USS Mississinewa - AO-144

Named after river in Grant County, Indiana which empties into a Lake
Your web host noticed this river as he crossed on September 27, 2002 after leaving his ship reunion.

Mississinewa River at Matters Park - Marion, Indiana


Neosho Class Fleet Oiler: Laid down, 4 May 1953 at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, NJ; Launched, 12 June 1954;
Commissioned USS Mississinewa (AO-144), 18 January 1955; Decommissioned, 15 November 1976; Placed In-Service with MSC as USNS Mississinewa (T-AO-144), c. 1976; Placed Out-of-Service, c. 1991-94; Struck from the Naval Register, 16 February 1994;
Title transfer to MARAD, 1 May 1999 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA,

Specifications: Displacement 11,600 t.(lt); Length 655'; Beam 86'; Draft 35'; Speed 20kts; Complement 324; Armament, one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, four twin 3"/50 gun mounts, .50 cal machine guns; Propuslion, steam turbine.
SNS stands for United States Naval Ship (civilian manned USN vessel) Another interesting item - while the Mississinewa was officially a Neosho class oiler, she was also one of a kind. She had a Flag Bridge added to the superstructure and was the only one to have the extra deck, and she carried the SERVFOR6 flag for many years being homeported in Naples, Italy.........I reported on board in November, 1960 and departed in November, 1962.
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