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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Zulu - Oscar
NKZO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean, 5-Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal


Wichita Class Replenishment Oiler:
  • Laid down, 1 October 1970, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 1 November 1972
  • Commissioned USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6), 11 August 1973, CAPT. John Henry Bres in command
  • Decommissioned, 16 August 1996
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 October 1998
  • Laid up, 1 November 1998, at the Intermediate Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Removed, under two from ISMF Philadelphia, 2 August 2000
  • Arrived, 3 August 2000, for lay up at the James River National Defense Reserve Fleet, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Title transfer, 24 February 2001 to the Maritime Administration (MARAD)
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 July 2008, to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX. for $1,465,726,
  • Removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, 30 September 2008, arrived ESCO Brownsville, TX., 10 October 2008
    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
    Kalamazoo
    09210614
    116k Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under construction at the Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, MA., circa in 1971.
    US Navy photo from USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) 1973-1974 cruise book.
    Robert Hurst
    Kalamazoo/Turner 67k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) refueling USS Richmond K Turner (CG-20), North Atlantic, October 1975 © Richard Leonhardt
    Kalamazoo 64k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) at Barcelona, Spain, 12 July 1980 Photo by Fabio Peņa
    Kalamazoo 121k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy from "NAVSEA Journal."
    Bob Bush
    Kalamazoo 53k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under way, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Kalamazoo
    09210615
    266k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) underway outbound to sea from Norfolk, VA., date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Kalamazoo
    09210616
    180k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Kalamazoo 59k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Kalamazoo (AOR-6) web site
    Kalamazoo 143k Aerial view of USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) replenishing the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the guided missile destroyer USS Richard E. Byrd (DDG-23) and the guided missile cruiser USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27), 5 February 1987. The ships are part of Carrier Group Eight.
    Defense Visual Information Center photo # DN-SC-87-03840, a US Navy photo by PH1 Ron Beno now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.
    Bill Gonyo
    Kalamazoo 1454k A starboard view of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and their escorts underway off the coast of Beirut, Lebanon, 5 February 1987. The escorts are, from front to back: the frigate USS W.S. Sims (FF-1059) replenishment oilers USS Savannah (AOR-4) and USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) and the guided missile destroyer USS Richard E. Byrd (DDG-23).
    Defense Visual Information Center photo # DN-ST-87-04835, by PH1 Ron Beno, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.
    Bill Gonyo
    CV-60 Saratoga + CV-63 Kitty Hawk + other ships
    NS026095
    1.66M

    Turnover in the Mediterranean, 17 June 1987. Clockwise from top center: USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, en route to Philadelphia; guided missile frigate USS Hawes (FFG-53); USS Saratoga (CV-60) with Carrier Air Wing (CVW-17). newly arrived in the Med from Mayport; guided missile frigate USS Doyle (FFG-39); frigate USS W.S. Sims (FF-1059); destroyer USS Comte de Grasse (DD-974); guided missile cruiser USS Josephus Daniels (CG-27); destroyer USS Conolly (DD-979); frigate USS Truett (FF-1095); and guided missile destroyer USS William V. Pratt (DDG-44). Replenishment oiler USS Kalamazoo(AOR-6) is steaming in the center of the formation.
    US Navy photo by PH2 Thomas Hensley.

    Museum of Military History, Kissimmee, FL
    Kalamazoo 2300k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) conducting and underway replenishment with the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-60), 23 June 1993, in the Atlantic Ocean.
    US Navy photo by PHAN Werling.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Kalamazoo 85k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.
    Stan Svec
    Kalamazoo 126k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Kalamazoo 74k USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) under way, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

    There is no DANFS history available for USS Kalamazoo (AOR-6) at NavSource
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Bres, John Henry11 August 1973 - 30 April 1975
    03CAPT. Tuttle, Jerry Owen :VADM30 April 1975 - 11 August 1976
    03CAPT. Kohn Jr., Edwin Rudolph :VADM11 August 1976 - 20 December 1977
    04CAPT. Cramer, Dean E. (NG)20 December 1977 - 24 May 1979
    05CAPT. Taylor, Jeremy Dolph :RADM24 May 1979 - 14 August 1980
    06CAPT. Feran, Paul Michael14 August 1980 - 17 January 1982
    07CAPT. Smith Jr., Leighton Warren (Snuffy) :ADM17 January 1982 - 20 July 1983
    08CAPT. Rasmussen, John David20 July 1983 - 23 March 1985
    09CAPT. Joyner, James Dietrich23 March 1985 - 22 September1986
    10CAPT. McCrory, Donald Lee 22 September 1986 - 23 June 1988
    11CAPT. Mobley, Joseph Scott, USN (USNA 1966) :VADM23 June 1988 - 26 January 1990
    12CAPT. Winters, Timothy Paul, USN (USNA 1967)26 January 1990 - 10 July 1991
    13CAPT. Lundahl, David Carlton10 July 1991 - 5 Mach 1993
    14CAPT. Fahy Jr., Edward Joseph, USN (USNA 1970) :RADM5 March 1993 - 28 August 1994
    15CAPT. Deal, Rocklun Allen (Rocky)28 August 1994 - 29 September 1995
    16CAPT. Avveduti Jr., Joseph Peter, USN (USNA 1974) 29 September 1995 - 16 August 1996
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    Last Updated 12 August 2022