleaning, 8 February 2013

Departed BAE, 16 March 2013 under tow by M/V Roughneck, arrived Brownsville, 28 April 2013

Specifications:
Displacement 14,048 t.(lt) 39,790 t.(fl)
Length 659'
Beam 96'
Draft 37' (max.)
Speed 20 kts.

Complement

Officers 34

Enlisted 463

Armament

two Phalanx Close-In-Weapons System (CIWS)

Sparrow Missile System (NSSMS)

Aircraft two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters

Propulsion

two steam turbines

three boilers

twin propellers, 32,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	296k	The ship's sponsor Mrs. Henry B. Yaeger christens Wichita (AOR-1) as she is launched at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA., 16 March 1968	Dale Hargrave
	421k	Wichita (AOR-1) launching at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA., 16 March 1968.	Dale Hargrave
	97k	Wichita (AOR-1) launching at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA., 16 March 1968. US Navy photos.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. and Robert Hurst
	101k		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. and Robert Hurst
	379k	Wichita (AOR-1) launching at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA., 16 March 1968.	Dale Hargrave
	85k	Wichita (AOR-1) under way during builders trials circa 1969. Photo courtesy General Dynamics, Quincy Division.	Robert Hurst
	138k	Wichita (AOR-1) tests her wash down system while under way during builders trials in 1969. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1969.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	280k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** at anchor near Mare Island Naval Shipyard, circa 1969. Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum file # AOR 1 10857-1969	Darryl Baker
	98k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) steams in company with USS Kilauea (AE-26)** in 1970. Photo courtesy General Dynamics (Quincy).	Robert Hurst
	70k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) and USS Kilauea (AE-26)** exchange provisions during a training exercise, date and place unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1970.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
09210136	137k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) refuels USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887) off the coast of Vietnam. Photo taken from the HMAS Brisbane (D-41)** by Bob Westthorp RAN 1964-1988.	Bob Canchola
	101k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) refueling USS Saratoga (CV-60) and one of the carrier's escorts while in the Gulf of Tonkin, off the coast of Vietnam in 1972. When the Saratoga finished fueling, the lines were let loose and the Saratoga rooster call came over the PA system. The Wichita** replied with Glenn Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" as she disappeared from view. A class act response.	Photo and comments by John C. Driskill PH3 USS Saratoga
09210140	315k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) conducting an underway replenishment with USS Oriskany (CV-34) during Oriskany*'s 1972-73 WestPac deployment. Photos by Ron Camp USS Oriskany*	Bob Canchola
09210141	312k
09210142	278k
	86k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	86k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	50k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	81k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	58k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	44k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) replenishing USS Horne (CG-30)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	62k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** standing out of San Diego Bay, 1977.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	62k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** standing out of Long Beach, CA. 1977	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	59k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) moored starboard side to, at NAS North Island**, circa 1979. US Navy photo
	72k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** departing NAS Alameda, CA., 12 February 1982.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	115k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1) during an underway replenishment evolution with USS Sterett (CG-31)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1984.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	70k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1984.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
09210143	257k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** underway in San Francisco Bay outbound to sea from NAS Alameda, date unknown. ©George Barber.	Nicholas Tiberio
	83k	Aerial view of *USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from DANFS.	Robert Hurst
	57k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.	Stan Svec
09210144	188k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** underway in San Francisco Bay, date unknown. ©George Barber.	Nicholas Tiberio
	73k	*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
09210137	118k	Port bow view and overheard views *USS Wichita* (AOR-1) replenishing USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964)** off San Diego, 1 October 1993. US Navy photos by PHC Bill Wallace	Chin Yu Chu
09210138	85k
09210139	106k
MARAD Suisun Bay Group Reserve Fleet
	171k	Ex-*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** laid up in reserve in the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA. US Maritime Administration photos	Ron Reeves
	242k		Ron Reeves
	51k	Interior views of Ex-*USS Wichita* (AOR-1)** while laid up in reserve at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., 16 February 2010	Photos by Michael McDermott
	41k
	66k

Additional Ships Patches
Contributed by Bill Jerome	Contributed by Kevin Dorning

For more photos and information about USS Wichita, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
USS Wichita (AOR-1)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Deibler, Robert Russell	7 June 1969 - 22 September 1970
02	CAPT. Stevens, Jack Marion, USN (USNA 1947)	22 September 1970 - 2 December 1971
03	CAPT. McCracken, William Herman	2 December 1971 - 17 August 1973
04	CAPT. Varley, James Francis	17 August 1973 - 27 May 1975
05	CAPT. Sheets, Roger E. (Rog)	27 May 1975 - 11 September 1976
06	CAPT. MacKenzie, James A.	11 September 1976 - 28 March 1978
07	CAPT. Pederson, Dana A.	28 March 1978 - 21 December 1979
08	CAPT. Less, Anthony Albert (Tony) :VADM	21 December 1979 - 10 July 1981
09	CAPT. Terry, Bert Dixon	10 July 1981 - 7 January 1983
10	CAPT. Unruh, Jerry Lee :VADM	7 January 1983 - 22 June 1984
11	CAPT. Sprouse, Haywood Galbraith (Woodie)	22 June 1984 - 10 December 1985
12	CAPT. Dantone Jr., Joseph John (Quail), CAPT :RADM	10 December 1985 - 12 March 1987
13	CAPT. Slater, Thomas Stafford :RADM	12 March 1987 - 16 December 1988
14	CAPT. McGinn, Dennis Vincent, USN (USNA 1967) :VADM	16 December 1988 - 28 June 1990
15	CAPT. Romanski, Paul A.	28 June 1990 - 24 January 1992
16	CAPT. Crandall Jr., Charles K.	24 January 1992 - 12 March 1993


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 12 August 2022