USS Neosho AO-143
The USS Neosho AO-143 was a Neosho Class Fleet Oiler laid down in August of 1952 at the Fore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Steel Co. in Quincy Massachusetts. She was assigned the name Neosho in late September of 1953 and launched in November of that year. She was formally commissioned in the U.S. Navy in September of 1954.
The Neosho class was the first designed to incorporate speed with large cargo capacity for replenishment. AO-143 reported first to Norfolk for duty in the 8th Atlantic Fleet. She spent her first year operating between the East Coast and in the Caribbean, until September of 1955, when she began her first Mediterranean deployment. During the next several years she would alternate regualarly between the 6th and 2nd Atlantic fleets.
By the time 1967 had come, AO-43 had participated in excess of 2,500 replenishments, transferring more than 640 million gallons of fuel under both normal and crisis conditions. She was the backbone of naval operations and in the Fall of 1956, supported the 6th fleet deployment as the Suez situation became more tense. In the Fall of 1962, she supported the Naval Quarantine of Cuba, made famous by the Cuban Missile Crisis.
For all the important service naval vessels served our country, there is a darker side to these ships between the 1930’s and late 1970’s. Many servicemen were exposed to asbestos while conducting repairs, modifications, or serving aboard these vessels. Asbestos was commonly used in the insulation fixtures around piping and boilers, and was particularly common in naval vessels. Today we know asbestos to be carcinogenic. However, many men were unknowingly exposed and have today contracted respiratory complications because of this exposure. Those who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should contact their physician and discuss their asbestos history.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
