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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AO-146 Kawishiwi

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - November - Quebec - Delta

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Vietnam, 3-Korea, 1-Op Frequent Wind)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (8) - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Frequent Wind) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Neosho Class Fleet Oiler:

Laid down, 5 October 1953, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.

Launched, 11 December 1954

Commissioned USS Kawishiwi (AO-146), 6 July 1955, CAPT. Joseph B. Swain in command

During the Vietnam War Kawishiwi (AO-146) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 21 to 24 December 1965	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 1 to 3 November 1969 9 to 14 November 1969 4 to 19 December 1969 23 December 1969 to 5 January 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 25 December 1965 to 2 January 1966 13 to 27 January 1966 14 to 15 February 1966 2 to 9 April 1966 14 to 24 April 1966 7 to 19 May 1966 15 to 21 June 1966	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 10 to 22 September 1970 28 September to 11 October 1970 18 to 24 October 1970 2 to 3 November 1970 15 to 29 November 1970 1 to 3 January 1971 7 to 14 January 1971 20 to 27 January 1971 10 to 13 February 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 6 June 1967 17 to 30 June 1967 11 to 18 July 1967 5 to 11 August 1967 25 August to 4 September 1967 26 September to 10 October 1967 6 to 9 October 1968	Consolidation II 11 to 15 February 1972 23 February 1 March 1972 7 to 16 March 1972 27 to 29 March 1972
Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 18 July to 4 August 1969 10 to 24 August 1969 25 September to 10 October 1969 19 to 28 October 1969	Vietnam Ceasefire 30 March to 3 April 1972 17 April to 1 May 1972 19 to 31 May 1972 10 to 17 June 1972 26 June to 6 July 1972 14 to 25 July 1972 9 to 21 August 1972 5 to 9 September

Decommissioned, circa 1978

Assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) and placed in service as USNS Kawishiwi (T-AO-146)

Placed out of service, (date unknown)

Struck from the Naval Register, 7 November 1994

Title transfer to MARAD, 1 May 1999, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Final Disposition, fate unknown

Kawishiwi earned eight campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 11,600 t.(lt), 38,000 t.(fl)
Length 655'
Beam 86'
Draft 35'
Speed 20 kts.
Cargo Capacity 180,000 bbls
Complement

Commissioned USS 324

In Service USNS 106 Civilian Mariners, 21 Navy
Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

four twin 3"/50 gun mounts
Propulsion two geared turbines, two boilers, two shafts, 28,000 shaft horsepower

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Kawishiwi (AO-146)
	1050k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) underway off Oahu, T.H., 29 October 1958 while refueling Fessenden (DER-142). US Navy BuAer photo # 039077, Altitude 50', Date 10-28-58, Camera F56, 8.25 F.L. Time 2200z.	David Buell
	88k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) at Naval Station Subic Bay, PI, January 1965. Archerfish (AGSS-311) is in the foreground	Allen R. Vaughan QM2(SS) USS Archerfish (SS-AGSS-311)
	82k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) at Pearl Harbor, HI, October 1968	© Richard Leonhardt
	165k	Rochester (CA-124) moving in to refuel from Kawishiwi (AO-146), August 1956	Dale C. Haskin
	83k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) refueling Kitty Hawk (CV-63) and Turner Joy (DD-951), 23 April 1964. US Navy photo USN 1097351 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
	83k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) at Pier H, Pearl Harbor, HI, 17 May 1969.	© Richard Leonhardt
	116k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) underway, in 1971, location unknown.	Robert M. Cieri in honor of his brother CWO3 Harry Michael Cieri, USN Ret. USS Kawishiwi December 1968 to January 1972
	63k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) refueling a Missouri class battleship, date and place unknown. DOD photo # DNSN9304062	Defense News Service
	93k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) refueling a Missouri class battleship, date and place unknown. DOD photo # DNSN9304061	Defense News Service
	82k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) refueling Ranger (CV-61), overhead view, date and place unknown. DOD photo # DNSC9305045	Defense News Service
	78k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) refueling Ranger (CV-61), date and place unknown. DOD photo # DNSC9305047	Defense News Service
	79k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) refueling Ranger (CV-61), date and place unknown. DOD photo # DNSC9305048	Defense News Service
	58k	Kawishiwi (AO-146) underway, date and place unknown. DOD photo # DNSC9203568	Defense News Service
USNS Kawishiwi (T-AO-146)
	66k	Kawishiwi (T-AO-146) underway, date and place unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USN Ret.
	70k	Kawishiwi (T-AO-146) stern fueling station hose rig.	Richard Miller BMCS USN Ret.