Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by USS Paricutin web site (Jim Poelstra)

AE-18 Paricutin

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - India - Echo
 Voice Call Sign "Beehive Echo"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (7) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (10)
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Mount Hood Class Ammunition Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 December 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1708) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 30 January 1945
  • Acquired by the Navy and Commissioned, USS Paricutin (AE-18), 3 March 1945
  • Decommissioned, 30 April 1948, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco Group
  • Recommissioned, 24 June 1950
  • During the Korean War Paricutin participated in the following campaigns
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Communist China Aggression
    22 November 1950 to 24 January 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    28 to 30 November 1951
    15 to 21 December 1951
    4 to 12 January 1952
    22 January to 6 February 1952
    22 February to 1 March 1952
    9 to 14 March 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive
    6 February to 9 April 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    5 to 16 September 1952
    9 to 18 October 1952
    8 to 24 November 1952
    30 November 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    25 to 29 April 1951
    4 to 14 May 1951
    25 May to 7 June 1951
    15 to 25 June 1951     		Third Korean Winter
    1 December and 2 to 30 December 1952
    12 to 19 January 1953
    22 January to 6 February 1953
    14 to 22 February 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    14 to 26 July 1951
    10 to 25 August 1951
    23 September to 2 October 1951
    10 to 19 October 1951
    11 to 12 November 1951
    26 to 27 November 1951     		.

  • During the Vietnam War Paricutin participated in the following campaigns
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    4 to 12 and 22 to 27 July 1965
    7 to 18 August 1965
    27 August to 7 September 1965
    17 to 27 September 1965
    8 to 17 October 1965
    23 October to 1 November 1965
    8 to 16 November 1965
    5 to 14 December 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 to 7 and 21 to 29 July 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    28 December to 7 January 1966
    20 to 31 January 1966
    10 to 14 February 1966     		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    1 to 3 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    12 September to 2 October 1966
    12 October to 8 November 1966
    21 November to 5 December 1966
    21 to 29 December 1966
    6 to 22 January 1967     		Vietnam Summer-Fall
    23 July to 21 August 1969
    28 August to 14 September 1969
    20 September to 2 October 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    2 to 17 March 1968
    25 March to 1 April 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    15 to 27 May 1970
    5 to 17 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 to 8 April 1968
    20 April to 3 May 1968
    10 to 14 and 24 to 30 June 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    23 July to 28 August 1970
    6 to 20 September 1970
    6 to 16 October 1970

