Chikaskia (AO 54) - Naval Cruise Book

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Us mi 'UQ ill If 14 gr Yrl rf fl . W V XX- l Kr' , .- F V i E r CHI KASKIA received six battle stars for her services in World War ll and one star for her participation in the Korean War. In December 1958 CHIKASKIA was put into the Reserve Maritime Fleet, at Beaumont, Texas. She was returned to the Navy in September 1960 for reactivation as a fleet oiler and assignment to Commander Service Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet. CHIKASKIA was recommis- sioned at Baltimore, Maryland 17 September 1960, Cap- tain L. W. Mather, USN in command. Since recommissioning, CHIKASKIA spent her first year operating in support of units of the U.S. Second Fleet and Project Mercury. From February until late August 1962, CHIKASKIA was deployed with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Returning to duty with the Second Fleet, she went almost immediately to the Florida Straits for several weeks of operations. On her way back to Norfolk, her home port, the creation of the Cuban Quarantine resulted in her being sent immediately back to the Caribbean area, where she refueled ships on the Quarantine line. During this period she served not only as an oiler, but also as a supply and transport ship by taking over one hundred tons of supplies and two hundred men from Jacksonville to ships operating in the Quarantine. ln the winter of 1963, CHIKASKIA participated in Operation Springboard, an annual training event in the Caribbean, visiting Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the island tof1Agsba, off the Venezuelan Coast. The fall of 1963 saw CHIKI N,SKlA once again heading forithe terranean, where sh' deployed fo' mqE.3tl,.i',JuxntilAnhgar return to Norfolk fr. .ly 19641. 1.1: the fall of 1965 she participated in Opera- . an Teamworl a NATO exercise off the coast of northern Europe, visi ing Scotlafnfdi and Hol- land. ln the winter and early springiof 1965, CHIKASKIA 'again participated in Operation Springboard, and visited San Juan and 'Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico.,and' Saint Thomas inthe: Virgin islands. In May 1965 C':llKA:3KlA left Norfolk' for herhthirdgMed fieployment'x.-Ence recom- missioning, and returned Wfilovernber 19:65 after a highly successful tour of wiffh the U. S. Sixth Fleet, and setting several refueling records. After a period of upkeep and duty oiler assignments CHIKASKIA deployed to the Caribbean in March to take part in Operation Springboard 66. During this'deployment CHIKASKIA refueled many of theparticipating 'ships while taking advantage of the training opportunities associated with Springboard. Dur- ing May and half of June CHIKASKIA deployed in the SUDDOFT Of, the space effort as she participated in the GEMINI 9xMissi,on, taking station in the Atlantic under the operational control of CTF 140. During the summer of 1966 CHIKASKIA was duty oiler and supported vari- ous units of theSecond Fleet. ln September CHIKASKIA refueled th? AMERICA lCVA-561 and during the VGTUGHHQ Tlgfiffgvvere ,Navy camera crews on board both vessels takiiflgliifbgtageZ,for,,A2,Zsoon to be released Navy in- formation flif31V?,f,li!,9lZli: Tl'li'l'?.gy Ships . ln october 1966 CH' KP-3KlA Steel Shipyard in Baltimore, Mary9l'ii?lli1-flfbrlhwer regular overhaul period. After three weeks of post-overhaul load-out and ex- tensllfe training CHlKASlQlA.departed for three weeks of Refresher Training under thei' operational control of Com- mander Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Shortly after returning to the States, CHIKASKIA went alongside the USS AMPHION lAR-131 for a tender period prior to her June 9th departure for the Mediterranean and duty with the Sixth Fleet. One of the most exciting events of the cruise occurred on the 23rd of November when the ship got underway from Malaga, Spain, leaving a 73 man liberty and shore patrol party stranded because heavy seas had canceled boating. The ship refueled a carrier task force in 20-35 foot seas with many key personnel strand- ed in Malaga. Upon completion of the refcleling-the ship returned to Malaga, picked up the remainder of the crew, stopped briefly in -Rota,-Spain for a fuel liftfand returned to Norfolk, Virginia on the 7th of Decembei' after battling her way through 30-40 foot seas the last six'days of the Atlantic .tri-'gsit,.! it Mg., I I, , Q12 K .9 ' .2 ,-.. - V, 3 V' gf' .slew H15 ...rigs '- ,.. - . - 1-F .i 1 '.- .N N MQ' AI1 I-Vi 1- 1 -sg, .1 1 an-I vfflwli 11 L l -Q W WWKYQ ' X? ' 1-99 ,..,.... '--- 2 ............- 5-' '4'21.a::.P2! ' ' ' -- -- ' H- ,V - , . .,a., . '-'--'----Uv-li-.-Mt-, .,.,. .. 0 -.3-Ay 1---.r-A-.-,.s,,-C--Q---1 ,-.N .,,., ,. V. ,-..1- -A 1 , . .. . -. - ef- ., -, .M . . , .4 A .,. - -......-.. 4. - - ,-.Y --- -- -- -. --.wx --- , -- A..- V. , .. .. .,t...--....1..,...,-.-......,-.,- . -A ---- - --Aa-.,...N...,,.- , - v. .,., . . . A . . . . ,' , ' , -,---- ' . .1 -- - A-......, -gy 1 -. . ..- .--lf-..:.aw-.,,,,,,.,,,,,V,,,-N-3 ---- W . X gf' l

