1 Messages

Page 1 1

Entry: 72728 USS ESTERO (AKL-5)	USS ESTERO (AKL-5)
THOMAS E. (T.E.) MOORE wrote on December 11, 2009 City and State: ESTERO FL Unit: Service or Relationship: NAVY VETERAN Comments: THE SHIP WAS DELIVERED TO THE US ARMY IN MARCH,1945, AS USTA--FS-275,AT LONG ISLAND,NY. THE SHIP WAS DESIGN NO.-381,NO.-275 PRODUCED,A CAMANO-CLASS CARGO SHIP. HER LENGTH WAS 176 FT.,BEAM 33 FT.,560 GROSS TONS, SPEED 12 KNOTS,COMPLEMENT 26. THE SHIP WAS ACCUIRED BY THE US NAVY IN MARCH,1947, WAS COMMISSIONED USS ESTERO (AG-134), 05,JULY,1947. A MISCELLANEOUS AUXILIARY, NAMED FOR AN ISLAND OFF OF THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA. THE SHIP WAS OFF TO THE PACIFIC AREA, LT.(jg)H. E. TOPONCE IN COMMAND. ON 31,MARCH,1949, THE SHIP WAS RECLASSIFIED AKL-5(LIGHT CARGO SHIP). AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE KOREAN WAR, JUNE,1950, THE USS ESTERO(AKL-5) WAS FITTED OUT FOR EMERGENCY AMMUNITION CARRING SERVICE. THE SHIP PARTICIPATED IN THE 15,SEPT.,1950, INCHON INVASION,UNDER THE COMMAND OF LT.TOM WATSON,IN 79.2-OBJECTIVE AREA LOGISTIC GROUP,COMMANDED BY CAPTAIN PHILLIP H.ROSS. THERE WERE THREE AKL'S IN THIS GROUP, USS ESTERO(AKL-5),USS HEWELL(AKL-14)- C.O.-LT.STANLEY JAWORSKI(THIS SHIP WAS USED IN THE WARNER BROTHERS, 1954 MOVIE "MISTER ROBERTS",STARING; HENRY FONDA, JAMES CAGNEY, WILLIAM POWELL, AND JACK LEMMON, AKL-14, WAS USED AS THE FICTITIOUS USS RELUCTANT), AND THE THIRD AKL WAS USS RYER(AKL-9)-C.O.-LT.GURLEY P. CHATELAIN. IN EARLY 1951, THE USS ESTERO(AKL-5) WAS CONVERTED TO CARRY REFRIGERATED CARGO, AND IN SEPT.,1951 RESUMED CARGO DUTY, KEEPING UN FORCES IN "BEANS AND BULLETS",UNTIL THE END OF THE KOREAN WAR ON 27,JULY,1953. THE USS ESTERO(AKL-5) WAS STRICKEN FROM "THE NAVY LIST", ON 01,FEB.,1960.------ THE SHIP WAS AWARDED "SEVEN" BATTLE STARS, FOR KOREAN WAR SERVICE.---WELL DONE---. Keywords: INCHON INVASION,(15,SEPT.,1950)--LT.TOM WATSON-- CPO.JAMES R.BELCHER--SMC.CHARLES R.HUGGINS-- SFC.JOSEPH G.SALTALAMACCHIA--

Page 1 1