Randy Deitsch

USS Nitro (AE-23) was an ammunition ship commissioned by the United States Navy on May 1, 1959. As the lead ship of her class, Nitro played a crucial role in replenishing fleet units with munitions and explosives at sea, supporting naval operations during the Cold War, Vietnam War, and Middle East crises. Homeported on the East Coast, she participated in numerous Mediterranean deployments with the U.S. Sixth Fleet and provided logistical support during various combat and training exercises. USS Nitro was decommissioned in 1995 after nearly four decades of dedicated service and was later scrapped.