USS Niagara Falls ( AFS - 3 ) USS " Niagara Falls " ( AFS – 3 ) , a , was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named after the City of Niagara Falls , New York . Commissioned into the US Navy on 29 April 1967 , she served until September 1994 , when she was transferred to the US Military Sealift Command to serve as USNS " Niagara Falls " ( T - AFS - 3 ) . Assigned to the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force , Far East , she served until 30 September 2008 , when she was finally deactivated . " Niagara Falls " was designed to deliver refrigerated stores , dry provisions , technical spares , and general stores type material to the Fleet at sea . Her configuration provided for rapid issue rates using a minimum of men and the latest in transfer - at - sea methods , cargo handling , storage techniques , and automation . She was capable of simultaneous replenishment of one ship on each side as well as transfer of material by cargo helicopters , which she carried . Service history . " Niagara Falls " was laid down on 22 May 1965 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego ; launched on 26 March 1966 ; sponsored by wife of the senior senator Jacob Javits , from New York ; delivered to the Navy at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard , Long Beach , California , on 20 April 1967 ; and commissioned on 29 April , with Captain Horace C . Holley in command . After initial shakedown , the new combat store ship loaded 2 , 500 tons of stores at Naval Supply Depot , Oakland , and through September completed final acceptance trials and post - shakedown availability at San Diego . Vietnam , 1968 – 1973 . By 4 February 1968 , " Niagara Falls " completed her shakedown availability and continued preparations for her first deployment . She steamed for WestPac on 28 March , arrived at Subic Bay on 14 April , and there conducted the first of many replenishments . Upon arrival on 22 April at An Thoi , South Vietnam , she transferred over 100 tons of material , and two days later she supplied amphibious units in Vung Tau . In Cam Rahn Bay 25 April , " Niagara Falls " supplied ships and the Naval Support Activity there . She also supplied ships of the Naval Gunfire Support Group off the Vietnam coast , and made several replenishment swings through the Yankee Station and Market Time areas . " Niagara Falls " completed the last replenishment of her 1971 deployment on 15 September , called at Hong Kong from 17 through 21 September , at Pearl Harbor from 9 – 10 October , and arrived back at San Diego on 17 October . Completing preparations for another deployment and transfer of homeport to Sasebo to commence 3 January 1969 with the arrival of the New Year , " Niagara Falls " steamed for WestPac a second time . During the Vietnam War the " Niagara Falls " participated in the following campaigns : Vietnamese Counter Offensive Phases IV , V , VI ; Tet 69 / Counteroffensive ; Vietnam Summer / Fall 69 ; Vietnam Winter / Spring 70 ; Sanctuary Counteroffensive ; Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VII ; Consolidation I ; Vietnam Ceasefire . On 14 September 1970 , " Niagara Falls " found and rescued the sailboat " Galilee " that had been the object of an intense search for more than a month . When sighted , the boat was about west / northwest of Honolulu . The three crew members had been without food since 27 July ( the " Galilee " departed Tahiti on 17 June for Honolulu ) . Rescued were Julian Ritter , Laurene Louise Kokx and Winfried Bernard Heiringhoff . According to the ship ' s doctor , the rescuees were days away from death . During the period 15 – 30 July 1971 " Niagara Falls " and are noted by operating at Yankee Station as conducting a complex four - helicopter VERTREP . " The Falls " returned to Vietnam in 1972 , continued its replenishment cycle of one weekend in port ( normally US Naval Base Subic Bay , PI ) and two weeks " on line , " throughout the Fall of 1972 and into the Spring of 1973 . Normal routine included resupplying the destroyers on the gun line and continuing up to Yankee Station to replenish the aircraft carriers , including the USS Ranger ( CV - 61 ) and USS Kitty Hawk ( CV - 63 ) . Following the cease fire , the Niagara Falls supported the minesweep group that was helping clear Hanoi ( Haiphong ) harbor of the mines that were dropped by naval aircraft . During the early 1970s the noted spy John Anthony Walker , Jr . ( Johnny ) served in " Niagara Falls " radio room . It was during his three years aboard the " Niagara Falls " serving as Classified Materials Systems ( CMS ) Custodian that Walker had access to the various cryptographic machines ( KW - 7 , KWR - 37 , KG - 14 , KY - 8 , and KL - 47 ) providing the keys for nearly all of them to the KGB . Being a supply ship , the " Niagara Falls " received classified messages about ships movements off Vietnam and in the South China Sea . In order to deliver this classified information to soviet contacts , it is believed by investigators , that CWO3 Walker made dead drops in ports of call including the Philippines , Hong Kong . Suspecting intelligence breach from the Niagara Falls , an intelligence