Description
COLOR PHOTOGRAPH of The USS WICHITA (AOR-1) Refueling The USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) and The USS ELLIOT (DD-967) On Her Starboard At Sea. Mfg: U. S. Naval Photography Department. Size: 10" x 8". Cond: Used, "MINT", Ready For Framing. The USS WICHITA Was Commission On 7, June 1969 And Built By General Dynamics Corporation At Quincy, Massachusetts. The Mission Of The USS WICHITA Was To Provide Rapid Replenishment Of Petroleum Products To Operating Forces At Sea And To Provide Additionally A Limited Capability For At-Sea Replenishment Of Provisions, Fleet Freight And Selected Ammunition Items, Including Missiles, To Surface Operating Forces. The USS WICHITA Over-All Length Of 659 Feet And A Beam Of 96 Feet. Displace Approximately 37,000 Tons. Twin Propellers Drive Her At 20 Knots. Crew Of 350 Enlisted Men And 19 Officer's. On 19, July 1969 Relocated To New Home Port At Naval Station Long Beach, CA. On 22, June 1970 Departed Long Beach On First Western Pacific Deployment. Completed First Replenishment At Sea To USS CORAL Sea (CVA 43) And Her Escort USS FLETCHER (DD 870). On 04, July 1970 to 02, February 1971 Provided Replenishment Services In Support Of U. S. Forces In South Vietnam On Yankee Station. Serviced 328 Ships And Transferred 53 Million Gallons Of Fuel And 14,500 Tons Of Cargo. On 11, July 1970 to 02, January 1971 Became The First COMSERVNINE Flagship. On 12, March 1992 The USS WICHITA Decommissioned And Stricken From The Record Of U. S. Active Ships. Completing 24 Years Of Active Naval Service, The "Wicked Witch of the West" Received 2,961 Ships Alongside And Transferred Almost 500,000,00 Gallons Of Fuel And 64,000 Tons Of Cargo. USS WICHITA Awards, Seven Battle "E", Three Deck Department Crossed Anchors, Four Communications "E", Three Engineering "E", Two Supply "E", Two Damage Control "DC", and Two OPERATIONS "E". In Addition WICHITA Was Awarded Her Fifth Meritorious Unit Commendation and First Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. The Replenishment Oiler USS WICHITA (AOR1) Is The Second Ship To Be So Named In The U. S. Naval Fleet. She Commemorates The Heavy Cruiser USS WICHITA (CA45) Of WWII And Also Honors The City Of Wichita, Kansas, And The Wichita River. "Excellent" Photograph To Add To Your Collection. Thanks For Looking. *NOTE* FREE SHIPPING IN THE U. S. A. ONLY.
