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USS HALEAKALA

(AE-25)

The Fast Lady
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The USS HALEAKALA (AE-25), a Nitro-class ammunition ship, was commissioned on 3 NOV 1959. USS HALEAKALA served her country for 34 years, 1 month and 7 days, until decommissioned on 10 DEC 1993. Built by the Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding Company in Baltimore, Maryland, USS HALEAKALA traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for REFTRA after commissioning. In March 1960 she transited the Panama Canal and on to her homeport of San Fransisco, CA. In July 1960 HALEAKALA departed on the first of many Western Pacific deployments. HALEAKALA voyaged to the Coast of Vietnam annually from 1965 to 1972. Decommissioned in December 1993, USS HALEAKALA was subsequently transferred to the National Defense Reserve Fleet.

The USS HALEAKALA (AE-25) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:

AE-25 Deployments - Major Events

Add a AE-25 Shellback Initiation Add a AE-25 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
FEB 1958 Keel Date: 3 FEB 1958
at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Company Staten Island
FEB 1959 Launch Date: 17 FEB 1959
NOV 1959 - - - Commissioned: 3 NOV 1959
FEB 1960 - Shellback Initiation - 17 FEB 1960 - Pacific Ocean
FEB 1960 - - - Shellback Initiation - 17 FEB 1960 - Pacific Ocean
NOV 1965 - - - Shellback Initiation - 1 NOV 1965 - Pacific Ocean
NOV 1965 - SEP 1966 West Pac
MAR 1967 - NOV 1967 West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB 1968 - SEP 1968 West Pac-Viet Nam
OCT 1970 - MAY 1971 West Pac-Viet Nam
JUL 1971 - - - Shellback Initiation - 23 JUL 1971 - Pacific Ocean
OCT 1971 - SEP 1972 West Pac-Viet Nam
JAN 1972 - - - Shellback Initiation - 9 JAN 1972 - Pacific Ocean
JAN 1972 - - - Shellback Initiation - 12 JAN 1972 - Pacific Ocean
MAR 1973 - NOV 1973 West Pac-Viet Nam
MAR 1973 - Shellback Initiation - 8 MAR 1973 - Pacific Ocean
AUG 1973 Shellback Initiation - 29 AUG 1973 - Pacific Ocean
NOV 1974 - MAY 1975 West Pac-Viet Nam
APR 1975 - APR 1975 Operation Frequent Wind/Fall of Saigon/Evacuation of US Embassy
APR 1976 - NOV 1976 West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB 1981 - NOV 1981 West Pac
DEC 1981 - Shellback Initiation - 14 DEC 1981 - Pacific Ocean
DEC 1981 - - - Shellback Initiation - 10 DEC 1981 - Pacific Ocean
APR 1990 - Shellback Initiation - 15 APR 1990 - Pacific Ocean
AUG 1990 - OCT 1990 Desert Shield
JAN 1991 - MAY 1991 Desert Storm
MAR 1991 - Shellback Initiation - 24 MAR 1991 - Indian Ocean
DEC 1993 Decommissioned: 10 DEC 1993

AE-25 General Specifications

Class: Nitro-class ammunition ship

Named for: Haleakala

Complement: 331 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 8300 tons

Length: 512 feet

Beam: 72 feet

Flank Speed: 20 knots

Final Disposition: Sold 28 March 1994



USS HALEAKALA (AE-25)



Haleakala (AE-25) was launched 17 February 1959 by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard Inc. Baltimore Md.; sponsored by Mrs. Maurice E. Curts wife of Vice Admiral Curts; and commissioned 3 November 1959 Captain Miles P. Refo III in command.

After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay Haleakala transited the Panama Canal and visited Chile and Costa Rica before arriving San Francisco 17 March 1960. The fifth of a new class of ammunition ships designed from the hull up for carrying and transferring at sea the latest in munitions and guided missiles Haleakala spent the first part of April with Vega conducting replenishment exercises to test new equipment.

Haleakala departed San Francisco 7 July 1960 on her first Western Pacific deployment. Visiting Pearl Harbor Yokosuka and Sasebo she provided services to various units of the 7th Fleet before returning to Port Chicago Calif. 19 December 1960.

Haleakala departed on her second deployment to the Western Pacific 18 April 1961 and again serviced units of the 7th Fleet returning to Port Chicago 8 September. In October in company with Mount Katmai she steamed to Long Beach to participate in Exercise "Covered Wagon" an effort to test realistically a representative Attack Carrier Strike Force in all of its wartime tasks in the face of opposition similar to that which might be expected of a potential enemy.

Haleakala made two subsequent deployments to the Western Pacific between 29 May 1962 and February 1964. She arrived Todd Shipyard Inc. Seattle 28 February 1964 for overhaul and modernization to increase her efficiency and safety. With conversion completed by May 1965 through the fall of 1965 Haleakala participated in Operation "Baseline." On 20 November she sailed for Yankee Station via Pearl Harbor to support combat operations in Vietnam returning to Subic Bay 31 December.

Most of 1966 was spent on another WestPac deployment. Haleakala departed Subic Bay 23 August for the West Coast arriving San Francisco 12 September. After training exercises off Mare Island through December Haleakala returned for further replenishment operations off Vietnam into 1967.

[Note: The above USS HALEAKALA (AE-25) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS HALEAKALA (AE-25) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]