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USS Mount Hood (AE 29)

USS MOUNT HOOD was the fourth ship in the KILAUEA class of ammunition ships and the second ship in the fleet to bear the name of the extinct volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon. The "Good Hood" as it was called by the ships it served, was deployed to the Western Pacific for the first time on 27 April 1972, and has completed three war-time and thirteen peace-time cruises since that time. MOUNT HOOD was last homeported in Concord, Calif. Decommissioned on August 10, 1999, the MOUNT HOOD was subsequently held in reserve at Bremerton, Wash. Later, she was towed to Suisun Bay, Benicia, Calif., where she was subsequently laid up awaiting final disposal. On August 21, 2013, MOUNT HOOD was sold for dismantling.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS MOUNT HOOD. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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• Click here to see which USS MOUNT HOOD memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS MOUNT HOOD Cruise Books:

• WestPac 1983 Cruise Book

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USS MOUNT HOOD History:

USS MOUNT HOOD was laid down on May 8, 1967, by Bethlehem Steel Corporation at Sparrows Point, Maryland, and was launched on July 17, 1968, sponsored by Mrs. Robert A. Frosch, wife of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development Robert A. Frosch. MOUNT HOOD was commissioned at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, on May 1, 1971, with Captain Leslie A. Taylor Jr. in command. She was subsequently assigned to the Pacific Fleet and homeported at Naval Weapons Station Concord, California, whose ammunition-storage and loading facilities were directly suited to her principal mission. Unlike her seven KILAUEA-class sister ships, MOUNT HOOD remained a commissioned U.S. Navy ship throughout her active career and was never transferred to the Military Sealift Command.

Following commissioning, MOUNT HOOD completed fitting-out work, trials, shakedown and fleet-training requirements before entering the Pacific Fleet logistics cycle. Her subsequent operating pattern combined ammunition loading at Concord and other naval weapons facilities, training and maintenance on the U.S. West Coast and extended deployments to the western Pacific, Indian Ocean and, in later years, waters adjoining the Middle East.

MOUNT HOOD began her first western Pacific deployment in April 1972. The timing placed the newly commissioned ammunition ship in the major American naval buildup that followed the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive and the expansion of U.S. air and naval operations against North Vietnam. Aircraft carriers operating from the Gulf of Tonkin were flying intensive strike missions, while cruisers and destroyers conducted naval gunfire operations along the Vietnamese coast. Both activities created a continuing requirement for bombs, missiles, projectiles and other ammunition.

On May 13, 1972, MOUNT HOOD rearmed USS HANCOCK (CVA 19), whose air wing was participating in the intensified air campaign. During the same operational period, she also supported USS OKLAHOMA CITY (CLG 5), the Seventh Fleet flagship and an active participant in naval gunfire missions off Vietnam. The nature of MOUNT HOOD's work required repeated movements between ammunition-loading facilities and the fleet operating areas, allowing combatant ships to replenish their magazines without making lengthy departures from station.

MOUNT HOOD employed both conventional alongside transfer equipment and helicopters. Navy photographic documentation from 1972 records her conducting vertical replenishment with USS RICHARD S. EDWARDS (DD 950) in the South China Sea. Helicopter transfer provided an alternative to connected replenishment and allowed palletized ammunition to be moved between ships without requiring the receiving vessel to remain immediately alongside.

MOUNT HOOD remained employed in western Pacific ammunition-support operations through the remainder of 1972 and into 1973. The Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973, bringing the principal phase of direct American combat operations in Vietnam toward an end, but U.S. naval forces continued to operate throughout the region. MOUNT HOOD received one campaign star for her Vietnam service.

On July 30, 1973, MOUNT HOOD conducted an underway ammunition replenishment with USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), which remained active with Pacific Fleet forces after its extensive Vietnam-era operations. Later that year, MOUNT HOOD became involved in an unusual salvage operation in the South China Sea. On the morning of September 27, 1973, USNS SGT. JACK J. PENDLETON (T-AK 276), carrying military cargo from South Vietnam, ran aground on the coral reef surrounding Triton Island in the Paracel Islands. The cargo included approximately 2,007 tons of palletized 105-millimeter ammunition as well as heavy electrical-generating equipment. Initial attempts to free the ship were unsuccessful, and salvage authorities subsequently concentrated on removing the cargo before the hull deteriorated further.

