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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS USN Ret. - Popular Patch

USS Mazama (AE-9)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Sierra - Alpha
NUSA
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Genuine (L)ima - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1FEB-9MAR62) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (3) - Vietnam Service Medal (4) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba-24OCT-2DEC62, Dominican Republic-2-14MAY65)
Fourth Row - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Lassen Class Ammunition Ship
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (C2 Cargo) hull under a Maritime Commission contract at Tampa Shipbuilding Corp., Tampa, FL.
  • Launched, 15 August 1943
  • Commissioned, USS Mazama (AE-9), 10 March 1944, CDR. P. V. R. Harris, USNR, in command
  • During WWII USS Mazama was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 21 to 23 June 1944
    3d Fleet operations against Japan, 15 August 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte Gulf landings, 23 October to 1 November 1944
     

  • Following World War II USS Mazama was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 to 10 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 3 August 1946, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 24 April 1952
  • USS Mazama was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 27 June 1953 to 15 January 1955
  • Decommissioned, 10 June 1957, at Orange TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange
  • Transferred to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX, 1 March 1960
  • Withdrawn from reserve and transferred to the US Navy 8 August 1961
  • Recommissioned, 27 November 1961
  • During the Vietnam War USS Mazama participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    12 to 25 May 1966
    13 to 26 June 1966
    Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    20 April to 9 May 1969
    6 to 8 June 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    20 to 30 July 1966
    18 August to 6 September 1966
    10 to 13 September 1966
    23 September to 8 October 1966
    17 to 27 October 1966
    Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 to 24 June 1969
    5 to 21 July 1969
    7 to 27 August 1969
    3 to 5 September 1969
    26 September to 23 October 1969

  • Decommissioned in May 1970, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1970
  • USS Mazama earned three battle stars for World War II service and four campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration, 19 November 1970, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 March 1973, to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., delivered, 16 April 1973
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,350 t.(lt) 14,255 t.(fl)
    Length 459'
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 5" (lim)
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 21
    Enlisted 260
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo capacity 7,485 DWT
    non-refrigerated 425,000 Cu ft.
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 8,425 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Nordberg TSM 219 Diesel engine
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    four Diesel-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 150Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Mazama 100k The drawing for Design 32/13F for USS Mazama (AE-9), 20 June 20, 1944. This drawing specifies vertical colors of light gray (5-L), ocean gray (5-O), and dull black (BK) with the horizontal color of deck blue (20-B). This drawing also has two waterlines.
    US National Archives Photos #'s 80-G-176503 and 80-G-176504
    Yu Chu
    Mazama 74k USS Mazama (AE-9) moored pierside, circa early 1944, location unknown..
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-633398, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    Mazama 111k USS Mazama (AE-9) re-commissioning ceremony, 24 April 1952, at Naval Station San Diego. Officers on the dias are from left to right; CAPT E. F. Abernethy, Commander, San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet; CAPT. J. W. Haviland, Commander, Sub Group Two, San Diego Reserve Fleet; CAPT. J. W. Haviland, Commander, USS Mazama; CDR. J. H. Shilling, Naval Station chaplain; and LCDR. L. D. Chansler, Executive Officer, USS Mazama.
    Eleventh Naval District Public Information Office photo 5811-52.
    Ron Reeves
    Mazama 80k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way, circa early 1950s, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # USN 1044024, from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    Mazama 96k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way, circa 1956, location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    Mazama 55k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    "AE" Sailors Association
    Mazama 116k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Robert Hurst
    Mazama 95k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way in harbor at Valletta, Malta, date unknown Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Mazama 53k USS Mazama (AE-9) at anchor with other 6th Fleet units, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Mazama 84k USS Mazama (AE-9) during an underway replenishment with USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and her air wing Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1)in the Mediterranean Sea, circa 1962-64. Aircraft spotted on deck belong to Attack Squadron Twelve (VA-12) "Flying Ubangis" Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Mazama 166k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way off Mayport, FL. in 1965.
    US navy photo.
    Mike Smolinski
    Mazama 26k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Mazama 132k USS Mazama (AE-9) conducting and underway replenishment with the attack aircraft carrier USS Bonhomme Richard (CVA-31), circa 1969, location unknown.
    US Navy photo by PH1 J. D. Martin.
    Robert Hurst
    Mazama 68k USS Mazama (AE-9) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

    USS Mazama (AE-9)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Harris, P. V. R.10 March 1944 - January 1946
    02LCDR. Fish, Hamilton C.January 1946 - 21 March 1946
    03LCDR. Gadberry, William Franklin21 March 1946 - 3 August 1946
     Decommissioned3 August 1946 - 24 April 1952
    04CAPT. Haviland III, James William, USN (USNA 1925)24 April 1952 - 1952
    05CAPT. Holley, G. M.1952 - November 1955
    06CAPT. Dalton, Joseph Francis, USN (USNA 1937)November 1955 - 10 June 1957
      Decommissioned10 June 1957 - 27 November 1961
    07CAPT. Hankey, John Robert27 November 1961 - 13 March 1963
    08CAPT. Osterhoudt, Raymond Shrady, USN13 March 1963 - 11 March 1964
    09CAPT. Schremp, James Frances, USN (USNA 1942)11 March 1964 - 24 March 1965
    10CAPT. Lambert, Glenn Earl, USN (USNA 1944)24 March 1965 - 8 July 1966
    11CAPT. Kiley, Donald Walter8 July 1966 - 25 July 1967
    12CAPT. Cummings, Jr., Arthur Howard25 July 1967 - 18 July 1968
    13 CAPT. Viscardi, Peter Walsh18 July 1968 - 30 December 1969
    14CAPT. Howe, Thomas30 December 1969 - 13 March 1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Mazama (AE-9)
    AE/AOE Sailors Association

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 27 September 2019