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USS CHIKASKIA lAO54l SHIP'S HISTORY The USS CHIKASKIA lAO-54l, named for the river in Kansas, was- launched 2 October 1943 at Bethlehem- Sparrows Point Shipyard, Sparrows Point, Maryland, sponsored by Mrs. James L. Bates, and commissioned 10 October 1943.. On 4 February 1944 CHIKASKZA ' med Task Force 58 at Mai 'nd provided logistic 'F for the occupation cf f and the ' es c Bet- ween March 1. 4 l 1945, U. out of Espiritu Santo, 1, l 1-fl 'f-'QU l Island, Manus in the Adr. lands, providing logistic sup... forces and other ships. Cf lil' vasions of PaIauFl'slands, the Phill-:pil .lc . Okinawa. She was part of the fueling .ered the typhoon that struck the 3rd Fleet during .ing ren- dezvous 18 December 1944. ln the spring of ..945, CHI- KASKIA returned to the United States f-Q overhaul, arriving at San Pedro, California on 22 May 1945. In July 1945, upon completion of this lovemaiul, CHIKASKIA returned to Ulithi to support Task Group 30.8 l17 August - 15 September 19451 until ordered to Tokyo Bay, arriving 20 September 1945. After a per? ' of shuttle service in isupport of operationsdati Kiaochew Bay .'nd'iTaku Bay, China, and Jinsen, Kol j1,'ishe reported to iSasebo,l'1v le' Ve sheisfieflnd iasktatiflrtankeiiuntil 31 'March 194b- H -F .iff nl .iii 'giiir Fl' Di ' A it 1 J fir., 1 ' q ' Assagned to, t.,f?,gNaval Transport Service 1 July -- - .- far -vw - 1947, CHIKASKIA continued to operate in the Far East. On 1 October 1949 she was transferred to the Military Sea Transport Service., She was transferred,to Command'er Servljce Farce, Pacific on 28 February and from MayTto Ju .1953 suppfzrted the Fleetiduring the Korean War. She continued '3 iopei ze in the'Pacific until June 1955, when she returned for tl le United States for inactiva- tion overhaul. CHIKASKIA was placed out of commis- sion, in reserve status on 7 November 1955. Recommis- sioned 12 December 1956, she was placed in the ready reserve in late 1957. V. .,, - J, .M ,,- ' :1 x 4-. ' , - - 1 1.1.4.-,:.:,,4.-:ck:..g:..'.' - ' -' 'ff-'--4 ' ' ' - 4 ' ' '

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. , ' 1 ' n I A ' I ' I A I . n . o -' I I 3 , , ,. . . . 4 5. x Q. 4 . 5 .D ' 1 f, rc, 1 . u . , ' I Y 'S ,- A ' - :I . J 1 1 ' .sv J I ' Q - 1 'Ig . X. 1 lid ' V ,DQ ,lg ' , A 1 I. ,i, .. . . . . I . -1 iv . 1 I ? L 9 1 Ji' 5 .' E ..,,g I ' I I I 1-V I ,- I 'I . - ' 1 ! I . .' . 5. . ' I b x .1 1 '- n 1.1 I ,.,A w rc- , 5 .l . 'N V . . 5 -15 . 1,5 . .2 . I 'Z V . A, ' f . . . 1 1 K l - I ' 11 1 ju - 1 I VN it I l - I--A .A - -'fx ' 7 ' fx ' ' . Z -' ' Il' ' ' 1 I - . ah' I . I if ' l I I 'I l l I ' - v . . . . . . . . - . . . . . . . . .. I I . I . I I - I . . . . . . . ' 1 Captaln Thomas J Hughes COIVIIVIANDING OFFICER Captain Thomas J Hughes was born ln Brooklyn New York on 14 October 1926 He attended St Teresa s Grammar School and Boys Hugh School before enllstmg In the Navy V 5 Program In December 1943 After attending Wllllams College and Frank and Marshall Colleo Lapt ln Hughe transferred to the active NROTC at Harvard Unlvcrslt :here he elved a B S Degree, nd w commls noned on June 6 1946 Capt in 1-l J., les server asa Jun or Offlcer on Amphlblous and Service orce shlps attended General Lune School and became Lnglneer Off lcer of USS lVlASSEY lDD 7781 which operated for ten months off the coast of korea In 1950 51 From 1952 to 1955 he senled as a nuclear supervisor 1n,A':v31bred Forces Speclal Weapons Pro t in w Defense Atomic Support Agency1g3After a tour as Englneer Qfflcer in USS WILKINSON CDL 51 he became Executive Offlcer of USS BRADFORD ODD 5451 Captain Hughes attend- ed the Armed Forces Staff College and the Operatlons Analysis currlc lum at the S Navy:Postgraduate School where he recelved a Master of Sclence Degree He also served as Asslstant fflcer In Charge of the Naval Guided Mlsslle School at Dam Neck Vlrglnla In 1962 Captain Hughes was assigned to the Organlzatlon of the Jolnt Chlefs of Staff This duty was followed by command of USS JOHN KING KDDG 31 and a tour In the Weapons Systems Evaluation Group In OSD where he spent much time In Southeast Asla Captaln Hughes also commanded the USS THUBAN CAKA 191 He assumed command of the USS CHIKASKIA KAO-541 ln November 1967 Captain Hughes and N1rS H6201 1K0blItZ'1 Hughes Kof Sterllng Kansas1 have eight children ranging from twelve to nineteen years old The family resides ln Vlrglnla Beach