MOUNT HOOD arrived at the casualty site on October 22. Her ordnance-handling capability and embarked helicopters made her particularly suitable for the operation. Two CH-46 helicopters associated with MOUNT HOOD immediately began removing ammunition from the stranded ship. Additional helicopter support teams assisted with pallet handling and cargo hookups, and the ammunition removal proceeded at a high rate. Operations were temporarily interrupted on October 23 when oil-soaked ammunition was identified as a possible spontaneous-combustion hazard. The contaminated ammunition was subsequently transferred to open deck stowage aboard another vessel. Offloading resumed, and by 1800 on October 28 all ammunition had been removed from the wreck. The helicopter operation reached transfer rates of approximately 30 tons per hour during the salvage effort.

Only weeks later, the international situation in the Middle East generated another long-distance logistics requirement. The October 1973 Arab-Israeli War had sharply increased tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union and contributed to the repositioning of American naval forces. In November, MOUNT HOOD was operating in the Arabian Sea as part of a logistics organization supporting U.S. forces far from established Pacific bases. USS KANSAS CITY (AOR 3), which reached the Indian Ocean on November 6, coordinated replenishment operations in the Arabian Sea with MOUNT HOOD and USS VEGA (AF 59). The supply system supporting the deployed force extended approximately 4,000 miles and had to provide fuel, ammunition and stores across a large operating area.

Following the unusually intensive deployments of 1972 and 1973, MOUNT HOOD returned to the recurring Pacific Fleet pattern of ammunition loading, fleet exercises, maintenance and western Pacific operations. Concord remained her principal home-port and ammunition-support base.

In 1975, MOUNT HOOD again operated in the western Pacific during the final collapse of South Vietnam. By April, North Vietnamese forces were advancing rapidly toward Saigon while the United States assembled a large naval force offshore to support possible evacuation operations. MOUNT HOOD formed part of the logistics structure supporting the naval units concentrated in Southeast Asian waters. Operation Frequent Wind was conducted on April 29 and April 30, 1975, when helicopters evacuated American citizens and large numbers of South Vietnamese personnel from Saigon to U.S. Navy ships offshore immediately before North Vietnamese forces entered the city. MOUNT HOOD's role was logistical rather than that of one of the principal helicopter-receiving ships.

After the end of the Vietnam War, MOUNT HOOD continued regular Pacific Fleet ammunition-support operations. Her basic task remained unchanged: ordnance was loaded at shore facilities, transported to operating areas and transferred to aircraft carriers and surface combatants through connected or vertical replenishment.

A Navy cruise book documents another MOUNT HOOD deployment in 1977. The ship continued western Pacific operations and fleet-support work during the later 1970s, separated by periods of training, upkeep and industrial maintenance on the West Coast. Another documented western Pacific deployment followed in 1979. On August 3, 1979, MOUNT HOOD passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and entered San Francisco Bay following her return from that deployment.

By the end of the 1970s, the strategic emphasis of Pacific Fleet operations was increasingly extending into the Indian Ocean. The Iranian Revolution, seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and the developing Iran-Iraq conflict all contributed to a sustained American naval presence farther west. Ammunition ships consequently had to support carrier and surface forces operating much farther from traditional western Pacific logistics bases.

In September 1981, MOUNT HOOD became involved in a major rescue and recovery operation in the northern Philippines. On September 21, Typhoon Clara drove the Philippine Navy frigate DATU KALANTIAW onto the rocky northern coast of Calayan Island. The ship rolled onto its side in severe surf. Of the 97 men aboard, 79 died.

MOUNT HOOD was approaching Subic Bay for a scheduled upkeep period when she received orders to reverse course and assist with the disaster. She embarked personnel and equipment required for the rescue operation and proceeded toward Calayan Island despite continuing poor weather. Philippine naval forces and U.S. aircraft were also involved. MOUNT HOOD operated in difficult sea and weather conditions during the recovery effort. Over approximately two days, her personnel recovered 49 bodies from the waters and wreck area. After completing the recovery operation, she proceeded to Manila, where the recovered dead were transferred to Philippine authorities. Rear Admiral Simeon Alejandro, Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy, subsequently addressed MOUNT HOOD's crew and expressed the Philippine government's appreciation for the assistance provided.

