USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) was a commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1969 She continued to support Navy requirements until 1994 when she was placed in the reserve fleet and later struck.

History

Milwaukee was laid down on 29 November 1966 and launched on 1 January 1969 at the shipyard of the General Dynamics Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...

. On 1 November 1969 she was commissioned USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) and placed into service for the fleet.

Operational service

During the Vietnam War USS Milwaukee participated in operation Vietnam Ceasefire from 12 November 1972 through 20 February 1973. The USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service. http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/21/2102.htm

In September 1976, returning from a routine deployment, the USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) along with the USS Sylvania (AFS-2)

USS Sylvania (AFS-2)

USS Sylvania , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named Sylvania.Sylvania was laid down on 18 August 1962 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California; launched on 10 August 1963; sponsored by Mrs. Cyrus R. Vance; and commissioned on 11 July 1964,...

  had the honor of transporting the world famous King Tutankhamun Exhibition

Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun , Egyptian , ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...

 to America for the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...

 in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

On 1 March 1980 the Malaysian oil tanker Santo Prestige lost power and collided with the USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) which was moored in Norfolk, Virginia. The collision results in a 40- by 15-foot gash in the hull of the Milwaukee.http://jerry88acwv-americancoldwarveterans.blogspot.com/2009/05/naval-accidents-during-cold-war.html

In 1985 the USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) participated in the anti-submarine exercise Arctic SHAREM.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/COLD+WaR+WaRRIORS+GOT+CHILLY+RECEPTION+IN+ARCTIC-a01611693312

Decommissioning

On 27 January 1994 the USS Milwaukee (AOR-2) was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

on 8 April 1997. On 15 January 2009, the Milwaukee was sold for $56,410 for scrapping to Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, VA.http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/21/2102.htm