Served aboard the USS Mississinewa AO144.
Oct.68 to Aug.70

June 19, 2002
Comments about ships predesessor Site ( lost in WWII ):
Very informative site, always interested in AO59, as I served on USS Mississinewa AO144 from Oct.68 to Aug.70. Did 1 Med cruise as well many trips to Getmo and Rossy Roads. In Oct. 1998 I was allowed to visit and reboard the Mississinewa at Ft. Eustace Va. where she is mothballed, she is a mess but looked as good to me as the day I boarded her the 1st time. I have great pictures. Comment was to Bob Fulleman
Vern's 1st note to Ed Mclaughlin June 19, 2002
I am Vern Bouwman, the guy who has been placing pictures on web about tankers. 
Your ship AO-144 is the sister ship to my AO-146 The big item of interest to me right now is those great photos you took back in 1998 in Virginia. I see the AO-147 Truckee is there also. called down to California where the Kawishiwi is tied up and they said we could only get within 500 feet. Still want to do that at least. 
I have found aerial photos of the area where the MISSISSINEWA is tied up but the photo is older,  1989. Maybe you can tell us in what cluster she is tied up in. See the page i have made for James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, VA 
Answer to Vern June 19, 2002
Glad to meet another old tanker sailor. I checked out the aerial photo that was on your web site however it was dated 1989 and I'm not sure the AO 144 was there at that time. Ships registry has her being stricken in 1994. I think if I remember our guide said she got there around 1990-91. If I had to guess I would say either cluster 8 or she is now at cluster 10 the reason 
being cluster 8 has the most ships in line and the tanker cluster in 1998 had at least 16 or more ships plus if you look at the shadow of the left middle ship it looks like tanker king posts. The Missy was tied up in line with a huge barge tender called the Cape Mendocino and the right hand ship in cluster 10 looks like her so she could be there also. You are correct about the Truckee, she is there along with the Neosho, Canesteo, Caloosahatchee, Pawcatuck and others.
It's a shame they won't let you to the Kawishiwi. I know they have great concerns about asbestos we had to sign a release to go on board and even then we were not allowed below decks.
To your question, yes I live in Mt. Laurel. Lived in this area for about 45 years.
Good talking to you and glad you like the pictures, thanks...Ed
We did a med cruise in 1969 to Rota, Barcelona, Valencia, Spain. Ibeza Isle off Spain. Naples Potzuolli and Civitivecci in Italy. Athens, Villa, Nice France. 
Additional Info Janurary 15, 2003
As I remember we always anchored out in Pireaus, the port for Athens, we anchored in Villa and Nice, France, Valencia, Barcelona and Ibeza in Spain. We only tied up to fuel piers in Naples and Rota. When not at the Naples fuel piers we used to tie up to the sea wall for the harbor. Potzuolli was always interesting because we used to med moor, which was we would anchor and let our stern swing around till the stern was up to the pier. Then we would tie the stern to the pier and the bow anchored. When on board I made about 4 trips to Getmo, Cuba and 3 or 4 trips to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. I was on board 24 months and spent about 5months in the states. We did alot of cruising.