MOUNT HOOD subsequently returned to her normal fleet-logistics role. During 1982, she operated in connection with the battle group centered on USS RANGER (CV 61). On October 16, as elements of the group were returning toward the United States, USS KANSAS CITY replenished MOUNT HOOD together with USS ENGLAND (CG 22), USS FOX (CG 33) and USS PAUL F. FOSTER (DD 964).

Another MOUNT HOOD western Pacific deployment took place in 1983. During the years that followed, the ammunition ship continued the established cycle of overseas logistics assignments, West Coast maintenance, training and fleet exercises. A Navy cruise book documents another deployment spanning 1984 and 1985.

On July 1, 1986, MOUNT HOOD conducted a major ammunition replenishment with USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70), transferring 140 pallets of ammunition during the underway evolution.

From September 17 through September 25, 1986, MOUNT HOOD participated in a Composite Training Unit Exercise with Pacific Fleet ships preparing for overseas deployment. Among the participating units were USS CALLAGHAN (DDG 994), USS HALSEY (CG 23), USS STEIN (FF 1065), USS BARBEY (FF 1088), USS VANDEGRIFT (FFG 48) and USS MARS (AFS 1). The exercise combined air, surface, antisubmarine and logistics training in preparation for the forthcoming deployment cycle.

During the 1987 deployment, MOUNT HOOD operated with the battle group centered on USS KITTY HAWK. Renewed fighting in the Iran-Iraq War and attacks affecting commercial shipping increased the importance of American naval operations in waters adjoining the Middle East. By early March, the battle group was operating in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman region. A Navy photograph taken on March 2, 1987, records MOUNT HOOD operating in formation close to USS KITTY HAWK. Other ships in the formation included USS CALLAGHAN, USS HALSEY, USS STEIN, USS BARBEY, USS VANDEGRIFT, USS MARS and USS WILLAMETTE (AO 180). MOUNT HOOD supplied the ammunition component of the battle group's mobile logistics organization during these operations.

Following this deployment, MOUNT HOOD resumed Pacific Fleet support duties. On September 23, 1987, USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) received 250 pallets of ammunition from MOUNT HOOD during an underway replenishment. During another major ammunition evolution involving USS CARL VINSON, 1,265 ammunition lifts were completed in approximately six hours, demonstrating the scale of carrier replenishment operations the ship could support.

On January 18, 1988, USS KANSAS CITY rendezvoused with MOUNT HOOD to transfer ammunition as the replenishment oiler returned from an overseas deployment. Such transfers between logistics vessels permitted ammunition inventories to be redistributed without first unloading the material ashore. MOUNT HOOD continued West Coast fleet support and overseas operations during 1988 and 1989. After USS ENTERPRISE completed a Selected Restricted Availability and resumed training, MOUNT HOOD transferred 142 pallets of ammunition to the carrier on June 5, 1989, as USS ENTERPRISE rebuilt its operational ammunition load.

A MOUNT HOOD cruise book documents another deployment covering 1989 and 1990. By the end of that period, a new Middle Eastern crisis had generated a major increase in U.S. naval activity. Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990. The United States responded with Operation Desert Shield, deploying military forces to Southwest Asia while a multinational coalition was assembled. When diplomatic efforts failed, Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991.

MOUNT HOOD deployed to the theater as part of the ammunition-support force. Official Navy records place her in the Desert Shield/Desert Storm operating area from February 1 through March 13, 1991. During this period, coalition naval forces conducted intensive carrier air operations, surface warfare missions and other activities in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf. MOUNT HOOD replenished ammunition inventories and contributed to maintaining the afloat ordnance stocks required by the deployed forces. Her Gulf War service included the period of the coalition ground offensive and the cease-fire on February 28. She remained in the theater into March while naval forces reorganized and logistics inventories were redistributed after the end of major combat operations.

One of the officers serving aboard MOUNT HOOD during this period was Michelle Howard. She had reported aboard as chief engineer in 1990 and served in the ship during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Howard subsequently held a series of senior commands and in 2014 became the first woman in U.S. Navy history promoted to four-star admiral.

After returning from the Gulf War deployment, MOUNT HOOD resumed ammunition-support operations from the West Coast. On January 26, 1992, she participated in an ammunition offload with USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) during operations off southern California.

