Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Seattle (AOE-3)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Bravo - November NABN
Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Vine Street

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation (4) - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean, 2-Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon, 2-Persian Gulf, 1-unknown)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Armed Forces Service Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Sacramento Class Fast Combat Support Ship:

Laid down, 1 October 1965 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.

Launched, 1 March 1968

Commissioned USS Seattle (AOE-3), 5 April 1969, CAPT. Bruce Keener III USN in command

Decommissioned, 15 March 2005, at Naval Station Norfolk, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 March 2005

Final Disposition, contract awarded for scrapping in September 2005 to ESCO Marine, Inc., Brownsville, TX. transferred to ESCO, 9 February 2006, scrapping completed, 26 January 2007

Specifications:
Displacement 18,884 t.(lt) 49,956 t.(fl)
Length 793'
Beam 107'
Draft 38' (max.)
Speed 26kts

Complement

24 Officers

576 Enlisted

Aircraft

two CH46E Sea Knight helicopters

Armament

NATO Sparrow missiles

two Phalanx CIWS

Propulsion

four boilers

two geared steam turbines

two shafts, 100,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	120k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** Commissioning, 5 April 1969, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. US Navy photo.	Tommy Trampp
	95k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	85k	Left to Right; *USS Arctic* (AOE-8) USS Seattle (AOE-3), USS Supply (AOE-6) and USS Detroit (AOE-4)** moored at Naval Weapons Station Earle, N.J., date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	193k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** under way in the Mediterranean Sea, circa 1970.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	84k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr
	56k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) transferring her stores to USS Detroit AOE-4** in heavy seas while heading toward Hurricane Agnes in June 1972. USS Detroit was heading to the Mediterranean Sea while *Seattle* was heading to her homeport of Norfolk VA. ."We hadn't seen the worst of it, couple of days later we saw for three days, 40'-70' swells, 115 knot winds, cracked hull, loss of a water tight door, ladder, canvas and the ensign was nothing more than six stripes and about 30 stars. Sea water running around inside, couldn't stand up, sit down or sleep. Heck of a ride all inside of the Devils Triangle."	Tom Nutt QM2 USS Seattle
	91k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** underway in the Caribbean Sea, June 1975	©Richard Leonhardt
	100k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** underway in the Caribbean Sea in June 1975	©Richard Leonhardt
	673k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** conducting a VERTREP while underway in the Caribbean Sea, off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in June 1975.	©Richard Leonhardt
	46k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	53k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** underway, date and unknown. US Navy photo	USS Seattle (AOE-3) web site
09590323	222k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
09590324	241k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** underway off the Virginia North Carolina coast, date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
09590325	143k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) alongside the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66)** during an underway replenishment, 13 January 1976. U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-ST-88-04302	Robert Hurst
	242k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** at anchor in the Mediterranean Sea, circa 1976.	Jeff Padell
	61k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** docking at Naval Station Rota, Spain, date unknown.	Photo by Manolo Budiño
	68k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) replenishes USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) on her port side as the guided missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36)** receives fuel and supplies from her starboard side. US Navy photo # 020709-N-6492H-512 by PH1 Jim Hampshire, 9 July 2002.	U.S. Navy
	91k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) under way off the North Carolina coast during an RAS with, USS Hue City (CG-66)** 10 February 2002.	Photo by Lt. Steve Dundas, CHC USNR USS Hue City
	121k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) steams alongside the guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG-66)** during an underway replenishment at sea, 4 April 2002. Both ships are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. US Navy photo # 020404-N-5961C-010 by PHC Spike Call.	Robert Hurst
	37k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) with USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67)*, 14 June 2002 in the Northern Arabian Sea during Operation Enduring Freedom*.	Photo by LT Steve Dundas, CHC USNR
09590326	307k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) receives fuel from the Japanese fleet support ship JS Tokiwa (AOE 423), 11 May 2002. The fuel that Seattle receives from Tokiwa will be used to supply the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) Battle Group** which is operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. US. Navy photo # 020511-N-6492H-651 by PH1 Jim Hampshire	Robert Hurst
	709k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) conducts an underway replenishment with the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and the guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG-69) simultaneously in the Atlantic Ocean, on 11 June 2004. Seattle and Vicksburg** are part of the John F. Kennedy Carrier Strike Group, currently involved in a joint exercise, known as Combined Joint Task Force Exercise. The exercise allows all services and several countries to train the way they fight - in a joint environment.US. Navy photo # 040611-N-4374S-015 by PH2 Michael Sandberg.	Robert Hurst
	127k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	71k	*USS Seattle* (AOE-3)** conducting an underway replenishment, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	43k	Ex-*USS Seattle* (AOE-3) laid up at the US Navy Ship Inactive Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., in June 2005. The bow of the cruiser Ex-USS Des Moines (CA-134)** is in the right foreground of the photo.	Photo by Bob Haner USS Seattle

