USS Nitro ( AE - 23 ) USS " Nitro " ( AE – 23 ) , an ammunition ship in the U . S . Navy , was laid down by Bethlehem Steel Corporation ’ s Sparrows Point Shipyard , Baltimore , Maryland , 20 May 1957 ; launched 25 June 1958 ; sponsored by Mrs . Randolph McCall Pate ; and commissioned 1 May 1959 , Capt . Warren C . Hall in command . After shakedown in the Caribbean , " Nitro " was welcomed at her homeport of Davisville , Rhode Island . After lengthy 2nd Fleet exercises she joined the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in February 1960 , returning in September . She was back in the Mediterranean in the summer of 1961 , returning to Norfolk 3 March 1962 . During April and May she supported 2nd Fleet exercises in the Caribbean . On 6 September she steamed for an operational and good will visit to Northern Europe , returning to Earle , N . J . , 15 October . From 11 to 24 November , " Nitro " sailed to the Caribbean in support of the Task Force engaged in the quarantine of Cuba . She returned to Davisville 24 November . On 6 February 1963 " Nitro " departed for 6th Fleet operations , returning to Davisville 24 September . After overhaul at Brooklyn , she operated in the Caribbean and off the east coast until 17 July 1964 when she again deployed to the Mediterranean , returning 5 February 1965 . She spent the rest of the year in Davisville and operating in the Caribbean until 16 November when she again steamed east for Gibraltar . She returned from the Mediterranean 22 March 1966 . On 18 May her status was changed to in commission in reserve for conversion at Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company , Baltimore where she remained until recommissioned “ special ” 31 August 1967 . She got underway 16 October to operate off the east coast and at year ’ s end was back at Davisville . Continuing the series of Med deployments " Nitro " was overhauled in Boston in the summer of 1971 . Following that she made another round of the Caribbean and then visited the weapons stations at Davisville , Earle and Yorktown . Vietnam Service Leaving Davisville on 24 April 1972 " Nitro " stopped at NWS Earle to top off weapons stores . As the ship left port to begin the transit to Vietnam seven sailors jumped off the ship in protest of the war . A trailing Coast Guard cutter collected the sailors and returned them to " Nitro " . Five days later " Nitro " transited the Panama Canal for the first time . From May 1972 through February 1973 the " Nitro " made a series of line swings off the coast of both South and North Vietnam . On 28 June while conducting underway replenishment with the USS Oriskany ( CVA34 ) , the carrier collided with " Nitro " with minimun damage to both ships . " Nitro " continued to conduct replenishment operations , including replenishment for the carriers during the infamous Christmas bombing which finally bought North Vietnam to the bargaining table in Paris . After a stop in Japan and other ports " Nitro " returned to Davisville on 12 March 1973 . While operating in the Med during the spring of 1981 , " Nitro " suffered a class " B " fire in the engineering space on 1 June 1981 which caused a significant amount of damaged to the entire starboard side of the engineering space and many other spaces due to subsequent fires . Fortunately , only six personnel were injured . " Nitro " was towed to Souda Bay , Crete by the USNS Neosho where she started emergency repairs and off - loaded ammunition . The ship was then towed to Helenic Shipyard in Athens by the USS Edenton where she underwent a 30 day availability for extensive repairs prior to returning to operations in the Med . " Nitro " then steamed back to the US , where she underwent major refitting in the Brooklyn Naval Yard . After continuing her alternating service with the 2nd and 6th Fleets into the 1990s " Nitro " was decommissioned on 28 April 1995 and struck from the Naval Register on 14 August of the same year . She was laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet , Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility , Portsmouth ( Virginia , USA ) . On 31 March 2000 she was turned over to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet , James River , Fort Eustis , Virginia . In July 2008 , the " Nitro " was sold to Esco Marine of Brownsville , Tx . for scrapping .