USS Chipola (AO-63)

• USS Chipola (AO-63) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler of the United States Navy, named after the Chipola River in Florida. • She was launched on October 25, 1944, by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard in Maryland and commissioned on December 30, 1944. • World War II Service: Chipola played a critical role in the Pacific, supplying fuel to the fast carrier task forces supporting the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and raids against the Japanese home islands. • During the Okinawa campaign, Chipola operated under constant threat from kamikaze attacks but successfully completed her refueling missions. • She was present in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, and provided fuel support for the ships involved in the Japanese surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri. • After World War II, Chipola served in the Korean War, again providing vital fuel supplies to United Nations naval forces. • Vietnam War Service: Chipola was reactivated for the Vietnam War, participating in numerous operations to refuel the 7th Fleet and allied ships off Vietnam. • The ship was awarded ten battle stars for her service during World War II, as well as additional campaign medals for her Korean and Vietnam War service. • Chipola had a long service life, being decommissioned and recommissioned several times before her final decommissioning in 1970. • In 1974, USS Chipola was sold for scrap, closing a 30-year chapter of service during three major conflicts and peacetime operations, but her legacy remains in the vital logistics support she provided to the US Navy.