Nodaway AO-78

Nodaway
(AO~78: dp. 6,047; 1. 325'2"; b. 48'2", dr. 19'1"; s 10 k.; GPI. 36; GI. Rincon; T. T1-M-BT2)

Nodaway tAOG-78), a T-1 gasoline tanker, was laid down 19 February 1945 as Tarcoola (MC Hull 2639) by Todd Shipyards Corp, Houston Division, Houston, Tex.; launched 15 May 1945; sponsored by Mrs. C. R. Ladon; delivered to the Maritime Commission 12 September 1945; and operated under COntraGt as a merchant tanker into 1950. Acquired bv the Navy 14 August 1950, she was placed in service as USNS Nodaway (AOG-78) 11 September 1950.

Assigned to MSTS and manned by a Civil Service crew Nodaway departed New Orleans at the end of September 195d on the first of many oil runs that were to take her from gulf GOast ports, up along the Atlantic coast as far as Newfoundland, and as far east as the Azores Islands through 1959.

Nodaway's last shuttle run of carrying petroleum products saw her depart New York City 17 April 1959. After delivering goods to various Caribbean bases, she arrived at Mobile, Ala. 26 November, and was delivered to the Maritime Administration there 11 December for temporary custody in full lay-up status.

In August 1965, in the early stages of the Vietnam buildup Nodaway came back into the MSTS fleet. She immediately assumed clean petroleum product shuttle assignments in the South Vietnam area. Since September 1968, into 1970, she has been working in and out of Japanese and Korean ports.