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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Camden (AOE-2)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Sierra - Oscar
NJSO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation (4) - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - Navy Battle "E: Ribbon (3)
Second Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (3-Iran Indian Ocean. 2-Persian Gulf) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (9)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Sacramento Class Fast Combat Support Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 February 1961, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
  • Launched, 29 May 1965
  • Commissioned USS Camden (AOE-2), 1 April 1967
    USS Camden and her sister USS Sacramento (AOE-1), are unique in that their propulsion systems were originally installed in
    the uncompleted sister to the two Iowa class battleships, Kentucky (BB-66). When it was decided to scrap
    Kentucky, the Navy split the propulsion system and installed it in USS Sacramento and USS Camden
  • During the Vietnam War USS Camden (AOE-2) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase V
    02 to 11 and 19 to 29 July 1968
    12 August to 25 August 1968
    2 to 18 and 21 to 23 September 1968
    5 to 30 October 1968
    		 Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VII
    21 September to 7 October 1970
    24 October to 8 November 1970
    21 November to 7 December 1970
    14 January to 9 February 1971
    19 February to 1 March 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VI
    9 to 28 November 1968
    30 December 1968 to 18 January 1969
    28 January to 14 February 1969
    		Consolidation II
    26 February to 8 March 1972
    17 March 29 March 1972
    Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    14 September to 4 October 1969
    16 to 31 October 1969
    		 Vietnam Ceasefire Campaign
    30 March to 3 April 1972
    10 April to 6 May 1972
    16 to 28 May 1972
    12 to 30 June 1972
    7 to 28 July 1972
    15 to 25 August 1972
    Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    1 to 2 November 1969
    17 November to 10 December 1969
    13 to 25 January 1970
    1 and 8 to 9 February 1970
    14 February to 2 March 1970
    		 .
  • Decommissioned, 29 September 2005, at Pier Delta at Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 29 September 2005
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 April 2007, to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX.
  • USS Camden earned seven 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 24 Officers, 576 Enlisted
    Aircraft two CH-46E Sea Knight helicopters
    Armament NATO Sparrow missiles, two Phalanx CIWS
    Propulsion four boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 100,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Camden 74k USS Camden (AOE-2), date and location unknown,
    US Navy photo.    		 .
    Camden 158k Line handlers on board USS Boston (CA-69) bring across a fuel hose from USS Camden (AOE-2) during underway replenishment operations in the Gulf of Tonkin, July 1968.
    US Navy photo # USN 1134232 by PH2 Gardner, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Camden 63k USS Camden (AOE-2) at anchor at Subic Bay, P.I., in February 1969,
    US Navy photo.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Camden 153k USS Camden (AOE-2), en route to Vietnam, South China Sea Photo by William P Jones, MD
    Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3)
    Camden 197k USS Camden (AOE-2), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Dennis Stephenson SMC USN Ret
    Camden 104k USS Camden (AOE-2), with USS Hollister (DD-788) alongside during Vertrep and refueling operations off the coast of South Vietnam in 1969. Photo taken from Iwo Jima (LPH-2) by H.R. Adams CSC USN Larry Lee
    Camden 98k USS Camden (AOE-2), bows on view in port San Diego, at NAS North Island, circa February 1987. Photo taken from the USS Coronado (AGF-11). Lacy L Lee Jr, RM1 USN Ret
    Camden 95k USS Camden (AOE-2) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Camden 94k USS Camden (AOE-2) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Camden 61k USS Camden (AOE-2) moored pierside at NAS North Island, San Diego, CA., July 2004. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Camden 52k USS Camden (AOE-2) underway during a replenishment at sea with USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), 24 January 2005.
    US Navy photo # 050124-N-8623G-017 from the Navy NewsStand web site    		 Jack Treutle
    Camden 30k USS Camden (AOE-2) holds her station as an unidentified DDG breaks away and USS Mustin (DDG-89) prepares to come alongside for replenishment at sea. Week of 13 February 2005. Photo by Ens. Brandon M. Booher USS Mustin, submitted by John VanGiesen USS Camden
    Camden 45k USS Camden (AOE-2) holds her course as USS Mustin (DDG-89) comes alongside for replenishment at sea. Week of 13 February 2005. Good close-up view of USS Camden's stern area. Photo by Ens. Brandon M. Booher USS Mustin, submitted by John VanGiesen USS Camden
    Camden 55k USS Camden (AOE-2) and USS Mustin (DDG-89) about to begin a replenishment at sea. Week of 13 February 2005. Photo by Ens. Brandon M. Booher USS Mustin, submitted by John VanGiesen USS Camden
    Camden 36k USS Camden (AOE-2)'s greeting to ships that come alongside for replenishment at sea. Week of 13 February 2005. Photo by Ens. Brandon M. Booher USS Mustin, submitted by John VanGiesen USS Camden
    Camden 129k USS Camden (AOE-2) transits through the Suez Canal, while operating with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, deployed to the 6th Fleet area of operations (AOR), 8 July 2005. .
    US Navy photo # 050708-N-5275P-005 by PHAN Sherry Louise Peck.    		 Jack Treutle
    Camden 204k Ex-USS Camden (AOE-2) in the Panama Canal, 14 August 2007, while enroute to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., for scrapping. Photo by Capt. Peter, Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
    Camden 218k Ex-USS Camden (AOE-2) in the Panama Canal, 14 August 2007, while enroute to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., for scrapping. Photo by Capt. Peter, Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
    Camden 222k Ex-USS Camden (AOE-2) moored at ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX., while being dismantled. Photo by Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX.
    Sacramento 1086k Ex-USS Camden (AOE-02) moored forward of ex-USS Sacramento (AOE-01) at ESCO Marine during scrapping operations. USS Camden (AOE-2) has a fire on board while being cut up by the scrappers torches. Photo by © Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX. TJ Tropea
    There is no DANFS history available for USS Camden (AOE-2) at NavSource
    View Slide presentation from USS Camden's WESTPAC 1968 deployment contributed by Tom Armstrong
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    "AE" Sailors Association
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    Last Updated 29 February 2008