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U.S.S. MAUNA KEA
(AE-22)WE SAIL TO SERVE
Click to view crew list
The USS MAUNA KEA (AE-22), a Suribachi-class ammunition ship, was commissioned on 30 MAR 1957. After fit out and shake down training MAUNA KEA served with the Pacific Fleet for her entire career. Always true to her motto, "We Sail to Serve", she deployed to the Western Pacific numerous times to keep fully armed. At the end of her service career MAUNA KEA was the oldest ship in commission in the US Navy and flew the "Navy Jack". USS MAUNA KEA served her country for 38 years and 3 months, until decommissioned on 30 JUN 1995. First laid up at the the NISMF at Suisun Bay, CA, the hulk of the MAUNA KEA was disposed of during a Sinkex in July 2006 off of Hawaii.
The USS MAUNA KEA (AE-22) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:
AE-22 Deployments - Major Events
Add a AE-22 Shellback Initiation | Add a AE-22 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MAY | 1955 | - | Keel Date: 6 MAY 1955 | ||
MAY | 1956 | - | Launch Date: 3 MAY 1956 | ||
MAR | 1957 | - | Commissioned: 30 MAR 1957 | ||
JUN | 1957 | - | JUL | 1957 | Guantanamo Bay |
NOV | 1957 | - | MAR | 1958 | West Pac |
JUL | 1958 | - | DEC | 1958 | West Pac |
SEP | 1958 | - | SEP | 1958 | Taiwan Straits (Quemoy Matsu) |
JAN | 1959 | - | JAN | 1960 | West Pac |
JUN | 1959 | - | Shellback Initiation - 13 JUN 1959 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JAN | 1962 | - | JUL | 1962 | West Pac |
MAY | 1964 | - | NOV | 1964 | West Pac |
JAN | 1965 | - | SEP | 1965 | Dry Dock |
DEC | 1966 | - | AUG | 1967 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1967 | - | DEC | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAR | 1968 | - | OCT | 1968 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAY | 1968 | - | MAY | 1968 | Entered DaNang Harbour May 15th - 16th |
MAY | 1968 | - | MAY | 1968 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
DEC | 1968 | - | APR | 1972 | Dry Dock |
APR | 1969 | - | NOV | 1969 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUN | 1969 | - | Shellback Initiation - 21 JUN 1969 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JUN | 1969 | - | Shellback Initiation - 21 JUN 1969 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JUL | 1969 | - | Shellback Initiation - 5 JUL 1969 - Pacific Ocean | ||
FEB | 1970 | - | APR | 1970 | Dry Dock |
MAY | 1970 | - | NOV | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUN | 1971 | - | MAY | 1972 | West Pac |
JUL | 1972 | - | SEP | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
AUG | 1972 | - | APR | 1973 | Dry Dock |
JAN | 1974 | - | SEP | 1974 | West Pac |
MAY | 1975 | - | NOV | 1975 | West Pac |
APR | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 13 APR 1976 - Pacific Ocean | ||
OCT | 1976 | - | MAY | 1977 | West Pac |
DEC | 1976 | - | MAY | 1977 | West Pac |
MAY | 1977 | - | JAN | 1978 | Dry Dock |
AUG | 1978 | - | MAY | 1979 | West Pac |
FEB | 1979 | - | SEP | 1979 | West Pac |
FEB | 1981 | - | APR | 1981 | Dry Dock |
JAN | 1983 | - | JAN | 1986 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
JAN | 1984 | - | AUG | 1984 | West Pac |
JAN | 1984 | - | AUG | 1984 | West Pac |
JAN | 1984 | - | AUG | 1984 | West Pac |
JUL | 1984 | - | JAN | 1985 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
JUL | 1984 | - | DEC | 1984 | West Pac |
SEP | 1986 | - | APR | 1987 | Dry Dock |
NOV | 1987 | - | MAY | 1988 | West Pac |
AUG | 1989 | - | Shellback Initiation - 20 AUG 1989 - Pacific Ocean | ||
AUG | 1989 | - | FEB | 1990 | West Pac |
AUG | 1989 | - | Shellback Initiation - 20 AUG 1989 - Pacific Ocean | ||
FEB | 1990 | - | JUL | 1990 | West Pac |
OCT | 1991 | - | DEC | 1991 | Desert Shield |
AUG | 1992 | - | FEB | 1993 | West Pac |
SEP | 1992 | - | DEC | 1992 | Panama Canal |
JUN | 1995 | - | Decommissioned: 30 JUN 1995 |
AE-22 General Specifications
Class: Suribachi-class ammunition ship
Named for: Mauna Kea
Complement: 23 Officers and 324 Enlisted
Displacement: 9758 tons
Length: 511 feet
Beam: 72 feet
Flank Speed: 20 knots
Final Disposition: Sunk as target during RIMPAC 12 July 2006
USS MAUNA KEA (AE-22)
Mauna Kea (AE-22)
was laid down at the Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard Inc., Sparrows Point,
Md. 6 May 1955; launched 3 May 1956; sponsored by Mrs. Charles R. Brown; and
commissioned 30 March 1957, Capt. Kenneth Loveland in command.
Following shakedown, Mauna Kea, designed
for rapid replenishment of ammunition at sea, reported for duty with ServRon 1
in the eastern Pacific. Into the fall of 1957 she serviced the 1st Fleet and in
November made preparations for her first WestPac deployment. Sailing west, she
reported to SevRon 3 at Sasebo, Japan, in December and commenced distributing the
bullets of beans, bullets, and black oil to the ships of the 7th Fleet. From
that time until 1965, she rotated between duties with the above‑noted
service squadrons, participating while with the 7th Fleet, in SEATO exercises
and in joint exercises with Koreans, Japanese, and Chinese Nationalist Forces.
On 28 February 1965, the ammunition ship arrived
at the Lockheed Shipbuilding & Construction Co. yards, Seattle, Wash. There
having reverted to in commission in Reserve status, Mauna Kea commenced
FAST (Fast Automatic Shuttle Transfer System) conversion. Completion of this
conversion, which would enable her to transfer a bird from her hold to the
magazine of a missile‑firing ship in 90 seconds and allow her greater
versatility in servicing the fleet with the addition of a heliopad for vertical
repenishment capabilities, was delayed for 8 months, because of strikes and
lack of necessary parts, until June 1966. Then followed a fitting out period
and intensive postconversion shakedown exercises, which continued into the
fall. By November she was again an active unit of the Pacific Fleet's Service
Force and on 28 December she departed her home port of Concord, Calif., for her
ninth WestPac deployment.
Traveling westward, Mauna Kea arrived at
Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, 9 January 1967 to join ServRon 7. Four days
later she departed Subic Bay for her first trip to the line off Vietnam. For
the next six months she rearmed carrier groups on Yankee Station and cruisers
and destroyers in the Corps' areas off South Vietnam. At the end of July, she
headed north to Japan for a brief visit at Yokosuka before getting underway for
California. Arriving at Concord, 22 August, she underwent availability and then
commenced participation in fleet and local exercises along the California
coast. On 20 February 1968 she departed for her second tour of duty off
Vietnam, returning 14 October, for leave and upkeep, after which she will, into
1969, continue servicing the 1st Fleet until setting out for the western
Pacific and another tour with the 7th Fleet.
[Note: The above USS MAUNA KEA (AE-22) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS MAUNA KEA (AE-22), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]