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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Kansas City (AOR-3)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Charlie - Mike
NZCM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Iran/Indian Ocean) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Persian Gulf, Op. Restore Hope Somalia) - Vietnam Service Medal (3) - Southwest Asia Service Medal
Fourth Row - Humanitarian Service Medal (1- Boat People) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)


Wichita Class Replenishment Oiler:
  • Laid down, 18 April 1968, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 28 June 1969
  • Commissioned USS Kansas City (AOR-3), 6 June 1970, CAPT. Karl J. Christoph Jr. USN in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Kansas City (AOR-3) participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    12 to 27 June 1971
    Vietnam Ceasefire
    5 to 28 May 1972
    9 to 24 June 1972
    4 to 19 July 1972
    28 July to 15 August 1972
    29 August to 8 September 1972
    27 September to 18 October 1972
    1 to 26 November 1972
    Consolidation I
    9 to 26 July 1971
    6 to 30 August 1971
    6 to 8 September 1971
    26 September to 13 October 1971
    21 October to 3 November 1971
     

  • Decommissioned, 7 October 1994
  • Laid up, 10 October 1994, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 April 1997
  • USS Kansas City earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Vietnam Service Medal with three campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Custody transferred to MARAD, 24 February 2001
  • Final Disposition, sold, 11 June 2013, to All Star Metals, Brownsville, TX. (MA 14321)
  • Removed to Mare Island for cleaning, 31 July 2013
  • Removed from Mare Island, 16 August 2013 under tow by M/V Rachel to Brownsville, TX.
  • Arrived, 20 October 2013, at All Star Metals, Brownsville, TX
    Specifications:
    Displacement 14,048 t.(lt) 39,790 t.(fl)
    Length 659'
    Beam 96'
    Draft 37' (max.)
    Speed 20 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 34
    Enlisted 463
    Armament
    two Phalanx Close-In-Weapons System (CIWS)
    Sparrow Missile System (NSSMS)
    Aircraft two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters
    Propulsion
    two steam turbines
    three boilers
    twin propellers, 32,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    Kansas City 92k Kansas City (AOR-3) on the builders ways at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA., 27 June 1969, is lighted up with activity as final preparations are made for her launching and christening the following day, 28 June 1969. Mrs. Harry Darby, wife of Kansas industrialist and former US Senator will christen the ship.
    AP Wirephoto.
    Ron Reeves
    Kansas City 166k
    Kansas City 66k Kansas City (AOR-3) ready for launching, 28 June 1969, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA. Tommy Trampp
    Kansas City 163k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Kansas City
    09210330
    128k HMAS Brisbane (D-41) crew members unpacking 5-inch main armament ammunition projectiles and powder canisters coming aboard from USS Kansas City (AOR-3) off the coast of Vietnam in 1971.
    Photos from HMAS Brisbane by Bob Westthorp RAN 1964-68.
    Bob Canchola
    Kansas City 91k HMAS Brisbane (D-41) breaks away from USS Kansas City (AOR-3) after completing a replenishment-at-sea off the coast of Vietnam in 1971.
    Photos from HMAS Brisbane by Bob Westthorp RAN 1964-68.
    Bob Canchola
    Kansas City 84k
    Kansas City 92k
    Kansas City 174k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway while replenishing ,USS John Paul Jones (DDG-32) and USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), probably off the coast of California during a training/CarQual period, circa 1971-75. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Vega
    09065947
    149k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway in WestPac preparing to conduct an underway replenishment at sea with USS VEga (AF-59), May 1972.
    Photo taken from USS Mispillion (AO-105) by Bruce Hevner.
    Bob Canchola
    Vega
    09065948
    129k
    Kansas City 67k USS Kansas City (AOR-3), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Courtesy Greg Peterman MMCM(SS) USN Ret
    via Brad Bradford ETC USNR Ret
    Kansas City 33k USS Kansas City (AOR-3), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    .
    CVN-65, CV-43, CV-34
    157k Aerial view of NAS Alameda piers, circa July-August 1975. Ships present include from left to right:
    USS Enterprise (CVN-65),
    USS Coral Sea (CV-43),
    USS Kansas City (AOR-3),
    USS Wabash (AOR-5), and
    USS Oriskany (CV-34)
    US Navy photo from the Naval Photographic Center, Washington, D.C.
    Robert M. Cieri
    Kansas City 186k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway in San Francisco Bay in 1978, Note the Boeing-Vertol UH-46 Sea Knight.
    Photos by Karsten Petersen
    Robert Hurst
    Kansas City 171k
    Kansas City 226k
    Kansas City 57k USS Kansas City (AOR-3), dry docked, at San Francisco, circa early to mid-1980s. Photo by Mark Townsend
    via Brad Bradford ETC USNR Ret
    Kansas City
    09210333
    119k Overhead view of USS Kansas City (AOR-3) refueling the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CV-43) and escorts, in 1983. Coral Sea, with assigned Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14), was on her round-the-world cruise from 21 March to 12 September 1983.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Kansas City (AOR-3) 1983 cruise book
    Robert Hurst
    Kansas City 92k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway in San Francisco Bay, date unknown Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Kansas City 117k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. and Mark Townsend via Brad Bradford ETC USNR Ret
    Kansas City 260k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway in the Pacific Ocean, 2 July 1987.
    DVIC photo # DN-SC-05-07454, a US Navy photo, by PHAN K. Mcelreath USN, now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.
    Bill Gonyo
    Kansas City 48k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Kansas City 64k Overhead view of USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial
    Stan Svec
    Kansas City
    09210332
    263k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway out bound to sea from San Francisco, Bay, date unknown.
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Kansas City 512k USS Kansas City (AOR-3) underway on the Columbia River, 8 June 1989.
    Photos by Rick Garcia
    Chris Howell, Southland Ship Stores Limited, Port of Bluff, N.Z.
    Kansas City 458k
    MARAD Suisun Bay Group Reserve Fleet
    Kansas City 249k Ex-USS Kansas City (AOR-3) laid up in reserve in the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
    US Maritime Administration photos
    Ron Reeves
    Kansas City 214k
    Kansas City 97k Ex-USS Kansas City (AOR-3) at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard for cleaning, 31 July 2013, prior to being towed to Brownsville, TX. for dismantling. Photo by Mike McCullough
    Kansas City 75k Tugs MV Z Four and MV Lynn Marie move ex-USS Kansas City (AOR-3) out of Drydock No. 2 at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard after cleaning, 16 August 2013, prior to being towed to Brownsville, TX. for dismantling. Photo by Mike McCullough

