USS Patapsco ( AOG - 1 ) The sixth USS " Patapsco " ( AOG – 1 ) was the lead ship of her class of gasoline tankers in the United States Navy during World War II , the Korean War and the Vietnam War . She was named for the Patapsco River in Maryland . " Patapsco " was laid down 25 May 1942 by the Seattle - Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation , Seattle ; launched 18 August 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . W . S . Zane ; and commissioned 4 February 1943 , Lieutenant A . J . Church in command . Service history . World War II . Less than three weeks after commissioning , " Patapsco " departed San Francisco in convoy for Pearl Harbor . From there , on 27 March , she steamed southwest to New Caledonia , whence she transported gasoline and other petroleum products to ships and bases in the Solomons and New Hebrides until November 1944 . In December , after availability at Auckland , New Zealand , she returned to the Solomons , remaining until 12 May 1945 , when she departed Guadalcanal for the Western Carolines . Based on Ulithi from 19 May until the end of the war , she shuttled POL ( Petroleum , Oil , Lubricants ) products to the Palaus , and , once , to Saipan . After the war , she continued her Ulithi - Palau runs , then , in November , shifted her base to Guam whence she distributed fuel and light freight and carried passengers amongst the Marianas . On 19 February 1946 , she sailed east , and , after stopping at San Francisco , transited the Panama Canal and arrived at New Orleans for inactivation 3 May . Decommissioning 29 May 1946 , she was later assigned to the Texas Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet and berthed at Orange , Texas Korean War . Following the outbreak of hostilities in Korea , " Patapsco " was reactivated . She recommissioned 19 October 1950 and , after overhaul at Norfolk , got underway for the Pacific 3 March 1951 . Arriving at Pearl Harbor 9 April , she conducted fuel runs to Midway until 23 February 1952 . Then , after a run to the Marshalls , the tanker sailed for Japan , arriving 25 April . Four days later she was under way to fuel vessels off the coast of the embattled Korean Peninsula and on her return took up station tanker duties at Sasebo . In late October , she shifted to Yokosuka , whence she sailed , 7 November , for Pearl Harbor . With the new year , 1953 , " Patapsco " resumed gasoline shuttle service to Midway and the Marshalls . On 6 August she sailed west again , this time to the Philippines , whence she carried aviation gasoline to Saigon , returning to Pearl Harbor 7 December . Until 1955 , " Patapsco " served in Hawaiian waters with infrequent cruises to Midway , the Marshalls , the Aleutians , and the west coast . On 2 March 1955 , she departed Pearl Harbor for Astoria , Oregon , and inactivation . Decommissioning 29 June 1955 , she was assigned to the Columbia River Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet until 1 July 1960 when she was struck from the Navy List and transferred to the Maritime Administration ' s National Defense Reserve Fleet . Vietnam War . Reinstated on the Navy List in the fall of 1965 and recommissioned a third time 18 June 1966 , " Patapsco " was again assigned to the Pacific Fleet and homeported at Pearl Harbor . She completed refresher training in early September and on the 26th got underway for Subic Bay , P . I . , with jet fuel , aviation gasoline , and motor gasoline , Arriving 15 October , she soon departed to deliver , once again , vital POL supplies to a combat zone . Until mid - February 1967 , with interruptions for R & R at Hong Kong and availability at Subic , she operated off Vietnam under ComNavSupAct , Da Nang , Huế , and Cua Viet . She steamed back to Pearl Harbor , arriving 16 March . Upkeep , availability , and training and operational exercises followed and on 20 September she got underway for Guam , Subic Bay , and another tour off Vietnam . Completing that tour 25 April 1968 , she remained in the Hawaiian area until 11 November , when she again headed west for duty off Vietnam . During 1969 she conducted POL support operations at Da Nang and Cua Viet . " Patapsco " was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1974 . " Patapsco " was sold on 18 December 1979 to Mid Pacific Sea Harvesters Ltd for $ 56 , 480 . She was renamed " Arctic Storm " and converted to a fishing trawler . " Patapsco " received one battle star for her World War II service and another for Korean service . References . " The entry can be found "