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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Charlie Greene

USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3)
ex
 USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) (1967 - 1994)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Kilo - Juliet
NEKJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (17 January 1991 to 28 February 1991) - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (5) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (3-Iran/Indian Ocean)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (10) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Korea, 4-Persian Gulf, 2-Op. Restore Hope Somalia)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Campaign Medal - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (14) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Mars Class Combat Stores Ship:
  • Laid down, 22 May 1965, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA.
  • Launched, 26 March 1966
  • Commissioned, USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), 29 April 1967, CAPT. Horace C. Holley USN, in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    20 April to 4 May 1968
    16 to 23 June 1968
    30 June 1968    		 Vietnamese Winter-Spring 1970
    21 November to 3 December 1969
    12 to 29 January 1970
    3 to 15 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 to 16 July 1968
    26 July to 1 August 1968
    22 to 28 August 1968
    3 to 16 Septmeber1968    		 Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    3 to 15 May 1970
    2 to 13 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    4 to 11 February 1969
    18 to 22 February 1969    		 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    3 to 15 July 1970
    20 to 30 June 1971
    Tet69/Counteroffensive
    23 February to 3 March 1969
    9 to 19 March 1969
    21 April to 5 May 1969
    11 to 22 May 1969
    28 to 29 May 1969    		 Consolidation I
    1 to 7 July 1971
    19 to 29 July 1971
    11 to 19 August 1971
    2 to 10 September 1971
    19 to 28 September 1971
    17 to 27 October 1971
    19 to 20 November 1971
    Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    25 June to 8 July 1969
    13 to 22 July 1969
    28 to 30 July 1969
    29 August to 6 September 1969
    9 to 21 September 1969    		 Vietnam Ceasefire
    6 to 19 July 1972
    2 to 15 August 1972
    26 to 27 August 1972
    3 to 15 September 1972
    22 September to 1 October 1972
    18 October to 1 November 1972
    23 November to 3 December 1972
    13 to 26 December 1972
    4 to 23 January 1973
    22 to 27 February 1973
    11 to 19 March 1973

  • Decommissioned, September 1994
  • Assigned to the Military Sealift Command and placed in service, 23 September 1994 as USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3), assigned to the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (PM1) MSC Far East
  • Niagara Falls earned ten campaign stars during the Vietnam War
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,200 t.(lt) 15,900-18,663 t.(fl)
    Length 581'
    Beam 79'
    Draft 27' (max.)
    Speed 20 kts.
    Complement (MSC) 49 Navy, 125 civilian merchant seamen
    Aircraft two UH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
    Armament USS two twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Armament USNS none
    Propulsion three 580 psi Babcock and Wilcox boilers, one De Laval Turbine, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3)
    Niagara Falls 61k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) during VERTREP of USS Boston (CAG-1), on station off the coast of Vietnam, South China Sea, 1968 Photo by John Jazdzewski
    Niagara Falls 57k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) during VERTREP of USS Boston (CAG-1), on station off the coast of Vietnam, South China Sea, 1968 Photo by John Jazdzewski
    Niagara Falls 57k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) during VERTREP of USS Boston (CAG-1), on station off the coast of Vietnam, South China Sea, 1968 Photo by John Jazdzewski
    Niagara Falls 50k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) and USS Edson (DD-946) during VERTREP of USS Boston (CAG-1), on station off the coast of Vietnam, South China Sea, 1968. Photo by John Jazdzewski
    Niagara Falls 70k One of HC-3 USS Niagara Falls Det, helicopters during VERTREP of USS Boston (CAG-1), on station off the coast of Vietnam, South China Sea, 1968 Photo by John Jazdzewski
    Niagara Falls 51k One of HC-3 USS Niagara Falls Det, Helicopters over USS Boston (CAG-1)'s bow during VERTREP, on station off the coast of Vietnam, South China Sea, 1968 Photo by John Jazdzewski
    Niagara Falls 79k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) moored at India Basin, Naval Station, Sasebo, Japan in 1969. Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 67k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) in support of Marine Amphibious operations near the DMZ in Vietnam, 1969. Photo from the USS Repose (AH-16). Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 300k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) breaks off from USS Repose (AH-16) after completing an UNREP during operations in the area near the DMZ in 1969. Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 577k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) underway in the Gulf of Tonkin near Yankee Station conducting a VERTREP during replenishment operations in 1969. Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 50k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) moored at India Basin, Naval Station, Sasebo, Japan circa 1970. In the foreground is USS Hanson (DD-832). Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 106k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) on station, South China Sea, 1970 Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 38k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) moored to a buoy at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1970. Photo by William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 197k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) at anchor in 1970, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Buell
    Niagara Falls 101k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) underway, date and location unknown. William P. Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls 150k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) in dry dock at Todd Shipyard, San Francisco, CA., prior to her home port change to Guam.
    US Navy photo by JO2 Russell L. Coons from "All Hands" magazine, November 1983    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    CV-64 Constellation 106k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), alongside USS Constellation (CV-64) and USS Leahy (CG-16), underway in the South China Sea whilst part of Carrier Task Force 77.7. Robert Hurst
    Niagara Falls 109k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo by JO2 Russell L. Coons, from "All Hands" magazine, June 1984    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Niagara Falls 66k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 CWO3 Kenneth J Seaman USN Ret
    Niagara Falls 80k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 American Federation
    of Scientists Web Site
    Niagara Falls 57k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 American Federation
    of Scientists Web Site
    Niagara Falls 43k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) moored pierside, Naval Station Long Beach, CA., date unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Niagara Falls 58k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) sits in the harbor in Bahrain on April 1, 1991 in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.
    Department of Defense Visual Imaging Center photo    		 Fred Weiss
    Niagara Falls 62k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) in the Persian Gulf, 8 August 1991 The British destroyer HMS Gloucester (D-96), foreground, comes alongside USS Niagara Falls for underway replenishment as the destroyer USS Fife (DD-991) steams nearby during Operation Desert Storm.
    Department of Defense Visual Imaging Center photo    		 Fred Weiss
    Niagara Falls 131k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Niagara Falls 88k USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) underway passing Orote Point while entering the outer harbor, Naval Station Guam, Marianas Islands, date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr
    USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3)
    Niagara Falls 59k A port bow view of USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) as seen from a lower deck of USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) during an Underway Replenishment at sea (UNREP), 1 November 2001.
    Department of Defense Visual Imaging Center photo    		 Fred Weiss
    Niagara Falls 44k Aerial view of USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) approaching East Timor, June 2002 Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Niagara Falls 70k USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) at anchor off Dili, East Timor, June 2002 Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Niagara Falls 75k USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) at sea in the Middle East, 29 April 2003 to support multiple strike forces deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.US Navy photo # 030429-N-4441P-020 by PH2 Michael J. Pusnik, Jr. US Navy Newsstand
    Niagara Falls 44k USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) underway off the coast of Indonesia, 18 January 2005, in support of Operation Unified Assistance, the humanitarian operation effort in the wake of the Tsunami that struck South East Asia, 26 December 2004. US Navy photo # 050118-N-4336M-088 by PHAN Cristina R. Morrison. Jack Treutle
    		120k USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) delivers cargo to the hanger bay of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) during a replenishment at sea (RAS) in the Pacific Ocean, 23 July 2006. RAS is the on and off-loading of stores and equipment while ships are underway.
    US Navy photo # 060723-N-3946H-028.by MCSN Patrick L. Heil

    		 Chester Morris
    Niagara Falls 1522k USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS-3) conducts an underway replenishment with the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53). John Paul Jones is deployed with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG). The Nimitz CSG is operating as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility operating off the western Pacific and Indian oceans. US Navy photo # 080414-N-8421M-003 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 14, 2008) by MC1 David Mercil. Lee Wahler
    View the USS /USNS Niagara Falls (AFS-3 / T-AFS-3)
    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
    Welcome to USNS Niagara Falls
    Navy Fact File - Combat Stores Ships - T-AFS
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    Last Updated 12 May 2008