In 1993, MOUNT HOOD deployed with the battle group centered on USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Other ships associated with the force included USS PRINCETON (CG 59), USS FOX, USS INGRAHAM (FFG 61), USS PASADENA (SSN 752), USS WILLAMETTE and USS WHITE PLAINS (AFS 4). The battle group departed for its western Pacific deployment in June. On June 27, MOUNT HOOD conducted an ammunition onload/offload with USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN during the early phase of the deployment.

Events in Somalia subsequently altered the group's schedule. Following the October 3-4, 1993 fighting in Mogadishu, in which U.S. forces suffered significant casualties, additional American naval forces were directed toward the Somali coast. USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN and associated ships arrived in the area during October and remained available to support U.S. operations while additional forces were deployed and preparations began for the eventual withdrawal of American ground troops.

MOUNT HOOD accompanied the force as its ammunition ship. On October 26, she conducted an underway replenishment with USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. On October 28, the carrier transferred ammunition to MOUNT HOOD, and another underway replenishment between the two ships took place on November 2. These operations occurred while the carrier group was positioned off East Africa in support of the American military presence associated with the continuing Somalia mission. After leaving the Somali operating area, the battle group continued its return transit toward the Pacific. During this phase, MOUNT HOOD made a port visit in Thailand before eventually returning to the United States.

During the middle of the 1990s, MOUNT HOOD remained one of the principal ammunition ships serving the Pacific Fleet. Several of her KILAUEA-class sister ships were approaching retirement or transfer to Military Sealift Command, but MOUNT HOOD continued operating with a commissioned Navy crew. Maintenance availabilities and fleet training alternated with continuing Pacific and Indian Ocean deployments.

On April 14, 1997, MOUNT HOOD was photographed underway with USS LAKE ERIE (CG 70), USS CHOSIN (CG 65) and USS CIMARRON (AO 177) while the ships were proceeding toward the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command area of responsibility. American naval forces continued to maintain a substantial presence in and around the Arabian Gulf during this period in connection with post-Gulf War restrictions on Iraq and continuing regional security commitments. Following the overseas assignment, MOUNT HOOD returned to the U.S. West Coast and resumed fleet-support work. On September 30, 1997, she was photographed departing San Diego Bay for operations in the eastern Pacific.

During 1998, MOUNT HOOD continued working with Pacific Fleet carrier forces. One of the largest documented ammunition movements of her final years took place with USS JOHN C. STENNIS (CVN 74) as the carrier completed its first major deployment and prepared to enter its new home port at San Diego. From August 14 through August 16, 1998, USS JOHN C. STENNIS conducted an extensive ammunition offload to MOUNT HOOD near Johnston Atoll. The evolution continued for approximately forty hours. A total of 2,001 pallets were transferred in 1,488 individual lifts using both a connected-replenishment station and a vertical-replenishment station. The operation redistributed the carrier's deployed ammunition inventory before its arrival on the U.S. West Coast and represented one of the largest documented ammunition-transfer evolutions of MOUNT HOOD's final operational period.

By this stage, MOUNT HOOD was the only member of the KILAUEA-class still operating as a commissioned U.S. Navy ammunition ship. Her sister ships had either been transferred to Military Sealift Command or removed from commissioned Navy service. During 1999, the Navy prepared MOUNT HOOD for retirement. After more than twenty-eight years of commissioned service, USS MOUNT HOOD was decommissioned on August 10, 1999, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on the same date. Following decommissioning, the former MOUNT HOOD was initially held in reserve at Bremerton, Washington. In October 1999, she was moved to the Maritime Administration's Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet near Benicia, California. The Maritime Administration formally accepted title to the vessel from the Navy on November 29, 2001.

MOUNT HOOD subsequently remained inactive at Suisun Bay for more than a decade while awaiting final disposal. On August 21, 2013, the former ammunition ship was sold for dismantling and withdrawn from the reserve fleet. Before beginning the long tow to Texas, she was moved to the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo, California, where the underwater portion of the hull was cleaned in accordance with environmental requirements governing vessels departing the reserve fleet. On September 5, 2013, the former MOUNT HOOD departed Mare Island under tow by the tug ELSBETH III. She passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge for the final time and began the voyage through the Panama Canal toward Brownsville, Texas, where she was subsequently dismantled.

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USS MOUNT HOOD Image Gallery:

The photos below were taken by me and show the MOUNT HOOD laid-up at Suisun Bay, Calif., on March 27, 2010.

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