USS Noxubee ( AOG - 56 ) USS " Noxubee " ( AOG - 56 ) was a " Patapsco " - class gasoline tanker acquired by the U . S . Navy for the task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet , and to remote Navy stations . She served in a commissioned status from 1945 – 1959 , and 1965 - 1975 . She was named for a river in Mississippi . " Noxubee " was designed to replenish shore bases and ships . In addition she carried a limited quantity of light freight and provisions , and was capable of replenishing ships at sea . Although designated a gasoline tanker she frequently carried a split cargo of aviation gasoline , motor gasoline , diesel fuel , jet fuel , and Navy Special Fuel Oil . 1945 - 1959 . " Noxubee " was built by Cargill , Incorporated , Savage , Minnesota . Her keel was laid 17 November 1944 . She was launched on 3 April 1945 , under the sponsorship of Mrs . Wilbur F . Bagley of Minneapolis , Minnesota . Mrs . Bagley , representing the shipyard workers , was the wife of a veteran Cargill employee . Their son , Sergeant Wilbur L . Bagley , USMC had given his life for his country in the Solomon Islands . " Noxubee " had a length of 310 feet , 10 inches ; extreme beam , 48 feet 7 inches ; displacement of 4 , 160 tons ; draft , 15 feet , 0 inches ; and a top speed of 14 knots . Her original complement was 8 officers and 116 men . When first commissioned she was armed with four 3 inch 50 caliber guns . Her cargo capacity was 680 , 000 gallons of petroleum products , approximately 2000 tons . " Noxubee " commissioned at Algiers , Louisiana , 19 October 1945 , Lieutenant John Lande , USNR , commanding . " Noxubee " departed New Orleans on 6 November 1945 , for shakedown training in the Gulf of Mexico operating out of Galveston , Texas . On 12 January 1946 she began the first of two round trips to Bermuda . On 26 February , she put to sea from Galena , Texas bound for Trinidad and Guantanamo Bay and then to a re - fueling rendezvous with fleet tugs and . On 2 April , she arrived at Bermuda for a three - day stay . Departing Bermuda she steamed north for Philadelphia , Norfolk , and then on to NS Argentia , Newfoundland , and back to Norfolk . In the following months , " Noxubee " continued to operate out of Norfolk , transporting petroleum products to Argentia , Newfoundland ; Goose Bay , Labrador ; the Azores and Iceland . On 16 November 1947 , Newport , Rhode Island , became her base of operations . From there she shuttled gasoline and oil to bases in Greenland and Newfoundland , and even made a few trips south to Texas and other Gulf States . From 6 March to 3 April 1950 , " Noxubee " crossed the Atlantic from Newport with a liquid cargo for Casablanca , French Morocco , returning to Norfolk . A similar voyage was made from 23 January to 5 March 1951 , with Naples , Italy added to her itinerary . After returning home , she made trips to Bermuda , Cuba , and to Newfoundland . She once again departed Norfolk 14 July , this time for duty with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean . " Noxubee " was based in Tripoli , Libya and replenished units of the Sixth Fleet in ports of Italy , France , Greece , Algiers and Malta . She departed Tripoli on 20 April 1952 and arrived in New York on 4 May . Following a period of upkeep in the Norfolk and Boston Naval Shipyard s , " Noxubee " was based at Newport until 12 March 1953 , when she again sailed to join the Sixth Fleet . She operated out of Tripoli and traveled to the principal Mediterranean ports visited by the Sixth Fleet . " Noxubee " departed Marseilles , France on 28 September , and returned to Norfolk 14 October . " Noxubee " then spent nearly four months at Newport . She sailed as replenishment station ship for a short - range craft convoy en route to the Azores via Bermuda . She returned to Newport on 26 March 1954 , and was overhauled in the Boston Naval Shipyard from 29 April to 1 July 1954 . She again departed Newport 3 September , to serve with the Sixth Fleet . " Noxubee " was based at Tripoli until 24 January 1955 , when she departed Gibraltar for Newport on 5 February . After a training cruise to Cuba and Puerto Rico , she again departed Newport 19 August , for another tour in the Mediterranean , serving there until 3 December . " Noxubee " arrived in Newport from Gibraltar on 14 December 1955 . After traveling 23 , 775 miles in 1955 , she was overhauled in the Boston Naval Shipyard and on 21 May 1956 , she again put to sea , bound for Tripoli , Libya , to serve Sixth Fleet and NATO Fleet units in the Mediterranean . She returned home to Newport on 29 October . " Noxubee " departed Newport on 6 May 1957 for duty as station tanker with a convoy of minesweepers bound for the Azores . She returned on 6 June , was overhauled in the Boston Naval Shipyard , then made a refresher training cruise to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba . " Noxubee " returned north to Newport on 30 March 1958 , ranging south to Bermuda and north to Maine before she again sailed from Newport on 8 September with a convoy en route via Bermuda to the Azores , returning 29 September . " Noxubee " departed 2 January 1959 for Green Cove Springs , Florida and deactivation . She was decommissioned on 6 March 1959 , and was assigned to the Florida Group , U . S . Atlantic Reserve Fleet until her name was struck from the Navy List on 1 July 1960 . " Noxubee " was transferred to the Maritime Administration until placed on the Navy List for activation in 1965 . 