For more photos and information about USS Seattle, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
USS Seattle AOE-3 Veterans Association

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Keener III, Bruce, USN (USNA 1948-A) :RADM	5 April 1969 - 7 May 1971
02	CAPT. Townsend Jr., Marland Wesley,	7 May 1971 - 22 May 1972
03	CAPT. McCann, Carl Jay, USN	22 May 1972 - 24 May 1973
04	CAPT. Anderson Jr., Raymond Magnus, USN (USNA 1945)	24 May 1973 - 27 June 1975
05	CAPT. Lloyd Jr., Theodore Leighton, USN (USNA 1953)	27 June 1975 - 30 September 1976
06	CAPT. Mauldin Jr., James Howard, USN	30 September 1976 - 21 January 1978
07	CAPT. Snyder, Virgil Chester, USN	22 January 1978 - 15 December 1978
08	CAPT. Belechak, Stephen Clair USN	15 December 1978 - 14 March 1981
09	CAPT. Fitzwilliam, Peter Kaufmann, USN (USNA 1956)	14 March 1981 - 9 August 1982
10	CAPT. Rothrauff, Thomas Benedict, USN	9 August 1982 - 11 August 1984
11	CAPT. Frost, David Eugene, USN (USNA 1963) :VADM	11 August 1984 - 24 June 1986
12	CAPT. Mazach, John J. (Maz), USN :VADM	24 June 1986 - 15 February 1988
13	CAPT. Tolbert, James Kirkland, USN (USNA 1964)	15 February 1988 - 9 February 1990
14	CAPT. Trafton, Wilbur Cobb, USN (USNA 1966)	9 February 1990 - 31 May 1991
15	CAPT. Honour, Craig Gibson, USN (USNA 1968)	31 May 1991 - 22 January 1993
16	CAPT. Hoewing, Gerald Lee, USN :VADM	22 January 1993 - 20 August 1994
17	CAPT. Ross, Jim Allison	20 August 1994 - 5 June 1995
18	CAPT. Rutherford, Lindell Gene (Bo), USN :RADM (Biography)	5 June 1995 - 26 November 1996
19	CAPT. Firks, Steven Franklin, USN (USNA 1974)	26 November 1996 - 11 September 1998
20	CAPT. Elliot Jr., William Edward, USN	11 September 1998 - 9 March 2000
21	CAPT. Barbaree Jr., Robert Donel, USN (USNA 1977)	9 March 2000 - 10 August 2001
22	CAPT. Gigliotti, James Patrick, USN (USNA 1979)	10 August 2001 - 14 February 2003
23	CAPT. Dykhoff, David Craig, USN	14 February 2003 - 8 April 2004
24	CAPT. Hall, Patrick Douglas (Monty), USN :RADM	8 April 2004 - 15 March 2005


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index

Back To The Fast Combat Support Ship (AOE) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 5 February 2023