USS Nemasket (AOG-10)

USS Nemasket (AOG-10) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.

Nemasket was laid down 6 October 1942 by Cargill, Inc., Savage, Minnesota; launched 20 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Rebecca Hanson of Savage, Minnesota; and commissioned 16 June 1944 at New Orleans, Louisiana, Lt. Comdr. Gillespie G. Boyd in command.

World War II service
Shakedown commenced 3 July in the Chesapeake Bay, after which Nemasket steamed to Aruba, Netherlands West Indies, to load gasoline. She departed Aruba 31 July for Pearl Harbor via the Panama Canal and San Diego, California. Arriving Pearl Harbor 24 August she commenced transporting petroleum products to numerous Pacific islands. Reaching Ulithi 12 November, she commenced fueling operations - receiving fuel from merchant tankers and Navy oilers, and then delivering it to various combatants, auxiliaries, and island bases.

Supporting the Iwo Jima invasion
Nemasket carried aviation gasoline to Anguar and Peleliu in the Palau Islands from 12 December 1944 until 18 January 1945. She then steamed to Eniwetok to fuel the invasion fleet preparing for the Iwo Jima assault. Arriving off Iwo Jima 20 February, she fueled over two hundred ships in twenty days. The gasoline tanker then shifted to Saipan and Ulithi 9 March, and 4 April she steamed to Kerama Retto, where she spent three months amidst kamikaze attacks and interminable hours at general quarters. She splashed a "Val" 13 May, 100 yards off her port bow.

End-of-war activity
At Leyte when hostilities ceased, Nemasket remained in continuous service with the Pacific Service Force. She shifted to Shanghai, China 6 September and remained on China service until May 1947, spending only the late summer and early fall of 1946 in the United States. In June 1947 she was assigned transportation and delivery duties throughout the Pacific islands as a unit of Service Division 51, Service Force, Pacific.

Korean War service
Nemasket continued her transportation and delivery duties during the Korean War and through the 1950s, out of her homeport of Pearl Harbor.

Decommissioning and Fate
Nemasket was placed out of commission, in reserve 22 September 1959 and stricken from the Naval Register on 1 July 1960.

Several sources, including the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships list Nemasket as being scrapped in 1961, those sources are incorrect.

Nemasket remained in Navy reserve until 6 June 1971 when she was transferred to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. She was then used as a fleet utility craft (FB-64) until 26 August 2005 when a contract for her dismantling was issued to ESCO Marine of Brownsville, Tx for $1,224,100. Nemasket departed the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet on 9 January 2006 heading to Brownsville and was completely dismantled by 6 June 2006.

Military awards and honors
Nemasket’s crew was eligible for the following medals and ribbons:
 * Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - April to June 1945 at Kerama Retto, Okinawa)
 * China Service Medal
 * American Campaign Medal
 * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
 * World War II Victory Medal
 * Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
 * National Defense Service Medal
 * Korean Service Medal
 * United Nations Service Medal
 * Philippines Liberation Medal
 * Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)