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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Milwaukee (AOR-2)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Lima - Delta - Lima
NLDL

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3)
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Libya, Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon, Libya)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Coast Guard SOS Ribbon - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Wichita Class Replenishment Oiler:

Laid down, 29 November 1966, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA.

Launched, 1 January 1969

Commissioned USS Milwaukee (AOR-2), 1 November 1969

During the Vietnam War USS Milwaukee participated in the following Campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War
Vietnam Ceasefire 12 to 14 November 1972 24 November to 10 December 1972 18 to 30 December 1972 12 to 11 and 19 to 20 February 1973

Decommissioned, 27 January 1994

Struck from the Naval Register, 8 April 1997

USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service

Title transfer to MARAD, 24 February 2001, for disposal

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.

Final Disposition, MARAD announced, 14 January 2009, that Milwaukee was sold for $56,410 for scrapping by Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA.

Removed from Reserve Fleet and arrived, 10 February 2009, at Bay Bridge Enterprises, 10 February 2009

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

Complement

Officers

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
	289k	Christening by Mrs. Henry W. Maier, wife of the Mayor of Milwaukee, WI. and launch of Milwaukee (AOR-2), 1 January 1969, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA, in 1969.	Dale Hargrave
	227k	Milwaukee (AOR-2) being fitted out at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA, in 1969. General Dynamics/Quincy Division photo.	Robert Hurst
09210231	615k	Milwaukee (AOR-2) running trials prior to her commissioning date, 1 November 1969. She is underway near the General Dynamics Corp. Shipyard, Quincy, MA. General Dynamics/Quincy Division photo # 0 382- -1	Jos Haver
09210235	355k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) replenishing the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CV-59)** during Forrestal´s deployment to the Mediterranean Sea from 5 January to 2 July 1971. U.S. Navy photo from the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) 1971 cruise book	Robert Hurst
	980k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way in Chesapeake Bay, January 1976. Naval Photographic Center photo # 1167113 by PH2 Kelly	DCC(SS/SW) David Johnston, USN
	133k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** while under way after completing an underway replenishment of an unidentified Knox-class frigate, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	84k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	108k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** replenishing an unidentified Aircraft Carrier off her port side while an unidentified Destroyer prepares to come alongside for replenishment off her starboard side.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	106k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	88k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.	Stan Svec
	278k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** at anchor in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, 1 November 1978.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
	134k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) during underway replenishment of USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Concord (AFS-5)**, circa 1980, location unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	105k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) and the Dutch replenishment ship HNLMS Poolster (A-835)** about to commence an underway replenishment, date and place unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	142k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) and the Dutch replenishment ship HNLMS Poolster (A-835)** during an underway replenishment, date and place unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	129k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	142k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	60k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	71k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	60k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) replenishing USS Spruance (DD-963)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
09210232	224k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
	245k	*USS Forrestal* (CV-59) conducting an underway replenishment (UNREP) from USS Milwaukee (AOR-2)**, sometime in 1986–1990.	Ken Killmeyer, USS Forrestal Association Historian
	448k	During exercise West Wind '88 *USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) conducts a replenishment at sea with USS Forrestal (CV-59)*, 4 September 1988. US Navy photo # DN-SC-89-02713 Sept 4 1988* by PH3 Haley.	Robert M. Cieri
09210233	413k	The guided missile destroyer *USS Semmes* (DDG-18), USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) and the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CV-59) during underway replenishment operations in the Mediterranean Sea, June 1988. Forrestal*, with assigned Carrier Air Wing 6* (CVW-6), was deployed to the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean from 25 April to 7 October 1988. U.S. National Archives Identifier (NAID) 6439966 and 6439969 by PH3 Buckner	Robert Hurst
09210234	374k		Robert Hurst
	342k	During exercise Team Work '88 fuel lines span the distance between *USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2) and USS Forrestal (CV-59) during a replenishment at sea . Sailing astern of Milwaukee is the guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53)*. US Navy photo # DN-SC-90-03043 Sept 15 1988* by PH3 Haley.	Robert M. Cieri
	83k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown.	Jack Dowd CDR. USNR Ret.
	115k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	78k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** under way, date and location unknown.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84
	80k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** at anchor off Palma de Mallorca, Spain, circa 1993.	Photos by Pedro Vidal Terrasa
	89k		Photos by Pedro Vidal Terrasa
09210225	268k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio and Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	1088k	An aerial view of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard looking west/northwest, 30 October 1995. The shipyard closed, 30 September 1995, but the Navy Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) continues to store decommissioned ships. Vessels visible , left to right: the battleships *USS Iowa* (BB-61), and USS Wisconsin (BB-64) at the DD wharf; USS Sylvania (AFS-2), USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) and USS Savannah (AOR-4) at pier 5; the aircraft carriers USS Forrestal (CV-59) and USS Saratoga (CV-60); at pier 4; the amphibious assault ships USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) and USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7) at pier 2. In the back pool is the heavy cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134)** and numerous destroyers and frigates.DOD photo # DN-SC-97-00422 PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (30 October 1995), a US Navy photo by Robert J. Sitar, now in the collections of Defense Imagery.mil.	Robert M. Cieri
	119k	View southwest of the 350 ton crane at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard with the decommissioned *USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** moored just forward of the crane. Library of Congress, HAER PA,51-PHILA,709F-1	Mike Green
	117k	*USS Milwaukee* (AOR-2)** sticker sold in ships store.	Jerrod W. Brown SM1 (SW) USN Ret. USS Milwaukee 1980-84

For more photos and information about USS Milwaukee, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
MARAD Vessel History Data Base

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Martin, James Whitney	1 November 1969 - 15 May 1971
02	CAPT. Terry, Harold L.	15 May 1971 - 22 July 1972
03	CAPT. Shaughnessy, William David	22 July 1972 - 22 June 1974
04	CAPT. Barth Jr., Joseph John (Joe), USN :RADM	22 June 1974 - 30 July 1975
05	CAPT. Wright, Richard Taliaferro	30 July 1975 - 10 June 1977
06	CAPT. Hawkins Jr., Cecil B.	10 June 1977 - 15 January 1979
07	CAPT. Page, Arthur M.	15 January 1979 - 30 May 1980
08	CAPT. Baker, Donald Adrian. USN	30 May 1980 - 25 February 1982
09	CAPT. Magner, Lawrence Richard, USN (USNA 1957)	25 February 1982 - 4 August 1984
10	CAPT. Finn, Edward Stephen	4 August 1984 - 20 August 1986
11	CAPT. Franz, Rodney C.	20 August 1986 - 15 April 1988
12	CAPT. Refo, Carter Beaumont, USN (USNA 1965)	15 April 1988 - 24 October 1989
13	CAPT. Ernst, Larry Lee	24 October 1989 - 10 January 1991
14	CAPT. Coleman, Richard G.	10 January 1991 - 4 March 1992
15	CAPT. Polatty III, David Pierce, USN (USNA 1971) :RADM	4 March 1992 - 27 January 1994


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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Last Updated 16 December 2022