operative was inserted as a junior Radioman in the mid - 1970s to confirm but findings were inconclusive . Vietnam Agent Orange Legacy , 1968 . The " Niagara Falls " was included on a list of ships that were exposed to Agent Orange . The Department of Veterans Affairs identified certain vessel types that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland Vietnam waterways . Because " she " went up river , USS Niagara Falls was recognized as exposed to contaminated waterways during missions on the Saigon River and in Cam Rahn Bay , 22 – 25 April 1968 . Throughout the war , the " Falls " was further exposed to runoff of Agent Orange and other herbicides when she anchored in Da Nang Harbor , returned to Cam Rahn Bay , and steamed along littoral waters of South Vietnam . Studies of Australian naval ships show that salt water evaporative distilling systems actually increased the concentration of Agent Orange in drinking and cooking water , and the distilling system became coated in herbicide toxins . The Department of Veterans Affairs is yet to recognize these Australian studies and grant health coverage to the " bluewater " sailors who have been exposed on the " Niagara Falls " and other navy ships that performed missions along the Vietnam coast . 1983 – 1991 . On 6 September 1983 , " Niagara Falls " changed homeports to Guam and became part of the forward deployed elements of CTF 73 / 75 , part of the 7th Fleet . From that time until January 1991 the ship conducted three Refresher Training sessions , five OPPRE ' s , four SMI ' s , five ARE ' s , and three INSURV Inspections . She made port calls to numerous locations such as Yokosuka and Sasebo , Japan ; Hong Kong ; Subic Bay and Cebu , Philippines ; Bali , Indonesia ; Fremantle / Perth , Australia ; Singapore ; Muscat , Oman ; Bahrain ; Pattaya and Phuket , Thailand ; Fujiarah , UAE ; and Diego Garcia . A number of these locations were visited more than once . " Niagara Falls " participated in numerous Fleet Support Operations including repeated Masirah Airheads , Operation Team Spirit and PACEX - 89 . The " Niagara Falls " received the " 7th Fleet Finest Combat Logistic Support Ship " award for her performance in PACEX - 89 , a combined US , Korean , and Japanese naval exercise which was the largest since the end of the Korean War . Included in PACEX - 89 such notable ships as the , , and . During PACEX - 89 " Niagara Falls " was the command ship for the Underway Replenishment Group . Due to the nature of the tasking of a combat stores ship , and the outstanding performance the " Niagara Falls " has provided in logistic support service , she has earned the nickname " Fighting Falls " by the U . S . Navy Seventh Fleet . Through 1991 the " Fighting Falls " had supported Seventh Fleet operations during 15 WestPac / Indian Ocean / Persian Gulf deployments . The " Niagara Falls " was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation as well as receiving the Battle " E " after an extended deployment for almost eight months followed immediately by another short fuse deployment . " Niagara Falls " participated in the Tanker War phase of the Iran – Iraq War supporting Operation Prime Chance and Operation Earnest Will . In one near action the " Niagara Falls " crossed paths with an Iranian minelayer and during a tense hour the " Fighting Falls " prepared to defend herself . There was no exchange of fire , the intelligence on the minelayer was relayed by Captain Gay to the fleet and the Iranian ship was subsequently intercepted by US Navy combatant forces . " Niagara Falls " often visited Bahrain , Fujiarah , Muscat , and the obligatory Masirah Airhead Evolutions during this time . " Niagara Falls " was one of the first non - depot ships to be assigned female crew members , starting with Lt - Cmdr . Carol Rengstorff as Executive Officer . Approximately 30 female sailors and officers were made part of the " Niagara Falls " crew shortly thereafter . First Gulf War . " Niagara Falls " participated in Operation Desert Storm , transiting the Straits of Hormuz at midnight on 16 January 1991 and assigned an operating area in the Persian Gulf . Due to limited mine countermeasure assets in the Persian Gulf and the " Fighting Falls " operating area , an EODMU detachment was assigned . During the course of the war the " Niagara Falls " destroyed five naval mines herself while operating in the northern Persian Gulf . One interesting incident on 23 January was the visible flash of an explosion reported by the aft lookout , possibly an errant Scud missile which had been reported heading out into the Persian Gulf . On 29 March the " Niagara Falls " assisted the M / V " Mercs Horana " which was undergoing a major shipboard fire . The " Falls " arrived at night and the crew was presented with the sobering image of the " Horana " s superstructure fully engulfed in flames , and four other coalition ships , including the and circling the burning vessel . " Niagara Falls " At - Sea Fire Party was told to stand ready to motorboat over , however the Commonwealth Coalition ship in charge at the scene declined the manpower and requested spare fire fighting foam be supplied . For spending 143 days in the combat zone , and operating North of 28 . 