Hassayampa (AO 145) - Naval Cruise Book

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CAPTAIN ARCHER ROBERT GORDON, U. S. NAVY COMMANDING OFFICER, U. S. S. HASSAYAMPA QAO-1455 Captain Archer R. Gordon, U. S. Navy, attended St. Johns University, Brooklyn, New York and Northwestern University. Prior to attending submarine School in September 1943, he served in the U. S. S. CHEMUNG and in the U. S. S. NEW YORK participating in the North African and Sicily invasions. He served in SEADRAGON QSS 1945, GROUPER CSS 2141 and commanded SEA ROBIN CSS407j and Submarine Division 91. Captain Gordon attended the Naval VVar College in 1960 and has served in OPNAV, BUWEPS and on the staff of COMSUBPAC as Force Ordnance Officer. His last assignment before assumming command of the U. S. S. HASSAYAMPA CAO-1455 on 17 August 1963 was as Commander Oceanogra- phic System Atlantic.

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USS HASSAYAMPA LAO-145D is the third of a class of six large fleet oilers commissioned by the U. S. Navy. All U. S. Navy oilers are named for rivers, and this is named for Hassayampa River which is located in North Central Arizona. HASSAYAMPA was built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey, and commissoned on 19 April 1955 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. A unit of Service Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet, HASSAYAMPA is homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii from whence she deployes to the Western Pacific, there fulfilling her basic mission by replenishing units of the Seventh Fleet. At various times during her history HASSAYAMPA has served as Hagship for Commander Service Force, U. S. Pacific and Commander Service Squadron ONE. She was also one of the ships that represented the United States in Australia for the 1960 Celebration of the Battle of the Coral Sea. Armed with automatic-loading, rapid-fire guns which are controlled by modern radar systems, HASSAYAMPA is a ship that can defend herself while carry- ing out the vital mission of replenishment. HASSAYAMPA is designed for rapid transfer of petroleum products to units aiioat while operating at high speeds. This type of replenishment has added greatly to the strength of the U. S. Navy by providing mobility and staying power to forces afloat through underway replenishment.

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LIEUTENANT COMMANDER RICHARD T. WHITEHEAD, U. S. NAVY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, U. S. S. HASSAYAMPA QAO-1455 Lieutenant Commander Richard T. Whitehead, U. S. Navy Was graduated from The U. S. Naval Academy in June 1950. He assumed the duties of Executive Uflicer of the Heet oiler HASSAYAMPA on 13 April 1963. Prior to attending Submarine School in June 1953 he served in U. S. S. RODMAN and U. S. S. NEWPORT NEWS. He served in BERGALL QSS 3202, IREX CSS 4852, the staff of SUBRQN 3 and commanded U. S. S. MALOY QEDE 7911. He attended U. S. Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California and has served in OPNAV and BUPERS.