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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Wabash (AOR-5)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - November - India - Kilo NNIK

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (4) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Persian Gulf, Op. Restore Hope, Somalia)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal (3)

Wichita Class Replenishment Oiler:

Laid down, 1 January 1970, at General Dynamics Corp., Quincy, MA.

Launched, 1 February 1971

Commissioned USS Wabash (AOR-5), 20 November 1971, CAPT. Robert P. Chrisler USN in command

During the Vietnam War USS Wabash (AOR-5) participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaign
Vietnam Ceasefire 9 to 27 December 1972 3 to 12 January 1973 21 January to 14 February 1973 21 to 25 February 1973 25 to 28 March 1973

Decommissioned, 30 September 1994

Removed from Long Beach Naval Shipyard under tow to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia, CA.

Arrived, Suisun Bay, 2 October 1994, for lay up Row G Berth 10

Struck from the Naval Register, 8 April 1997

USS Wabash earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service

Permanent Title transfer to MARAD, 23 December 1997

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 October 2012, for $2,026,726, to ESCO Marine, Brownsville, TX. (MA 14149)

Removed to Mare Island for cleaning, 14 November 2012

Removed from Mare Island, 3 December 2012 under tow by M/V Bario Brusco

Arrived, 24 January 2013, at ESCO Marine, 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
	138k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** Welcome Aboard pamphlet cover.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	42k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way, date and location unknown.	Dennis Schrock, USN Retired Atoka, OK.
	135k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	95k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** standing out to sea from San Diego, CA., date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
09210524	193k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** standing out to sea from San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	146k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way, date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	266k	Overhead view of *USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way, circa 1970s, location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	81k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5) conducting an underway replenishment at sea (RAS) with USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)** in the Pacific Ocean, circa February-March 1979.	Photo by Ken Moss EN3 Staff CTF-76
	90k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5) conducting an underway replenishment at sea (RAS) with USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)** in the Pacific Ocean, circa February-March 1979.	Photo by Ken Moss EN3 Staff CTF-76
	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
	2294k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5) underway during a replenishment at sea (RAS) with USS Chandler (DDG-996)*, 15 October 1983, in the Pacific Ocean. DVIC photo # DN-SC-85-07299* by PH3 C. Yerbba, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center.	Robert M. Cieri
04010996	1.89m	Battlegroup Bravo, Indian Ocean, 10 June 1984 *USS Davidson* (FF-1045), USS Berkeley (DDG-15), USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23), USS Harold E. Holt (FF-1074), USS Wabash (AOR-5), USS Stein (FF-1065),USS O'Brien (DD-975), USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), USS Chandler (DD-996), USS Long Beach (CGN-9)**	GMM1 Michael McDevitt, USN (Ret.)
04010996a			GMM1 Michael McDevitt, USN (Ret.)
	295k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5) conducting an underway replenishment of USS Duncan (FFG-10)** while at sea, 16 October 1984. DVIC photo # DNSC8601957 by PH3 O'Sullivan.	Defense Visual Information Center
	192k	Starboard bow view of *USS Wabash* (AOR-5) (center) conducting an underway replenishment of USS Duncan (FFG-10) (left) and the Australian frigate HMAS Darwin (F-04)** (right), 16 October 1984: at sea. DVIC photo # DNSC8601956 by PH3 O'Sullivan	Defense Visual Information Center
	961k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr
09210525	319k	Aerial bow view of the first battleship battle group to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War underway, 1 May 1987. The ships are, clockwise from top: Replenishment oiler *USS Wabash* (AOR 5), Destroyer USS Merrill (DD-976), Frigate USS Gray (FF-1054), Guided missile frigate USS Thach (FFG-43), Nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser USS Long Beach (CGN-9) and the Battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62)*, center. Defenseimagery.mil, photo # DN-SC-87-00351*	Robert Hurst
	93k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way date and location unknown. US Navy photo from the collections of the US Navy Memorial.	Stan Svec
	127k	*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** under way date and location unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.

USS Wabash (AOR-5) moored at Pier 90 Seattle. WA. during Seafare 1985 - Photos by Vern Bouwman

MARAD Suisun Bay Group Reserve Fleet
	283k	Ex-*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** laid up in reserve in the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benicia, CA. US Maritime Administration photos	Ron Reeves
	181k
	398k	Ex-*USS Wabash* (AOR-5)** passing under the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco while under tow and outbound to Brownsville, TX. for scrapping by ESCO Marine, 3 December 2012. Photo by Mike McCullough.	Ron Reeves

For more photos and information about USS Wabash, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
USS Wabash Decommissioning Program

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Chrisler, Robert Perry	20 November 1971 - September 1973
02	CAPT. Jacobssen Jr., George Eugene	September 1973 - 21January 1975
03	CAPT. Ashurst, Albert Joseph	21 January 1975 - March 1977
04	CAPT. Elie, Gayle Owen	March 1977 - 2 August 1978
05	CAPT. Ryan, James Wallace	2 August 1978 - 10 January 1980
06	CAPT. Ilg, Raymond Paul :VADM	10 January 1980 - 3 July 1981
07	CAPT. Wood, Phillip Ray	3 July 1981 - 7 January 1983
08	CAPT. O'Brien Jr., George Donoghue	7 January 1983 - 15 July 1984
09	CAPT. Matheny, James Timothy	15 July 1984 - 15 July 1986
10	CAPT. Powers, Danny J.	15 July 1986 - February 1988
11	CAPT. Wright, Donald Jay, USN (USNA 1964)	February 1988 - 5 August 1989
12	CAPT. Rud, Gilman Everett	5 August 1989 - 10 February 1991
13	CAPT. Duermeyer, Stephen P.	10 February 1991 - 5 February 1993
14	CAPT. Chamberlain, Carl W., USN	5 February 1993 - 30 September 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 26 August 2022