USS Wichita (AOR-1)

History of the USS Wichita (AOR-1)

The aircraft carrier USS Wichita was a supply tanker used to support naval operations during her tenure. She was the second ship to be named after an American city and the first of her Wichita-class fleet support ships to be commissioned.

She was later joined by the aircraft carriers USS Milwaukee, USS Kansas City, USS Savannah, USS Wabash, USS Kalamazoo and USS Roanoke. She no longer serves in the U.S. Navy.

After leaving her construction site and passing through the Panama Canal, the USS Wichita docked at her homeport in Long Beach, California, USA. She was later deployed to support ships in the Vietnam War, earning her crew several awards, including the Battle Star (4) and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, which replenished approximately 23 ships in a single day.

During the conflict, she completed no less than three deployments in the region and served as a crew readiness trainer and ambassador to various ports in Canada and South America. While at sea, she served primarily with the 7th Fleet in the Pacific.

Their weapons include two Phalanx close-in anti-missile/air defense weapon systems. This was further complemented by the addition of a Sea Sparrow Mk 29 surface-to-air missile launcher. The USS Wichita can also support up to two CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters for various missions if required.

The USS Wichita was first ordered in 1965 and laid the following year. She was launched in 1968 and officially commissioned a year later. She was officially decommissioned in 1993, and her name was removed from the Naval Ship Register in 1995.

The vessel is currently in reserve at Suisun Bay, California.

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