Truckee (AO 147) - Naval Cruise Book

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e im :bn S Melvzh ee 76911515 V8 Navy It is very difficult to explain how close to one another Sailors grow, especially when sailing foreign waters. Our ship becomes our home, and our lives, past, present, and sometimes even future become shared with one another. We work, play, eat and sleep together. We, in a very unique way, become a family. And just like any family, but perhaps in a different way, we mourn over the death of one of our members. Such was the tragic experience of the death of Melvin KIMBLE. Each and everyone of us felt his death . . . but because he lived a life of humbleness, peace and love for his shipmates, each of us will never forget the life he shared with us. It is with this idea in mind and grief in heart that we dedicate this Cruise Book to SA Melvin Lee KIMBLE, U. S. Navy. CFU 1 SQ, TMQ lot W5

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USS TRUCKEE, one of the fastest and largest oilers in the U. S. Navy, was commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 23 November 1955. Her primary mission is the complete underway replenishment of petroleum products to the Fleet. She is homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. Soon after her commissioning in 1955, TRUCKEE made her maiden voyage. She carried eight million gallons of fresh water to Bermuda before her tanks had once been filled with petroleum. In June of 1956, she sailed on her first Midshipman cruise to Copenhagen, Denmark and Sheerness, England. ln September of the same year, TRUCKEE sailed to the Ascension Islands. She also visited Recife, Brazil and Noronoha before returning to Norfolk, Virginia in November. In late June of 1959 during her refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the crew achieved the l'1l9l1eST operational mark ever awarded to a fleet oiler. ln August of 1959, she operated in North Atlantic waters as a unit of a task force assigned to support former President Eisenhower's round trip flight to Europe. The summer of 1960 was spent operatingwith the United States Second Fleet. Highlights of the summer included a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, TRUCKEE s third Midshipman cruise, and an unofficial record of more than one hundred ships alongside in the single month of July. The early fall of 1960 found TRUCKEE operating in North Atlantic waters with a task force of NATO ships. On 20 September, TRLJCKEE crossed the Arctic Circle, an event which entitled all men who were aboard at the time to carry a blue nose certificate.'This trip also included a brief stay at Lisbon, Portugal. Thanksgiving in Naples, Christmas and New Year's in Cannes, and St. Valentine's Day in Barcelona, featured TRUCKEE's second successive winter deployment in the Mediterranean. ln February 1962, TRUCKEE got underway for her third successive winter deployment with the United States Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. During this deployment, the ship acted as flagship for Commander Service Force. Sixth Fleet. TRUCK-EE is believed to have set the peacetime record for the number of ships refueled during a singleyearf. During the calendar year of 1962, TRUCKEE fueled 457 ships, 152 of which occurred during aperiod of fifty dayts of almost constant steaming in support of the Cuban Quarantine Operation. Commander Service Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet commented on her activities as follows: While serving as flagship for Commander Service Squadron FOUR and operating in the Caribbean in support of the Cuban Quarantine Operation during October - December 1962, TRUCKEE engaged in fueling of units of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet on a most demanding schedule.Aln addition to sustaining an arduous tempo of replenishment operations throughout the Quarantine period, TRUCKEE's performance was highlighted by the highline transfer of 165 long tons of fleet freight during a two day period to ships of the task force, ffreight-varying from electronic tubes to iet aircraft enginesl, and receipt of 716 bags of mail in a single day. These examples of versatility and hard work are ,characteristic of the outstanding performance of TRUCKEE during the critical Quarantine period. ln July of 1963 TRUCKEE was awarded the Golden UE for winning the Battle Efficiency Award far her five consecutive years. She was the first Service Force Atlantic Fleet ship ever to win this coveted award. ln July 1964, a hash mark was added to the Gold E as TR-UCKEE again won the battle efficiency competition, for an unequaled sixth straight time. During September and October, TRUCKEE served as flagship for Commander Service Squadron TWO and supported NATO exercises Teamwork and Masterstroke in the North Atlantic. On 1 March 1965 TRUCKEE left Norfolk on her way to ioin the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. While deployed, TRUCKEE served as flagship for Commander Service Force Sixth Fleet, visited thirteen ports in five countries, fueled 409 ships and participated in several maior exercises. ln addition, a second gold hashmqrk was added to the Battle Efficiency E in July, marking the seventh consecutive time that TRUCKEE has won the award.