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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
ex
 Mission Soledad (AO-136) (1947 - 1949)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Quebec - Oscar
 NHQO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Korean Service Medal (5) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Mission Buenaventura Class Fleet Oiler:
  • Laid down, 12 July1943, as a Maritime Commission type (T2-SE-A2) tanker hull under a Maritime Commission contract at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA.
  • Launched, 28 September 1943
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 16 January 1944, for charter to Pacific Tankers, Inc., for operations
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, mid-February 1946, for lay up in reserve at Marinship Corp., Sausalito, CA.
  • Acquired by the Navy, 16 October 1947
  • Placed in service by the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) as Mission Soledad (AO-136) under charter to Pacific Tankers, Inc., for operations
  • Control transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) 1 October 1949, redesignated USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
  • During the Korean War USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counteroffensive
    26 to 28 March 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    28 November 1951 to 4 January 1952
    8 to 10 January 1952
    12 to 15 March 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    2 to 10 May 1951
    22 June to 8 July 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    10 to 12 May 1952
    15 to 26 August 1952
    5 to 8 September 1952
    4 to 8 February 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    21 to 27 November 1951     		.

  • Placed out of service, struck from the Naval Register, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 31 October 1957
  • Commercial Service
  • Sold, 4 November 1966, to the Hudson Waterways Corp. for conversion to a container ship
  • Renamed SS Seatrain California 7 November 1966
  • Renamed SS Transontario, 21 February 1967
  • Sold, 18 September 1969, to Greyhound Leasing and Financial Corp.
  • Reflagged Panamanian, 21 August 1975
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1979
  • USNS Mission Soledad earned five battle star for Korean War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,532 t.(lt) 21,880 t.(fl)
    Length 524'
    Beam 68'
    Draft 30' (max)
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement 52 mariners
    Armament none
    Propulsion turbo-electric, single screw, 6000hp
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    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
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    Mission San Carlos 1339k USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) underway near San Pedro. Note Long Beach Naval Shipyard can be seen in the far distance over the Quonset huts. David Buell
    Mission San Carlos 1621k USNS Mission Soledad (T-AO-136) underway in the Long Beach/San Pedro area, date unknown. David Buell
    View the Mission Soledad (T-AO-136)
    DANFS history entry located at Navsource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    U.S. Navy Oilers
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 19 September 2008