Kawishiwi (AO 146) - Naval Cruise Book

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ss K WISHIWI mo-1463 IxAWISHlWI is a major support ship for the Seventh Fleet She is also one of the newest, fastest and most modern of such ships But to each of the men who sail on her she is so much more During our deployment to the Far East BAWISHIWI is our home away from home IXAWISHIWI is one of a gi oup of SLK sister ships commonly known as Navy super oilers three of which serve in the Pacific as vital members of the logistical lifeline that keeps the rivers that bear Ameiican Indian names thus KAWISHIWI is derived from the river of that name which is located in the extreme north east portion of the State of Minnesota The nord itself comes from the Ojibvsay Indians and in English means 'River full of Beavers' Houses ' This ship is designed for high speed replenishment of the fuel needs of today's far flung nax al forces This highly special ized evolution of underway replenishment can be carried on during day light hours or under cover of night, and is not necessarily limited to the transfer of fuel and petroleum products, it can and does provide the capa- bility of transferring to receiving ships cargo, mail, passengers, and provisions, in addition to the primary products. These primary items are black oil, jet fuel, and , I V, . N . . . . r I- ' , Fleet mobile and ready to meet any challenge. All Navy oilers are named for United States aviation gasoline, it is not at all unusual to be pumping all these products simultaneously by making use of the many completely independent fueling rigs. KAWISHIWPS consistently outstanding performance makes her a pace-setter of the modern Na Fast and l vy. sleek with a 'can do' spirit in the face of any situation, l KAWISHI WI, as befits any beautiful lady, is proud of her 'vital statistics! She is 656 feet long, has a beam of 83 feet, displaces 38,000 tons at full load, and can steam up to twenty knots. Her liquid cargo capacity is in ex- cess of 7 ,000,000 gallons, enough fuel to drive all the cars in the city of Los Angeles to New York and back again, or to keep a heavy cruiser continously at sea for at least nine months. KAWISHIWI is literally a city afloat. Her huge gener- ators produce enough electrical power to meet the needs of a sizable community. She boasts such conveniences

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-Y J USS KAWISHIWI AO - I46 CAPTAIN MELVIN J. CARPENTER USN Lcdr. James P. Neyland USN Ship Commissioned: July l955 Pearl Harbor , Hawaii H

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as a laundry, tailor shop, clothing store, soda fountain, ship's store, library, U.S. Post Office, bakery, machine shop, barber shop, hospital, and hobby shop. The ship carries the most modern movie projection equipment, and nightly movies are part of the ship's routine both underway and in port, Though most ladies won't tell their age quite readily, KAWlSHlWl's youth is no secret. She was built by the New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey, the keel was laid in Cctobcr 19 53, she was launched in December 1954, and commissioned in July 1955. Her original home port was Long Beach, California, where she arrived after a voyage from the East Coast via the Panama Canal. Pearl Harbor has been home to KAWISHIXVI and her crew since January 1958. Her record is a proud one, including two consecutive years ff J mm'lfwuuyp as winner of the coveted Battle Lfficiency Award, followed by two years as runner-up. She has also won the covetedNEY award for having the best food service in the U. S. Navy. Justly deserving, justly proud, KAWISIIIWI men strive to present a picture of the Navy's finest. Our officers and men come from nearly every state in the Union, and from the far- off territory of American Samoa as well. We also number as shipmates nationals of the Republic of the Philippines. This interesting mixture of racial and cultural backgrounds aboard ship is very appropriate to the cosmopolitan setting of Hawaii, and KAWISHIWI is proud indeed to carry the 'ALOHA' spirit with her in calling at various ports throughout the vast Pacific. In this same spirit we invite you to be anhonorary KAWISHIWI shipmate and share with us our pride in a fine ship. 'Shipmate' is a term peculiar to the seafaring fra- ternity the worldoverg it is an all-embracing term that covers a multitude of human emotions but in KAWISHIWI, especially, it means that you're part of the heartbeat of a mighty ship. ' 4 , 1 Q 'ni - 1' ..,., .- .'Y -rf.. FMT - - - W 4,-. . ..--:.,.-,, ..-...-,--'.- .. ' .' sw., -3-, ...N ,, 6 -s-. -T?