The USS Salamonie (AO-26) was a Cimarron-class fleet replenishment oiler, laid down and launched in 1940 and commissioned a year later. The ship’s WWII service began with deployments to the North American Atlantic Ocean ports and several convoys to North Africa and the United Kingdom. During her first overhaul, the vessel was fitted with radar. After her 1943 run-in with the troopship USAT Uruguay, the oiler sailed for the Pacific Ocean and reported for duty to Commander Service Force, US 7th Fleet. Later, the ship joined the Leyte invasion force in 1944, supporting the Morotai and Mindoro strike forces. In the war's final months, the replenishment oiler supported Allied operations in the Philippines. Post-war, she underwent her second overhaul in 1946 and spent the following years transporting petroleum products between the Persian Gulf and US naval bases in the Far East. In 1958, the ship was part of TF-88, and toward the end of the 1960s, she was up for inactivation. The USS Salamonie (AO-26) was decommissioned in 1968 and struck from the Navy List the following year. Long-term exposure to asbestos fibers can induce lung inflammation and scarring, which can lead to breathing problems, a potential health threat for naval personnel of ships built before the 1980s.
760-621-6147