    USS Kansas City Additional Ships Patches
    Kansas City
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    Kansas City
    Contributed by Kevin Mook

    USS Kansas City (AOR-3)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Christoph Jr., Karl John, USN (USNA 1948-A) :RADM6 June 1970 - 27 September 1971
    02CDR. Schwoefferman, Robert Eugen, USN (USNA 1948-B) (acting)27 September 1971 - 28 September 1971
    03CAPT. Craven, Phillip Robert, USN28 September 1971 28 October 1972
    04CAPT. Schwoefferman, Robert Eugen, USN (USNA 1948-B)28 October 1972 - February 1974
    05CAPT. Henriques Jr., David Nunes, USN2 February 1973 - July 1974
    06CAPT. Hansen, Ronald Ralph, USN29 July 1974 - 29 June 1976
    07CAPT. Moore, Thomas George, USN29 June 1976 - 28 October 1977
    08CAPT. Wilson Jr., John R. (Smoke), USN28 October 1977 - 12 January 1979
    09CAPT. Brooks, Dennis Mathew, USN (USNA 1957) :RADM12 January 1979 - 14 June 1980
    10CAPT. Scoffield, Gary Adam, USN14 June 1980 - 8 January 1982
    11CAPT. Brown Jr., Ralph Edward, USN8 January 1982 - 26 January 1984
    12CAPT. Churchill, Bruce William, USN (USNA 1961) 26 January 1984 - 16 August 1985
    13CAPT. Anselmo, Philip Shepard, USN :RADM16 August 1985 - 3 April 1987
    14CAPT. Christensen Jr., Ernest Edward, USN (USNA 1964)3 April 1987 - 6 January 1989
    15CAPT. Pivonka, Leo Michael, USN6 January 1989 - 6 February 1991
    16CAPT. Franson, William Eric, USN6 February 1991 - 11 August 1992
    17CAPT. Malone, Michael Dennis, USN (USNA 1970) :VADM11 August 1992 - 25 July 1994
    18CAPT. Boyer, Philip Owen, USN25 July 1994 - 7 October 1994
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    Last Updated 23 June 2023