page_title: USS Tolovana (AO-64)
section_title: Continued Vietnam War operations
hierarchical_section_title: USS Tolovana (AO-64) / Continued Vietnam War operations
caption_attribution_description: The U.S. Navy fleet oiler USS Tolovana (AO-64) refueling the the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) and the destroyer USS Black (DD-666) in the Gulf of Tonkin, 12 September 1966, during that carrier's deployment to Vietnam from 21 June 1966 to 21 February 1967.
context_page_description: USS Tolovana (AO-64) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Ocean Theatre of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For performing this dangerous task in combat areas, she was awarded one battle star during World War II, two during the Korean War, and thirteen campaign stars and the Navy Unit Commendation during the Vietnam War.
  Tolovana was laid down on 5 June 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract at Sparrows Point, Maryland, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 6 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Richard M. Bissell, Jr.; acquired by the Navy on 24 February 1945; and commissioned that same day, Lt. Comdr. Carleton G. Long, USNR, in command.
context_section_description: After another relatively routine assignment with the U.S. 7th Fleet between October 1962 and April 1963, Tolovana entered a decade in which her service mirrored the increasingly more direct involvement of United States forces in the Vietnam War. During that period, she made eight deployments to the western Pacific; and, on each, her crew members qualified for combat campaign ribbons. During the first of this series of tours, American presence remained small, and Tolovana spent comparatively little time in support of the operations there. However, by the time of her next cruise to the western Pacific - July to November 1965 - America's buildup had begun in earnest. From that point on, she concentrated upon replenishing ships in the combat zone, returning briefly to Subic Bay in the Philippines or to Yokosuka or Sasebo in Japan to refill her tanks.
  The fact that Tolovana never came under enemy fire did not diminish her effectiveness. She contributed to the success of underway replenishment operations - pioneered by the Navy during World War II - which, in turn, enabled American warships to remain in action for extended periods of time and bring the full weight of their naval might to bear on the struggle.
caption: Tolovana refueling USS Franklin D. Roosevelt and USS Black off Vietnam, 12 September 1966.
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