From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A river in Arizona.

(AO - 145: dp. 11,600 (lt.); l. 655'; b. 86'; dr. 35'; s. 20 k.; cpl. 324; a. 12 3"; cl. Neosho)

Hassayampa (AO-145) was launched 12 September 1954 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. Jean H. Holloway, wife of Vice Admiral Holloway; and commissioned 19 April 1955, Captain William V. McKaig, in command.

After shakedown along the East Coast, Hassayampa transited the Panama Canal and arrived Pearl Harbor 15 July for duty with Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Between July 1955 and May 1958 Hassayampa made three deployments to the Western Pacific, providing logistics for our mighty 7th Fleet. In June she joined the 1st Fleet at San Francisco to participate in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the cruise of the Great White Fleet around the world. Hassayampa resumed her regular duties, returning to Pearl Harbor 16 July.

In September Hassayampa, as part of America's flexible power afloat, deployed with the 7th Fleet to prevent invasion of Chinese offshore islands and convoyed Nationalist transports during the Quemoy-Matsu Crisis. Between 1969 and 1961 she made three more deployments to the Western Pacific, continuing her services to the 7th Fleet. In May 1962 Hassayampa supported units of the 7th Fleet moving Marines into Thailand to prevent flare-up of trouble in Laos.

On 23 January 1963 Hassayampa deployed to the Far East to resume duty with the 7th Fleet. Returning to Pearl Harbor 15 June, she underwent a modernization overhaul from October to January 1964. She again sailed for the Western Pacific 12 March. On 31 March she joined a Navy carrier task force out of Subic Bay for operations in the Indian Ocean. Until returning to Subic Bay 16 May she served with the Concord Squadron from Malaysia to the eastern coast of Africa. She remained in the Far East until mid-September, and during that time she refueled ships off Japan and in the South China Sea. During the Tonkin Gulf crisis in August she provided at-sea logistics support for the always-ready ships of the mighty 7th Fleet. After completing her deployment, the busy fleet oiler arrived Pearl Harbor 29 September.

Resuming Far East duty in April 1965, Hassayampa operated in the South China Sea and supported the American effort to thwart Communist aggression in Southeast Asia. She returned to her homeport at Pearl 16 December, thence served as a recovery logistic ship during the "Gemini 8" space shot in mid-March and the "Gemini 9" shot in early June 1966. Sailing again for the Far East 5 June, during the next 5 months she maintained a busy schedule refueling escorts and hard-hitting carriers of the 7th Fleet including Constellation (CVA-64), Oriskany (CVA-34), Ranger (CVA-61), Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), Intrepid (CVS-11) and Coral Sea (CVA-43). During a 2-week period in November she refueled 67 ships; prior to returning to Pearl Harbor 16 December, she had refueled 367 ships in the Western Pacific.

As a fleet oiler, Hassayampa operated out of Pearl Harbor into mid-1967 to maintain her peak readiness and efficiency while preparing to further support the 7th Fleet off troubled Southeast Asia.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)