USS Currituck (AV-7) - 1965-1971 and Fate

1965-1971 and Fate

USS Currituck deployed for a subsequent West-Pac cruise on 23 April 1965 to become Flagship Patrol Force Seventh Fleet. After visits to Koh Samui and Bangkok, Thailand she established a seadrome off of Con Son, Poulo Condores Islands, Republic of Viet Nam on 29 May 1965 and began servicing aircraft of VP-40. During this period USS Currituck established a number of firsts. On 22 June 1965, USS Currituck became the first ship of her class to deliver shore bombardment against enemy positions in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. She also established a record sixty-seven days on continuous seaplane operations in Cam Rahn Bay, South Viet-Nam, an advanced-base area. Upon leaving Vietnam, she visited Hong Kong, British Crown Colony, Keelung and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Yokosuka, Sasebo and Kobe Japan, Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. When not at Buckner Bay operating with VP-50. The ship commanded by Captain Martin G. O’Neill, USN and Commander Keith E. Bailey, USN served as Executive Officer.

USS Currituck returned to San Diego on 1 December 1965 and on 13 January 1966 departed for a two week training cruise with stops at Magdelina Bay and La Paz, Mexico, returning to San Diego on 27 January. Captain Wayne G. Hammett took command of the USS Currituck on 11 February 1966. Commander William W. McCue had reported as Executive Officer in December 1965. She also Flew the Flag at the Maritime Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Seadrome operations were also conducted in the vicinity of Santa Catalina Island, California on several occasions.

USS Currituck’s final deployment to West-Pac reduced her six month homeport stay four months and she left for operations from a seadrome at her anchorage in Cam Rahn Bay, South Vietnam where she serviced the P5M’s (SP5's) of VP-40 during Operation Market Time. Operating from USS Currituck, VP-40 participated in the last seaplane tender operations conducted by the U.S. Navy and closed this phase of U.S. Naval Aviation History after operating there from 19 March to 12 April 1967. VP-40 logged a total of 860 flight hours, utilizing but seven aircraft from USS Currituck, which maintained an availability of 94.38%. While operating with the Mobil Riverine Force in Vietnam USS Currituck’s call sign was "Flying Goose" On 23 May 1967, USS Currituck returned to her home port of San Diego, California and in so doing brought down the curtain on one of the more colorful facets of Naval Aviation operations. She was the last active seaplane tender in the U. S. Navy.

After twenty-one days back in her home port in late June 1967, USS Currituck steamed to Seal Beach, California for weapons offload, then to Mare Island at Vallejo, California for decommissioning. She was later towed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington. There she joined her remaining class members, and West-Pac sisters; USS Pine Island (AV-12) and USS Salisbury Sound (AV-13) already in the same status. She was decommissioned for the last time on 31 October 1967 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet in Vallejo, CA. She was struck from the Naval Register on 1 April 1971 for disposal, and from the Naval Records on 1 January 1972. She was sold to Union Minerals, and dismantled at Learner Shipyard, Oakland, California in June 1972.

Today one of USS Currituck’s propellers can be seen as the basis of the 'Passing on the Tradition' memorial located on the Louis Memorial Boardwalk in Bremerton WA.