USS Caliente (AO-53) - Vietnam War Operations

Vietnam War Operations

After winning the Battle Efficiency "E", and the green "C" for Communications Excellence, Caliente entered Willamette Shipyard, Portland, Oregon, on 6 January 1964. The oiler received new communications equipment, modernized tension rigs, and new cargo pumps. On 27 July, after refresher training off San Diego, she departed for the Pearl Harbor. Tensions were raised in the Far East on 2 August when Maddox was attacked by North Vietnamese PT boats. Part of the U.S. response, after the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, was to order Ranger to the South China Sea. On 16 August Caliente refueled Task Group 77.4, including the carrier, as she steamed towards Vietnamese waters. The oiler, however, was plagued by erratic generator failures and spent the following three months under restricted availability at Subic Bay, Philippines before returning to Long Beach.

The following year, after readiness training with U.S. 1st Fleet off California, Caliente arrived at Subic Bay on 24 June 1965. She made nine patrol cruises before the end of the year, carrying bulk and packaged fuels, bottled gases, fleet freight, mail, and personnel to the warships on station off Vietnam. Before her return the following March the oiler had serviced 431 ships alongside, transferred 57.3 million gallons of fuel, and delivered 77,420 pounds of mail. After three months of maintenance and upkeep at Long Beach the oiler departed for yet another logistical support tour in July 1966. Caliente, besides servicing ships, also managed to conduct port visits to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Sasebo. The crew also donated $1,360.00 to provide a high school education for 17 Filipino children. She did not return to Long Beach until 27 March 1967.

After refresher training, equipment inspection, and routine shipyard overhaul, Caliente prepared for another WestPac tour on 8 January 1968. In addition to her cargo of fuel and lubricants the oiler also took a load of ammunition for the fire support ships. After a stormy crossing to Pearl she replenished the Oriskany and Yorktown carrier groups before arriving at Subic Bay on 2 February. Following voyage repairs, and loading supplies, the oiler departed for a standard ten day run to the gun line and back. After a three day run to the Gulf of Thailand the oiler spent five days replenishing ships at An Thoi, refueling "Market Time" blockade vessels, supplying ammunition to gunfire support ships, receiving retrograde ammunition, and servicing any other ships desiring UNREPs . On the final day Caliente consolidated fuel with another oiler off Yankee Station before steaming to Subic Bay. On most runs the oiler spent the two day return trip with her decks piled high with empty ammunition casings.