  • Decommissioned (date unknown)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1973
  • Transferred to MARAD for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD, 16 October 1975, fate unknown
  • Paricutin earned seven battle stars for the Korean War service and ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 28' 3"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 267
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    two twin 3"/50 gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 7,700 DWT
    Propulsion geared turbine engines, single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Paricutin 93k Paricutin (AE-18) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Chris Kenney USS Paricutin (AE-18)
    Paricutin 160k Paricutin (AE 18) at right, resupplying Manchester (CL 83) with ammunition, in Wonsan Harbor, North Korea. Photograph dated 12 March 1951.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-427259, a US Navy photo, now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Paricutin 81k Paricutin (AE 18) during an underway replenishment, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine July 1955    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Paricutin 24k Paricutin (AE 18) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Hanson for his father
    Capt. Ralph M. Hanson USN Ret.USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 54k Bow view of Paricutin (AE 18) departing Mare Island, 23 April 1956. Paricutin was undergoing repairs at Mare Island from 11 February. to 23 April 1956.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 29044-4-56, 4/23/56.    		 Darryl Baker
    Paricutin 55k Stern view of Paricutin (AE 18) departing Mare Island, 23 April 1956.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 29048-4-56, 4/23/56.    		 Darryl Baker
    Paricutin 114k Paricutin (AE 18) and George K. MacKenzie (DD-836) during underway replenishment, date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Ken Dupree, YNCS, USN Ret USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 90k Paricutin (AE-18) replenishing Ranger (CVA-61) and Agerholm (DD-826) in the South China Sea, 16 December 1964.
    US Navy photo    		 David Hanson for his father CAPT. Ralph M. Hanson USN (Ret) CO USS Paricutin, 1964-65
    Paricutin 80k Paricutin (AE-18) rearming Coral Sea (CA-43) in the South China Sea, 26 February 1965.
    US Navy photo    		 David Hanson for his father CAPT. Ralph M. Hanson USN (Ret) CO USS Paricutin, 1964-65
    Paricutin 57k Paricutin (AE-18) rearming Coral Sea (CA-43) in the South China Sea, 26 February 1965.
    US Navy photo    		 David Hanson for his father CAPT. Ralph M. Hanson USN (Ret) CO USS Paricutin, 1964-65
    Paricutin 56k Paricutin (AE-18) rearming Coral Sea (CA-43) in the South China Sea, 26 February 1965.
    US Navy photo    		 David Hanson for his father CAPT. Ralph M. Hanson USN (Ret) CO USS Paricutin, 1964-65
    Paricutin 94k Paricutin (AE-18) rearming Coral Sea (CA-43) in the South China Sea, 26 February 1965.
    US Navy photo    		 David Hanson for his father CAPT. Ralph M. Hanson USN (Ret) CO USS Paricutin, 1964-65
    Paricutin 70k Paricutin (AE-18) rearming Coral Sea (CA-43) in the South China Sea, 26 February 1965.
    US Navy photo    		 David Hanson for his father CAPT. Ralph M. Hanson USN (Ret) CO USS Paricutin, 1964-65
    Paricutin 55k Paricutin (AE 18) is left behind as an unidentified aircraft carrier pulls away after completing an underway replenishment of ammunition, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine August 1967    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Paricutin 86k Paricutin (AE 18) and Ranger (CV-61) during underway replenishment, circa 1967-69.
    US Navy photo.    		 Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 55k Paricutin (AE 18) at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point, date unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 67k Paricutin (AE 18) at Naval Station Subic Bay, P.I., date unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 104k Paricutin (AE 18) during ORI training off San Diego, CA. (Note the gun smoke), date unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 158k Paricutin (AE 18) underway for I Corp, Vietnam with full deck load of ammunition, looking aft., date unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 141k Paricutin (AE 18) underway, for I Corp, Vietnam with full deck load of ammunition, looking forward., date unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 88k Paricutin (AE 18) underway, taking aboard empty shell casings from a destroyer alongside, date and place unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 139k Paricutin (AE 18) during highline transfer of personnel between ships while underway. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 69k Paricutin (AE 18) at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., date unknown. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 75k Paricutin (AE 18) at anchor at Subic Bay, P.I.. Photo was taken from the ships launch, circa 1967-68. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 95k Paricutin (AE 18) underway and conducting VERTREP operations, during TET offensive 1968. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 87k Paricutin (AE 18) underway online off Vietnam. Breaking out ammunition for an UNREP.1967. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 97k Paricutin (AE 18) during underway replenishment with an unidentified aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam, 1967. Photo by Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 77k Paricutin (AE 18) between UNREPs off the coast of Vietnam, 1967. George Tarnow is standing on a stack of bombs. Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin courtesy, George Tarnow, USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 111 Paricutin (AE 18) breaking ammo out of the holds, off the coast of Vietnam, 1967. Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin courtesy, George Tarnow, USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 96k Paricutin (AE 18) breaking out 2000 lbs. bombs. for unrep off the coast of Vietnam, 1967. Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin courtesy, George Tarnow, USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 105k Paricutin (AE 18) during unrep alongside an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam, 1967 Jack Dudenhoefer SM3 USN USS Paricutin courtesy, George Tarnow, USS Paricutin
    Paricutin 105k Paricutin (AE 18) moored pierside in a shipyard, date and place unknown. Courtesy Lyle Hildebrand USS Vega web site
    Paricutin 92k Paricutin (AE 18) moored pierside at Naval Station Subic Bay, P.I., date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine April 1970    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    View the Paricutin (AE-18)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Paricutin (AE-18)
    "AE" Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Ammunition Ship (AE) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 23 March 2007