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USS Kawishiwi (AO146) VIETNAM ENCOUNTERS
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During the
60's and 70's, much time was spent in the
Vietnam
war-zone where Kawishiwi was engaged in refueling and some cargo
operations
for the
US 7th fleet as part of Service Squadron Nine. Most of this
work was
done in the South China Sea well off of and all along the coast of
both North
and South Vietnam at what was generally referred to as “Yankee
Station”.
Some
of this service however, was much closer to the coast in an area
referred to as
“Market Time”. Destroyers had to get in
real close to do gunfire support; they churned up a lot of mud in
getting there. Destroyers had to because otherwise they would have been
outside the range of their guns. They went out the same way they
entered through the soft mud. One time, in late 1970 at
that time the area was a hotbed
of
insurgent activity, Kawishiwi was ordered to service
ships in the Vung Tau area. These waters were not charted to well,
that is, the water was not as deep as one would think. Good tidal
currents caused Kawishiwi to drift to the west and north somewhat, off
the planned course and she did get stuck in the mud with
her draft a bit lower than the destroyers, as shown on map (AO-146).
She was unable to free herselve with her own power. The
ship shuddered as whirlpools and huge clouds of muddy
water were created by her two large screws going full bore in reverse
trying to pull
herself free. A U.S. Navy Sea-Going Tug did quickly come to her rescue.
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After
being pulled free, Kawishiwi proceeded to Da Nang where she anchored
for
several days for US Navy divers to inspect for hull damage. Kawishiwi
was anchored in Da Nang on December 25, 1970, Christmas
day. The crew will never forget their apprehension about being so helpless
and so close in to the coast. Their shared feeling that if the
enemy had spotted them and had the right weapons been at hand, they
would have been a
“sitting duck”. Kawishiwi carried about
six million gallons of petroleum products including fuel oil, jet fuel
and high-octane aviation gasoline, not to mention ammunition for our
own weapons. So, one projectile in the right spot would have surely
been the end for Kawishiwi and all aboard.
Kawishiwi, many times had gone to General
Quarters in the middle of the night for
“surface
action” due to the presence of unknown high-speed small craft in her
vicinity and
detections by radar. No craft were ever engaged, but the crew was
always aware of the
possible dangers involved in their work.
During the 1975 Evacuation, Kawishiwi was again
highly envolved. Most of the time was spent off the coast refueling the
small boys and the aircraft carriers in the task force. The exception
to that of course was during Frequent Wind and Eagle Pull and the first
hand experience we gained during the evacuation of Saigon, the refugees
on board and operating in the holding area. I'll never forget
personally going aboard a junk and taking a baby from a reluctant
mother as she climbed up to Kawishiwi nor the tears we both shed as I
passed the baby up to her. The look of relief on her face that she and
her baby would is an image I will carry with me forever. Jim Barton Lt.
1975-1977
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