USS Wabash ( AOR - 5 ) USS " Wabash " ( AOR - 5 ) was a in the United States Navy from 1970 to 1994 . The " Wabash " was named for the Wabash River , a river that rises in Darke County , Ohio , near Fort Recovery and meanders westward across Indiana until it reaches Illinois at a point just southwest of Terre Haute , Indiana . USS " Wabash " was laid down on 21 January 1970 by General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division at Quincy , Massachusetts ; launched on 6 February 1971 ; sponsored by Mrs . William G . Bray ; and commissioned on 20 November 1971 at the Boston Naval Shipyard , Capt . Robert P . Chrisler in command . Initial Atlantic Ocean operations . " Wabash " sailed for the West Coast on 5 January 1972 , called at Rio de Janeiro , Brazil ; transited the bleak Strait of Magellan ; and visited Valparaíso , Chile ; Callao , Peru ; and Acapulco , Mexico , before arriving at her home port , Long Beach , California , on 3 March , She underwent shakedown from 22 May to 16 June and operated off the coast of southern California into the autumn . Vietnam Support operations . The replenishment oiler commenced her first western Pacific ( WestPac ) deployment when she departed Long Beach on 9 November . After proceeding via Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , she arrived at Subic Bay , Philippine Islands , on 1 December and , assigned to Service Squadron 9 , assumed duties as flagship for Commander , Task Group ( TG ) 73 . 5 . That group sortied for Tonkin Gulf on 7 December . " Wabash " conducted 46 underway replenishments during her first tour on the " line " off the coast of Vietnam and celebrated Christmas at sea while returning to the Philippines . Arriving in Subic Bay on 28 December , " Wabash " soon headed back toward the line on 2 January 1973 . She conducted two or three replenishments a day during the final phase of American combat operations in Vietnam . In February , United States forces were withdrawn from combat . However , she made two more line deployments during her WestPac deployment , for — while combat operations had ceased — the vital job of supplying the ships of the Fleet still remained . On 21 May , " Wabash " departed Yokosuka , Japan , bound , via Pearl Harbor , for Long Beach . Second WestPac deployment . The ship engaged in training exercises and underwent inspections into the summer . On 6 September 1973 , her home port was changed to Alameda , California . The oiler conducted local operations out of Alameda through the end of the year and departed the west coast on 2 March 1974 for her second WestPac deployment . This lasted through the summer , with operations in Philippine and Japanese waters , before the ship departed Subic Bay on 25 September to return to the United States . During this period of Alameda - based fleet support operations , " Wabash " participated in the multinational maneuvers " FleetEx 1 - 76 . " This operation , conducted off the southern California coast , lasted from 1 to 13 March 1976 , and included units of the United States , Britain , Canada , and New Zealand navies . Additional WestPac deployment . On 5 June 1976 , " Wabash " again set sail for WestPac . En route , she collided with during a towing exercise , but neither ship suffered damage curtailing her primary mission capabilities . No one was injured . After damage and voyage repairs at Subic Bay , " Wabash " commenced routine local operations in Philippine waters . On 9 July , however , she returned hurriedly to Subic Bay to load stores and cargo and departed the following day to conduct a " stern chase " of task group TG 77 . 7 . This group was then headed for the Indian Ocean and a 30 - day " show the flag " cruise . En route , " Wabash " rendezvoused with to load further supplies and stores , transited the Strait of Malacca , and entered the Indian Ocean on 17 July . " Wabash " conducted underway replenishments with , , , and , as task force TF - 77 " showed the flag " in the Indian Ocean as part of the American effort to balance a growing Soviet presence in that area of the globe . Her duties thus completed , " Wabash " returned to Subic Bay on 7 August and got underway nine days later to rejoin the Ranger task group to replenish them as they returned to the United States . Completing her duties with the " Ranger " group soon thereafter , " Wabash " put into Guam , Mariana Islands , and prepared to provision the incoming task group . The replenishment ship subsequently conducted local operations in the Philippines in September and in Japanese waters in October — operating out of Sasebo — before visiting Pusan , Korea . Returning to Sasebo on 25 October , the ship headed for Yokosuka soon thereafter for repairs and upkeep prior to concluding her WestPac deployment . During this , her third WestPac tour , " Wabash " had steamed over 35 , 000 miles , conducted 100 underway replenishments , and had been at sea nearly 65 percent of the time . Departing Japanese waters on 10 November , " Wabash " arrived at her home port one day before Thanksgiving . Exercise RIMPAC 77 . Completing the year 1976 in port at Alameda , " Wabash " spent the latter half of January 1977 undergoing a restricted availability at Alameda . During the period 17 February to 1 March , the ship engaged in Exercise " RIMPAC 77 " , a major fleet exercise involving ships from the United States , Australian , New Zealand , and Canadian navies . " Wabash " conducted 28 underway replenishments during this time . Refresher training continued throughout the spring until the replenishment ship entered Todd Shipyard , Alameda , on 15 June for the commencement of a regular overhaul . With the overhaul completed on 9 June 1978 , " Wabash " devoted the remainder of the year to shakedown and refresher training . January 1979 found " Wabash " in her home port of Alameda preparing to meet scheduled commitments for that year . In 1983 / 1984 the USS Wabash was reassigned to a new home - port in Long Beach California Decommissioning . " Wabash " was decommissioned on 30 September 1994 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 8 April 1997 . She was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , California .