Cimarron (AO 22 AO 177) - Naval Cruise Book

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HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS 1939 1967 Named after the Cimarron River which flows from the mountains of New Mexico into the Arkansas River near Tulsa, the fleet oiler USS CIMARRON is the oldest commissioned Navy ship in continuous active service. Built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania, with an overall length of 553 feet and a 75 foot beam, the 18,000 ton SS CIMARRON was launched on 9 January 1939. Having satisfactorily passed a series of post-launching trials and tests, she was commissioned on 20 March 1939 as the United States Ship CIMARRON by RADM J. C. Townsend, USN, under the sponsorship of Mrs. William D. Leahy, wife of Fleet Admiral W. D. Leahy, USN. After twenty-eight years CIMARRON's mission remains unchanged . . . direct service to and support of the fleet. Her present cargo capabilities enable the CIMARRON to pump any one or all three petroleum products . . . black oil QNSFOQ, jet fuel UP-55 and aviation gasoline QAVGASQ. Prior to first penetrating into Pacific waters on 9 June 1939 via the Panama Canal, CIMARRON became a familiar sight to the citizens of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she regularly took aboard her petroleum cargo. Following her first fleet problem near the Hawaiian Islands in April 1940, the CIMARRON and another oiler fueled the Pacific Fleet at anchor and completed in thirty-six hours a task for which four days had been allowed . . . an unexpected, but highly commendable feat. In September 1941, the CIMARRON joined Task Force FIFTEEN consisting of twenty-seven ships charged with transporting U. S. ARMY personnel to Iceland. It- was during this transit that she conducted the first underway replenishment QUNREPQ, refueling the USS BAINBRIDGE. Continuing her North Atlantic fleet support mission, CIMARRON normally plyed submarine-infested waters some- times unescorted utilizing her superior speed to avoid contacts. During the ensuing three years, CIMARRON was present in every major campaign of the Pacific War including Midway, Guadalcanal, Solomon Archipelago, Gilbert and Marshall Islands, Truk, Mariannas and Saipan, Guam, Tinian and finally Palau Island. Millions of barrels of precious oil flowed from CIM's deep tanks giving life and support to the fleet. In February 1945, the CIMARRON supported the second Tokyo Raid Task Force before participating in the Iwo Jima Occupation and the Okinawa Campaign. Having steamed over 360,000 miles since her commissioning, CIMARRON arrived in Tokyo Bay on 10 September 1945. At that time she was credited with having fueled more ships than any other oiler in the Navy.

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'i' 3-1 ,TSN H arf :HE ig ' 'itlbw-. V - ff. m..,,: ,-+ ARRIVING' - a phrase unique to the Navy announcing the arrival of the Commanding Officer ai1d.alerzi1,g the crew that the Skipper is on board. Besides affecting the material condition of the ship, the Qaptain3s.3decisions mold both the attitudes and morale of the crew as it becomes a precision operating unit. .UA native of the State of Washington, Captain Heg entered the Navy on 11 November 194-2 and was assigned to the office of the Assistant Industrial Manager, United States Navy in Baltimore, Maryland. As an Ensign in 1943, Captain Heg was initially assigned to the USS PROTEUS QAS-191. Subsequently he reportedqaboard the submarine USS BANG QSS-3855 in which he made five combat war patrols in the Pacific area. His postwar submarine duties included service in USS CONGER QSS-477D USS ODAX QSS-4855 USS BURRFISH QSSR-3125 and Command of the USS TIGRONE QSSR-4191 Captain Heg attended the Navy's Deep Sea Diving School and subsequently was Officer-in-Charge of the Submarine Escape Training Tank in New London, Con- necticut. Later he served as Commanding Officer of the submarine rescue vessel USS SUNBIRD QASR-151. . Captain Heg attended the Naval War College in 1956-57 and afterward served there on the academic staff for two years. Other duty assignments included a tour on the Staff of Commander Carrier Division 18 Chief ,Staff Officer for Commander Submarine Squadron Two and Command of Submarine Division 101. Prior to boarding the CIMARRON, Captain Heg completed a four year tour in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Captain and -Mrs. Heg with their three sons reside in Los Alamitos, California. Captain Heg holds a Master of Science Degree in Political Science from George Washington University, Wash- ington, -D.C. His, military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Combat V, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Subnji. ne,,Cf1fr'9atl,P1n with 3 stir' P American Defense, Atlantic Theater, Pacific-Asiatic Theater with 5 t V' - W - . C' ' - - s ars, ictoi Occv all as the Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal.