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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Sacramento (AOE-1)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Mike - Delta - Foxtrot NMDF
Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Imperial Quebec

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - Navy Expeditionary Medal (3)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (4) - Vietnam Service Medal (13)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Sacramento Class Fast Combat Support Ship:

Laid down, 30 June 1961, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.

Launched, 14 September 1963

Commissioned USS Sacramento (AOE-1), 14 March 1964

Sacramento and her sister USS Camden (AOE-2), are unique in that their propulsion systems were originally installed in

the uncompleted sister to the two Iowa class battleships, USS Kentucky (BB-66). When it was decided to scrap

Kentucky, the Navy split the propulsion system and installed it in Sacramento and Camden

Sacramento was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, and homeported at Bremerton, WA.

During the Vietnam War USS Sacramento (AOE-1) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Defense 6 to 17 November 1965 25 November to 9 December 1965 19 to 24 December 1965	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 21 to 30 June 1969 26 to 27 July 1969 3 to 23 August 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 25 to 29 December 1965 12 to 23 January 1966 31 January to 12 February 1966 21 February to 1 March 1966 7 to 20 March 1966 3 to 14 April 1966 23 April to 6 May 1966 14 to 15 May 1966 22 May to 6 June 1966	Vietnam Winter-Sprint 1970 22 March to 13 April 1970 19 to 30 April 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase II 12 to 15 December 1966 24 December 1966 to 13 January 1967 22 January to 12 February 1967 26 February to 11 March 1967 20 March to 2 April 1967 12 to 16 April 1967 21 to 31 May 1967	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1 to 8 May 1970 14 to 15 and 20 to 25 May 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase III 1 to 4 June 1967 12 to 18 June 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VII 20 July to 22 August 1970 25 March to 20 April 1971 29 April to 19 May 1971 19 to 30 June 1971
Tet Counteroffensive 30 March to 1 April 1968	Consolidation I 1 to 8 July 1971 20 July to 1 August 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase IV 2 to 14-April 1968 22 April to 1 May 1968 10 to 19 May 1968 3 to 15 June 1968	Vietnam Ceasefire 1 to 13 September 1972 22 September to 7 October 1972 23-October to 9 November 1972 16 November to 21 December 1972 27 December 1972 to 13 January 1973 4 to 22 February 1973 2 to 13 March 1973
Tet 69/ Counteroffensive 8 to 31 March 1969 14 to 18 April 1969 18 May to 5 June 1969

Decommissioned, 1 October 2004, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA.

Laid up at the NAVSEA Inactive Ships On-site Maintenance Office, Bremerton, WA., to be disposed of in support of fleet training exercises

Contact awarded to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., for scrapping, in lieu of use as a target for fleet training, 13 April 2007, scrapping completed, 11 July 2008

USS Sacramento earned thirteen campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 18,884 t.(lt) 49,956 t.(fl);
Length 793'
Beam 107'
Draft 38' (max.)
Speed 26 kts.
Complement

Officers 22

Enlisted 530
Aircraft two CH46E Sea Knight helicopters
Armament

eight 3"/50 dual purpose guns (as built)

NATO Sea Sparrow missiles, replace two 3'/50 gun mounts

Sea Sparrow missiles replaced by two Phalanx CIWS
Propulsion

four boilers

two geared steam turbines

two propellers, 100,000shp

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
107k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1)** standing out to sea as she passes Point Loma at the entrance to San Diego Bay, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
72k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
110k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1), center, replenishing the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14), right, and the destroyer USS Basilone (DD-824)** in the South China Sea, 13 April 1966. US Navy Photograph # USN 111706 by PH2 J.L. Rivera, USN.	Tony Cowart
96k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) alongside USS Enterprise (CVN-65)**,Tonkin Gulf, June 1966	© Richard Leonhardt
92k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) underway in the South China Sea in 1966. Photo taken from USS Bausell (DD-845)** by Lee Noland STGC USN Ret. during breakaway from refueling ops.	Lee Noland STGC USN Ret. USS Bausell
88k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) alongside USS Enterprise (CVN-65)**, Tonkin Gulf, June 1966	© Richard Leonhardt
140k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1)**, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
79k	*USS Cacapon* (AO-52) (right) rides high in the water while transferring her remaining fuel oil to USS Sacramento (AOE-1)** off the coast of South Vietnam, 1 August 1966. US Navy photo # USN 1117156 from the Naval Historical Center collection.	Edward Rochefort
133k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) conducting an underway replenishment while alongside USS Hancock (CVA-19)** off the coast of Vietnam in April 1967.	Photo by Charles "Bud" Dehnert USS Hancock
140k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) conducting an underway replenishment while alongside USS Hancock (CVA-19)** off the coast of Vietnam in April 1967.	Photo by Charles "Bud" Dehnert USS Hancock
165k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) transfers fuel and ordinance to USS Hornet (CVS-12)** during replenishment operations in the South China Sea in June 1967. Photographed by JOC R.D. Moeser. US Navy photo # USN 1142142	US Naval Historical Center
1018k	An H-46 Sea Knight helicopter picks up a pallet of provisions from *USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) for transfer to the attack aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31)** during underway replenishment off the coast of Vietnam in June 1967. US Navy photo # USN 1124568 by JOC R.D. Moeser.	Chris Stanley from the collection of CDR Thomas B. Ray USS Essex
62k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) resupplying USS Boston (CAG-1)** on station off the coast of Vietnam. June 1968	John Jazdzewski, USS Boston
99k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) resupplying USS Boston (CAG-1)** on station off the coast of Vietnam. June 1968	John Jazdzewski, USS Boston
119k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) resupplying USS Boston (CAG-1)** on station off the coast of Vietnam. June 1968	John Jazdzewski, USS Boston
91k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) resupplying USS Boston (CAG-1)** on station off the coast of Vietnam. June 1968	John Jazdzewski, USS Boston
80k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) resupplying USS Boston (CAG-1)** on station off the coast of Vietnam. June 1968	John Jazdzewski, USS Boston
51k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) resupplying USS Boston (CAG-1)** on station off the coast of Vietnam. June 1968	John Jazdzewski, USS Boston
121k	Unofficial flag flown by *USS Sacramento* (AOE-1)** while conducting UNREPS during her 1968 deployment.	Reinhard Lindner BM3 USNR, USS Sacramento 1967-68
75k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) with USS Fox (DLG-33) coming alongside while underway in the South China Sea in 1970. Photo taken from USS Bausell (DD-845)** by Lee Noland STGC USN Ret.	Lee Noland STGC USN Ret. USS Bausell
183k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1)** conducting an underway replenishment at sea off the coast of Vietnam, circa 1970s.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
194k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1)** moored at NAS North Island in the summer of 1978.	Photo by Richard Stiles
36k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01) resupplying USS Wisconsin (BB-64) and USS Missouri (BB-63)** during Persian Gulf War US Navy photo
88k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) underway in the South China Sea as part of the Nimitz Battle Group*, 25 September 1997. US Navy photo # 970925-N-4778W-153*	Bill Gonyo
202k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) and USS Ford (FFG-54) maneuver into formation while conducting operations with the George Washington and Nimitz battle groups, 6 January 1998. Sacramento and Ford** were conducting operations in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. US Navy photo # 980106-N-2302H-001 by PH3 Joseph Hendricks.	Bill Gonyo
92k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) replenishes USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) as the guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG-72) approaches her station alongside Sacramento*, during "Operation Enduring Freedom", 24 November 2001. Note a CH-46 Sea Knight* helicopter, assigned to *Sacramento, also carrying supplies to Theodore Roosevelt. US Navy photo # 011124-N-5526M-002* by PH2 Bobby McRill.	Alex Tatchin
140k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) steams side-by-side with USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)** during a routine replenishment at sea at sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Oct. 12, 2001. US Navy photo # 011012-N-5884W-001. Photo by PH3 Carol Warden.	US Navy
71k	*USS Carl Vinson(CVN-70)* breaks away from *USS Sacramento* (AOE-01) after completing underway replenishment while USS Lassen (DDG-82) continues to receive fuel off Sacramento*'s starboard side while underway in the Southern Pacific Ocean, 27 January 2003. US Navy Photo # 030127-N-3241H-008* by PHAN Dustin Howell	Bernard A. Cardali USS LST-306
115k	*USS Ingraham* (FFG-61) takes on fuel from the starboard side of USS Sacramento (AOE-1) while USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)** receives cargo via Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) during a Replenishment at Sea (RAS), Western Pacific Ocean. US Navy photo # 030210-N-3241H-122 by PHAN Dustin Howell, 10 February 2003.	US Navy Newsstand
178k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-1) conducts an underway replenishment (UNREP) with USS Ingraham (FFG-61), 10 February 2003. The ships were part of the Carl Vinson Battle Group** conducting training in the Pacific Ocean in preparation for their next scheduled deployment. US Navy photo # 030210-N-0233J-161 by PH3 Ryan Jackson)	Bill Gonyo
314k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01) comes alongside the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in the Sea of Japan, 18 March 2003. The guided missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG-82)** sails in the distance. The ships are part of the Carl Vinson Battle Group currently on deployment in the western Pacific Ocean. US Navy photo # 030318-N-3241H-009 by PHAN Dustin Howell.	Robert Hurst
46k	USS Sacramento (AOE-1) with *USS Ingraham* (FFG-61)** alongside during an underway replenishment in the Philippine Sea, 20 June 2003. US Navy photo	Fred Weiss
62k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01) conducting a vertrep while underway with USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70)**, 25 June 2003, location unknown.	Photo by Thomas Hess
112k	Pacific Ocean, March 20, 2004 — The nuclear powered aircraft carrier *USS John C. Stennis* (CVN-74) preforms an underway replenishment (UNREP) with USS Sacramento (AOE-1). John C. Stennis spent over nine hours alongside Sacramento** transferring over 900 pallets of ordnance and supplies. U.S. Navy photo by PH3 Joshua Word (# 040320-N-4768W-068).	US Navy Newsstand
90k	*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01)** plaque.	Tommy Trampp
246k	Ex-*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01) at ESCO Marine awaiting scrapping. Ex-USS Camden (AOE-2)*, also awaiting the scrappers torch, is moored forward of ex-Sacramento*. Photo by © Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX.	TJ Tropea
1086k	Ex-*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01) at ESCO Marine awaiting scrapping. Ex-USS Camden (AOE-2), moored forward of Sacramento**, has a fire on board while being cut up by the scrappers torches. Photo by © Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX.	TJ Tropea
724k	Ex-*USS Sacramento* (AOE-01)** at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., while being scrapped, 4 December 2007. Photo by © Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX.	TJ Tropea

For more photos and information about USS Sacramento, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships U.S. Navy Oilers
AE/AOE Sailors Association
Reinhard Lindner USS Sacramento (AOE-1) photo collection
Vietnam / H-46 / Sacramento AOE-1 Pecasa Web Album, courtesy LCDR. Ken Gerken
Commanding Officers
Decommissioning Booklet

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 31 January 2013