30 N and West of 49 . 30 E between 17 January – 28 February 1991 the ship was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon . During the course of the war the " Niagara Falls " primary assignment was the USS " Missouri ' s " battlegroup , however she also serviced the , the Amphibious Group , and the hospital ships . During this period the " Niagara Falls " would mainly resupply from Jebel Ali near Dubai , however stops were also made at Bahrain and Abu Dhabi . 1991 – 1994 . While returning from the Gulf War and enjoying a liberty call at Phuket , Thailand , when the volcano Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines . The " Niagara Falls " duty crews loaded some stores at Phuket and while ending the liberty port call early , proceeded to Singapore to load additional supplies , and steamed to Subic Bay , Philippines to offload food and stores for the relief and recovery effort , named Operation Fiery Vigil . Even arriving in Subic Bay some days after the main eruption , the " Falls " was quickly covered in layer of ash reminiscent of a heavy snowfall . Five crewmen were left in Phuket and rejoined the ship at her home port in Guam . Late 1991 to early 1992 the ship entered drydock for refit and overhaul . This saw the upgrade to refueling station capacities by adding an " arm " to one of the ship ' s " M " Frames . In the spring and summer of 1992 , the ship took a mini - Westpac cruise of the south - west Asian ports of Singapore , Hong Kong and Japan . In August 1992 , Typhoon Omar swept through the island of Guam . The ship was down for service to main gear and was unable to go to sea . The ship was torn from its mooring lines and swept across the main harbor , hitting a refueling barge and ultimately running aground on the lagoon ' s shallow shore . The damage to the ship was minimal , however her sister - ship , , was torn from its mooring lines and ran aground on hard coral beach in Apra Harbor . Once made operational , the " Niagara Falls " sailed to the Yokosuka Naval Base ' s shipyard for further repairs and trials . The ship return to Guam in early September to load its stores for its next deployment . The ship left late September 1992 for the Persian Gulf . Military Sealift Command , 1994 – 2008 . " Niagara Falls " was decommissioned in September 1994 and assigned to the Military Sealift Command where she was placed in service on 23 September 1994 as USNS " Niagara Falls " ( T - AFS - 3 ) , assigned to the Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force . On 19 April 1997 , while conducting a VERTREP with one of the " Falls " UH - 46E Sea Knight helicopters crashed into the sea . The crash occurred approximately southwest of Hawaii and all four crew members were safely rescued . The helicopter crew members from Helicopter Support Squadron Five were rescued by the quick reaction of other CH - 46 helicopters on - scene at the time of the incident . Assisting in the rescue was a motor - whale boat from " Niagara Falls . " The four crew members , who escaped injury , were transported to " Constellation " for medical observation and were released to the " Niagara Falls " the same day . On 27 November 2001 Supply Officer Donald J . O ' Brien retired from the Military Sealift Command aboard the " Niagara Falls , " thirty years after retiring from the U . S . Navy aboard the same ship . Between 11 September and 27 November 2001 " Niagara Falls " broke both her Navy and TAR records for number of pallet s moved with a total of 10 , 743 pallets , double the average number during a similar deployment time frame . It was reported in April 2003 that " Niagara Falls " crewman had developed a unique external method for transporting mail during VERTREP to overcome differences of the SH - 60 helicopters compared to the older , roomier HH - 46 helicopters . " Niagara Falls " was dispatched from Guam on 2 January 2005 in support of Tsunami Relief Operations ( Operation Unified Assistance ) , ferrying relief supplies from Singapore to the for distribution to the damaged areas . On 27 October 2005 " Niagara Falls " ran aground while departing Malakal Harbor , Palau at 13 : 00 local time , but was able to free itself two days later at 16 : 20 . There were no reports of injuries or leakage from the ship . Over the period of two days , the " Niagara Falls " transferred fuel and cargo aft within the ship , reducing the weight of the forward area of the ship . During the afternoon high tide period on 29 October , the ship was able to free itself under its own power and with the assistance of a local tug boat . USNS " Niagara Falls " completed her last mission support operation in July 2008 , and was deactivated at Pearl Harbor in September 2008 . In 2010 the ship was selected to be sunk as a target . At approximately 11 : 30 am 14 July 2012 , " Niagara Falls " was sunk by multiple UTM - 84 , RGM - 84 , GBU - 10 , GBU - 32 , and 30mm impacts in waters 15 , 480 feet deep , 63 nautical miles southwest of Kauai as a target vessel during the 2012 RIMPAC exercise . Commanding officers . As listed in the 1991 Change of Command Pamphlet .