USS Alstede
USS Alstede (AF-48) was an
Ocean Chief was laid down on 30 September 1944 at
Pacific Ocean operations
Alstede completed trials and moored at the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, California, to take on supplies destined for American servicemen participating in the postwar occupation of the islands of the Central
Even the outbreak of hostilities in
Korean War operations
The last month of 1950 and the first of 1951 brought another circuit through the Marshalls and the Marianas before Alstede began to concentrate more heavily on supporting the struggle of the
Supplying units in Korean waters
The advent of 1952 heralded an even closer involvement in the
However, her stay in the United States lasted only a month. On 21 December, Alstede returned to sea for another round-trip voyage to Japan. She visited Yokosuka between 6 and 8 January 1953, stopped at Sasebo from the 10th to the 16th, and returned to Yokosuka for three days before heading back to the United States on the 21st. The ship arrived back at Oakland on 4 February and, for the next month, called at several ports on the California coast before standing out of Oakland on 14 March, bound once more for the Far East. She pulled into Sasebo on 1 April and remained there for almost three weeks.
Korea and Taiwan areas of responsibility
On the 19th, the vessel put to sea to rendezvous with 7th Fleet warships operating off the Korean coast. After transferring stores at sea, she returned to Sasebo on 23 April. For the next three months, Alstede plied back and forth between Japanese ports and the combat zone off the Korean coast to replenish the men-of-war supporting United Nations' troops engaged in the struggle in Korea. At the end of July, she voyaged south from Japan to
Stateside overhaul
She completed overhaul on 18 November and then spent the following four weeks engaged in post-overhaul trials and refresher training. Concluding those evolutions on 14 December, the store ship moored at
Reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet
Since her return to the United States on 22 June coincided with a reassignment to the
Overhaul work at Staten Island and Norfolk
Holiday routine and post-deployment leave and upkeep occupied the remainder of 1954 and the first two weeks of 1955. After unloading supplies at the Norfolk Naval Supply Center and ammunition at the Naval Ammunition Depot,
Second Med cruise
Alstede exited the
January 1956 Med tour
She emerged from the shipyard on 6 January 1956 and headed for the Naval Supply Center, Norfolk, to take on supplies. Alstede operated out of Norfolk for the next two months. On 7 March, she got underway to return to the
Routine operations
At that point, the pattern for the remainder of Alstede's career was established. For the next 13 years, the stores ship deployed to the Mediterranean Sea two or three times a year to resupply units of the U.S. 6th Fleet operating there. When not assigned to that fleet, she engaged in diverse occupations. The ship participated in
Awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Of special note, the late spring of 1965 brought Alstede the award of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal when she provided logistics support for the Navy ships which constituted a portion of the Organization of American States' peacekeeping force sent to the Dominican Republic to mediate the civil strife that had broken out between supporters of the ousted president, Juan Bosch, and forces of the ruling, three-man junta that had supplanted him. Her schedule of Mediterranean resupply missions alternated with 2d Fleet operations and repair periods came to an end on 31 October 1969 when she was decommissioned.
Decommissioning
Her name was struck from the
Military awards and honors
Alstede earned four
- Second Korean Winter
- Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
- Third Korean Winter
- Korean Summer-Fall 1953
Alstede's crew was eligible for the following medals:
- National Defense Service Medal
- Korean Service Medal (4)
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Dominican Republic)
- United Nations Service Medal
- Republic of Korea War Service Medal
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery of Alstede at NavSource Naval History