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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patch at right contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Suribachi (AE-21)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Xray - Uniform
NZXU
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Big Leaf (V)ictor - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy "E" Ribbon (2)
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (5-Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Grenada, Libya)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Suribachi Class Ammunition Ship:

Laid down, 31 January 1955, at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Inc, Sparrows Point, Baltimore, MD.

Launched, 2 November 1955

Commissioned, USS Suribachi (AE-21), 17 November 1956, CAPT. Brooks J. Harral USN in command

During the Vietnam War USS Suribachi participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaign
Vietnam Ceasefire 12 to 15 June 1972 14 July 1972 24 July to 4 August 1972 10 to 22 and 28 to 31 August 1972 24 to 30 September 1972 13 to 25 October 1972 31 October to 10 November 1972 7 to 21 December 1972 2 to 12 and 16 to 20 January 1973 26 January to 8 February 1973

Decommissioned, 2 December 1994

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet

Struck from the Naval Register, 12 December 1996

USS Suribachi earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service

Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 31 March 2000 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 8 June 2009, to International Shipbreaking Ltd. of Brownsville, TX., for $20,001.00, removed, 17 June 2009.

Specifications:
Displacement 9,758 t.(lt) 15,688 t.(fl)
Length 512'
Beam 72'
Draft 28'
Speed 20 kts.
Complement 20 officers, 324 enlisted
Armament four twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
Propulsions two boilers, steam turbines, single shaft, 16,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	210k	*Namesake* Mount Suribachi is a 554 ft high mountain at the southwest end of the island Iwo Jima in the northwest Pacific Ocean, under the administration of Ogasawara Subprefecture, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The mountain's name derives from its shape, resembling a suribachi or "grinding bowl." It is also known as "Mount Pipe" since the sulfur gas and water vapor that rolls in from the summit, alongside the rest of the island, give the appearance of a smoking pipe when viewed from the sea. US Navy photo # 010928-N-0271-N009 by PHAN Lee McCaskill, 28 Sep 2001	Tommy Trampp
	178k	Suribachi (AE-21) prior to launching, 2 November 1955, at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Inc, Sparrows Point, Baltimore, MD. US National Archives	Dale Hargrave
	128k	Christening of Suribachi (AE-21) by the ship's sponsor, Mrs. Lemuel C. Shepherd, 2 November 1955, at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Inc, Sparrows Point, Baltimore, MD. US National Archives	Dale Hargrave
	139k	launching of Suribachi (AE-21) at Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Inc, Sparrows Point, Baltimore, MD. US National Archives	Dale Hargrave
	154k
	127k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, circa 1957, location unknown. US Navy photo # NH 97245, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval History and Heritage Command
NS0259ena	1.54M	*USS Suribachi* (AD-21)** inbound from sea passing anchored USS Forrestal (CVA-59) with Carrier Air Group (CVG) 8. Probably somewhere in WestLant, late 1959.>	Donald Tenney, USS Randolph (CVA-15) via Bob Canchola, USS Oriskany (CVA-34)
	257k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way in the Atlantic Ocean in 1960. US Navy photo.	Mike Smolinski
	160k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way in the Atlantic Ocean, date unknown. US Navy photo.	Mike Smolinski
	76k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way off Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 18 February 1971	© Richard Leonhardt
	137k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, 9 July 1962. Photo by PH2 Tate USN US Navy photo # NH 97246 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	53k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photos.	Robert Hurst
	103k		Robert Hurst
	200k	Post card image of *USS Paiute* (ATF-159), USS Suribachi (AE-21) and USS English (DD-696)** moored at Naval Station Mayport, Fl., circa 1956 to 1970.	Mike Brock
	223k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** at anchor Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 18 February 1971.	©Richard Leonhardt
	91k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, circa, mid-1980s, location unknown. US Navy photo # NH 97247 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	103k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21) during mid-Atlantic, underway replenishment of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)*, 30 November 1989 US Navy photo # NH 97248* from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	103k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** transiting the Suez Canal, August 1990. Photo by PH3 Frank A Marquart US Navy photo # NH 97249-KN from the collections of the Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	360	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, circa July 1965, location unknown. US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
	55k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	63k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	65k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. ©Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA.	Mike Smolinski
	101k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr
	138k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** flight deck accident, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan
	136k	Bows on overhead view of *USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	106k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	82k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	101k	Overhead starboard bow view of *USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	114k	*USS Suribachi* (AE-21)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	83k	In reserve from left to right; Ex-*USS Suribachi* (AE-21), ex-USNS Mississinewa (T-AO-144) and ex-USNS Vanguard (T-AG-194)** moored at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

For more photos and information about USS Suribachi, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
MARAD Vessel History Database
AE/AOE Sailors Association

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Harral, Brooks Jared :RADM	17 November 1956 - 21 October 1957
02	CAPT. Pierce, George Ellis	21 October 1957 - 31 August 1958
03	CAPT. Gray Jr., James Seton	31 August 1958 - 28 August 1959
04	CAPT. Ware, Robert Macky	28 August 1959 - 17 August 1960
05	CAPT. Elsom, James Harvey	17 August 1960 - 19 August 1961
06	CAPT. Moore Jr., Francis T.	19 August 1961 - 17 September 1962
07	CAPT. Green, Robert Robinson	17 September 1962 - 9 September 1963
08	CAPT. Cagle, Malcolm Winfield :VADM	9 September 1963 - 1 June 1964
09	LCDR. Hargrave, Seth Elbert	1 June 1964 - 21 July 1965
10	LCDR. Saubers, Walter Frank	21 July 1965 - 26 August 1965
11	CAPT. Harris, David Delmas	26 August 1965 - 24 March 1967
12	CAPT. Spell, Billie Calvin	24 March 1967 - 25 April 1968
13	CAPT. Muncie, Maurice Oscar, USN (USNA 1947)	25 April 1968 - 19 September 1969
14	CAPT. Morris, Max King, USN (USNA 1948-A) :RADM	19 September 1969 - 14 January 1971
15	CAPT. Goldman, Roy Edwin	14 January 1971 - 11 September 1972
16	CDR. Grove, Ronald Ray	11 September 1972 - 13 May 1974
17	CDR. Brewton, Edward Allen	13 May 1974 - 10 September 1976
18	CDR. Lynch Jr., Edward T.	10 September 1976 - 30 October 1978
19	CDR. Lynch, Thomas Joseph	30 October 1978 - 7 October 1980
20	CAPT. Murphy, Jerome Thomas	7 October 1980 - 29 November 1982
21	CDR. Duermeyer, Stephen Paul	29 November 1982 - 7 June 1985
22	CDR. Hanratty, William J.	7 June 1985 - 22 May 1987
23	CDR. Barrow, Ronnie Lee, USN (USNA 1969)	22 May 1987 - 19 July 1989
24	CDR. Peters, Jon Christopher	19 July 1989 - 12 July 1991
25	CDR. Deasaro, Louis Peter, USN (USNA 1974)	12 July 1991 - 12 March 1993
26	CDR. Kasky, Philip C.	12 March 1993 - 2 December 1994


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyho

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 9 June 2023