1965 - 1970 . On 10 September 1966 , following a seven month outfitting and modernization period at Baltimore , " Noxubee " was recommissioned at Norfolk Naval Shipyard , LT Howard Pabst commanding . One month later she sailed for Pearl Harbor , Hawaii via the Panama Canal as a unit of Service Squadron Five . Following refresher training at Pearl Harbor , " Noxubee " deployed to the western Pacific on 9 March 1967 . During that deployment she supported advanced fuel bases along the coast of the I Corps Area , Republic of Vietnam . On 2 August 1967 , " Noxubee " departed Da Nang for Sasebo and Yokosuka , Japan . During her return trip to Pearl Harbor " Noxubee " was diverted to Wake Island to assist in the salvage of a grounded civilian tanker . She finally arrived at Pearl Harbor on 22 September 1967 . While conducting a training cruise off the coast of Oahu on 24 November , " Noxubee " spotted and rescued the sole survivor of a fishing boat accident . On 17 April 1968 , " Noxubee " departed Hawaii for her second WESTPAC cruise . " Noxubee " headed directly for Vietnam for three months of continuous operations . In August " Noxubee " received the Battle Efficiency Pennant for fiscal year 1968 . On 28 October , " Noxubee " came under enemy artillery fire while anchored off Cua Viet . She escaped unharmed . During this deployment " Noxubee " set the all - time record for AOGs by pumping 20 million gallons of petroleum products and earning a Meritorious Unit Commendation . " Noxubee " returned to Pearl Harbor in December 1968 . Following six months of upkeep and training " Noxubee " again departed Pearl Harbor for Vietnam on 2 June 1969 with LT D . E . Cass commanding . Operating out of Da Nang , she made frequent trips to Sa Hyuhn , Tan My and Cua Viet . On 9 September 1969 " Noxubee " was mined by enemy swimmers while anchored at Cua Viet . The explosion created a three by five foot hole in her hull but the crew suffered no casualties . Temporary repairs were quickly accomplished at Da Nang and she was back on station in less than a week . At the end of the month " Noxubee " traveled to Subic Bay for permanent repairs . In addition to Subic Bay , " Noxubee " also visited Hong Kong and Sasebo , Japan during this deployment . She returned to Pearl Harbor on 6 February 1970 . 1970 - 1975 . " Noxubee " departed Pearl Harbor on 18 May 1970 for her new homeport at Little Creek , Virginia and duty with Service Squadron Eight . The trip to the east coast included stops at Long Beach , California , Acapulco , Mexico , and the Panama Canal . " Noxubee " deployed for five months in the Mediterranean on 28 December 1970 still under the command of LCDR Cass . Her duties centered around Amphibious Task Force 61 with occasional replenishments of other Sixth Fleet ships . She also accomplished one month ' s surveillance of the Soviet Union Mediterranean Fleet . Upon return to Little Creek " Noxubee " undertook a major overhaul at the Brambleton plant of Norfolk Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company . After completion of the overhaul and refresher training , " Noxubee " again deployed for the Mediterranean . " Noxubee " refueled ships ranging from LPH to PG types , pumping some 3 , 881 , 078 gallons of fuel . In May and July , the ship participated in exercises Dawn Patrol and National Week . Although primarily assigned to service Amphibious Task Force 61 , " Noxubee " re - fueled destroyer s throughout the Mediterranean . Port visits included Rota and Barcelona , Spain ; Naples , Italy ; Athens , Corfu , and Thera , Greece and the French Riviera . " Noxubee " returned to Little Creek on 14 August . After returning home the ship provided refueling services to units of the Mine Force off Charleston , South Carolina . On two separate occasions during December 1972 " Noxubee " was assigned to refuel destroyers on Atlantic Ocean station . During the first half of 1973 " Noxubee " underwent an RAV ( Restricted Availability Period ) during which many repairs were made . Upon completion of the RAV the ship conducted underway replenishment operations off the Eastern Coast of the U . S . , as well as a refresher training period . These operations included the refueling of four destroyers and ten minesweepers In 1973 , LT Michael Mullen , USN assumed command of " Noxubee " . Mullen would eventually attain the rank of Admiral , would eventually become Chief of Naval Operations and ultimately the US military ' s senior ranking officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . On 6 June 1973 , " Noxubee " sailed for operations with the Sixth Fleet . During this cruise " Noxubee " provided support for 55 ships of three nations . Port visits included Istanbul and İzmir Turkey , Athens , Corfu , and Thera , Greece and Naples , Italy . " Noxubee " returned to Little Creek in November . From December 1973 , to May 1974 , " Noxubee " underwent an RAV period . After a training cruise to Bermuda and the Bahamas , " Noxubee " departed for the Mediterranean on 4 October 1974 for her final deployment to the Sixth Fleet . " Noxubee " visited 13 foreign ports and transferred over 5 million gallons of fuel while traveling over 17 , 000 miles . On 11 April 1975 , " Noxubee " returned to Little Creek , Virginia for the last time . Over the next ten weeks " Noxubee " was stripped of all salvageable gear and prepared for decommissioning . The decommissioning ceremony was held at Pier 12 Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek , Virginia . At 1400 hours 1 July 1975 , " Noxubee " was officially stricken from the list of active US Naval Ships . Military awards and honors . " Noxubee " was awarded six campaign stars for Vietnam War service : " Noxubee ’ s " crew was eligible for the following medals , ribbons , and commendations ( shown in order of precedence ) :