USS Arikara (ATF-98) - Vietnam Service, Transfer To Chile and Fate

Vietnam Service, Transfer To Chile and Fate

Late in 1964, American involvement in the conflict in South Vietnam increased dramatically. As a consequence, Arikara began to visit the Vietnamese coast more frequently. By the fall of 1966, the tug found herself calling at such places as Vũng Tàu and Da Nang to provide towing and other support services for Navy units engaged in fighting communist insurgency and North Vietnamese aggression in South Vietnam. Her deployments to Asian waters along with the concomitant service in Vietnam continued into 1970.

Late in February of that year, Arikara returned to Pearl Harbor from her final tour of duty with the 7th Fleet. She served actively in the Hawaiian Islands and in Alaskan waters for another 16 months. On 1 July 1971, the tug was decommissioned and simultaneously transferred to Chile as a loan under the military assistance program. She was commissioned in the Chilean Navy as Aldea (ATF-63). She was decommissioned by the Chilean Navy on 14 August 1992 and later sunk as a target.

Arikara earned three battle stars during World War II, five battle stars during the Korean War, and three battle stars for service in the Vietnam War.