USS Ponchatoula (AO-148)

The USS "Ponchatoula" (AO-148) was one of six "Neosho" Class fleet oilers built for the United States Navy. Named for a river which rises in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, and flows into the Natalbany River, she was the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. "Ponchatoula" (AO–148) was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, N.J. 1 March 1954; launched 9 July 1955; sponsored by Mrs. I. N. Kiland; and commissioned 12 January 1956 with Capt. William R. Wilson in command. After fitting out at Philadelphia, "Ponchatoula", the sixth of a class designed to combine speed and large cargo capacity for rapid underway replenishment over extended operational periods, got underway for the Pacific. Arriving at Long Beach, California on 10 March, she underwent shakedown and training exercises off the California coast and in September deployed to the Far East. En route she assisted "SS Venus", a Panamanian merchantman lying helpless on the fringes of two typhoons. Taking "Venus" in tow on the 26th, "Ponchatoula" was relieved of her tow on the 28th, and continued on to Sasebo to join the 7th Fleet. Rotated regularly to the western Pacific since that time, "Ponchatoula" was homeported at Pearl Harbor in early 1958 and received her introduction to support under hostile conditions while operating with 7th Fleet units during the Quemoy-Matsu Crisis in the fall of that year. Support for experimental operations highlighted 1962 as she provided POL services to Joint Task Force 8 engaged in operation "Dominic" (the Christmas Island nuclear test series), then operated Project Mercury recovery ships during the "Sigma" splashdown. Repeating that support with "Faith 7" in 1963, she shifted to combat operations in October 1964 deployed to the South China Sea to refuel ships employ the coast of Vietnam. 279 refuelings later, she returned to Hawaiian waters. In June 1965 she participated in recovery operations for "Gemini 4", then deployed again to Vietnam. In December she interrupted operations there to support the recovery ships for "Gemini 6" and "Gemini 7" and in April 1966 returned to Hawaii having set a new record in the Pacific Fleet by bringing 503 ships alongside, 464 of which she refueled. Deployed to WestPac again in November 1967, she pumped over 74 million gallons of fuel through her hoses before returning home in June 1968. In October she again joined ships in the Pacific splashdown area, this time to recover "Apollo 7", the first U.S. three-man flight. By 8 December, "Ponchatoula" was back in the Philippines, whence she got underway for Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf on the 15th to again replenish ships operating in support of Allied operations in Vietnam. "Ponchatoula" earned twelve battle stars for Vietnam War service. In July 1969, she returned home and into 1970 remained in Hawaiian waters.

Decommissioned in the 1970s, she was placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS "Ponchatoula" (T-AO-148). "Ponchatoula" was struck from the Naval Register 31 August 1992; her title was transferred to MARAD 1 May 1999 for lay-up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, California. MARAD listed "Ponchatoula" still at Suisun Bay in February 2007.

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* List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy