Some Links:


AE and AOE Lore, Rainier Memories
Vietnam, WW II and Korea
Navy History, Ships and Tradition


If you find any broken links, let the Webmaster know. We'll fix them.
(wfreeman555@hotmail.com)

All About the AE's and AOE's Old and New



Photos of Modern Underway Replenishment during Operation Iraqi Freedom- Great Shots!
A List of AE's and AOE's by Hull Number
with Notes and Pictures And Lots of Stats and References
to other AE's with Websites AND a NEW Listing of
REUNION COORDINATORS for Many (If Not MOST) AE's.
You might remember the Camden or the Sacramento, the first two AOE's. At the invitation of National Steel and Shipbuilding,of San Diego, many former Rainier sailors and I attended the christening
and launching of the USS Rainier AOE-7 a few years back.
What an unforgettable experience to watch that huge ship slide down the ways into the bay!
The USS Rainier AOE-7 Homepage
NOAA has a Research Ship named Rainier.Great graphics of
the design of this Alaska-based vessel!

Some AE Legends and Lore-
Ships, Stations and Explosions


The Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien When in San Francisco, be sure to visit the O'Brien. The similarities to Rainier are striking. In the Los Angeles area, check out the SS Lane Victory in San Pedro. On the East Coast, it's the Liberty Ship John W. Brown. And, a new addition to the list of restored Victory Ships, Red Oak Victory in Richmond, CA. (Includes a good photo of the Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay from which Red Oak Victory was rescued
Atlantic Coast AE Ports and Weapons Stations
An All Hands Article about The "Earle of New Jersey", Naval Ammunition Depot, Earle, N.J., the East coast version of Port Chi.
A Map of the Upper San Francisco Bay/ Concord Area
The Port Chicago Explosion of 1944- Was it Really a NUKE ???
Port Chicago Explosion Memorial
Photo of the Port Chicago Memorial
Documents and Photos of the Port Chi Explosion
US Navy FAQ's About the Port Chi Explosion
The Port Chicago Mutiny A Book Review
Contra Costa County Schools' Port Chi History SiteAn Educational Overview
"Mutiny", Morgan Freeman's Film about the Port Chicago Mutiny
The USS Mt. Hood Explosion of 1944
The "Official Report" and Another View By a Survivor. The Mt. Hood AE-11
Exploding Ships- Why When and How
Ammunition ship SS Burke Explodes after Kamikaze Attack- WW2- Incredible photos
Back in '69 we heard Jeanne Dixon, the psychic, had predicted an ammunition ship going to Vietnam would blow up. Read about the SS Badger State Incident.
The Great Halifax Explosion and
another page about Halifax
The Ammo Explosion aboard LST 353 at West Loch, Pearl Harbor- 1944- An Eyewitness Account
Richard Gibney's Combat Art- The West Loch Explosion
War Protester Brian WilsonReturns to
Concord Naval Weapons Station

The Ammunition Ship SS Rowan goes up in Algeria, 1943. Check out this web page from the viewpoint of a nearby cruiser, the Savannah.
A Collection of the Postmarks of the "Volcano Ships"
There was also an Ammo Ship Explosion in Archangelsk,
Russia on February 20, 1917 during WW I. Fifteen hundred persons were killed. If you know about
that, send us a note at "wmartinfreeman@aol.com".

General Navy and Maritime Links


Great Lakes Training Center You may not Recognize the New Kindler, Gentler Boot Camp
What's the Navy Been Up To Lately ?
The Next Generation of Sailors ? From the Naval Sea Cadets, of Course !
Find Ship Facts at "Hull Number.Com"
Bill's Navy Page- A Compendium of Navy Experiences from the 70's.
D.R. Webbs All-Inclusive Maritime Links
If it's Maritime and it isn't here, it doesn't exist !
What could be COOLER than a Naval War College Foundation shirt or hat (except for a Rainier ballcap) ?
Buy one and keep the world "safe" for Naval Warfare...
Rich's World of Navy Links
The Goat Locker- Homage to the Chief Petty Officer
Naval Weapons/Ammunition at NavWeaps.Com
Nav Source, A Goldmine of
Navy Related Links and Information
Warships1- An All-Inclusive Site

The Vietnam Era: Westpac and the P.I.
Yesterday and Today



The Tonkin Gulf Incident- Some Personal Memories of the Day the War "Started"
The Greatest song of the Vietnam Era- Country Joe's "Feeling Like I'm Fixin to Die Rag". Read about it, listen to it and read the lyrics
Ships of the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club With Links to Dozens of Ship Web Sites.
A Great Site Full of Memorabilia about Subic Bay- 1945 to 1981
So What If It's a Bit "Marine-Oriented?" It gets better all the time.

Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club- Adventures on Yankee Station
Replenishment at Sea from the Destroyer USS Waddell's Point of View.
Bobby Clements' Vietnam Memories- 63-67
LT Tom Stuart's Memories- The View From the Bridge
You might not Recognize the New Subic Bay !
But- you will recognize these aerial photos of Subic Bay, circa 1965- Photo 1 and Photo 2 (from the NavSource site).
Did you Visit Pagsanjan Falls ?
Visit the San Miguel Brewing Co.

Memories of FT Al Dickerson- Aboard the "U.S.S.R."- 1967-8
Ever Wonder What Happened to Rainier's Holiday Ensign? Read Radioman Ed Manion's 66-70 Memories (A Work in Progress)
SM3 Steven Temple's Memories of Westpac- 1967 to 70
The VietVet Page and Some "Surprising" Vietnam War/ Vietnam Vet Statistics
Charles Paige'sWESTPAC Memories- From the USS Midway-1968-72- A fine piece of literature.
All About "Hanoi Jane", the Vietnam Vet's "Pin-Up" Girl
USS Bausell DD-845 A Great Page about one of Rainier's Tonkin Gulf "Customers" with Recollections of Vietnam Era Navy Life You'll Recognize
WWW.City.Net's Great Map of Vietnam

What's the Weather like in Southeast Asia ? , Subic Bay ?, and Haiphong ?
Vietnam War Stories Hundreds of First Person Memories
Grab a Bunk at Firebase Higgy
(Thanks to Higgy for the "We Were Winning" Patch)

World War Two, Korea and "Cold War" Era Links




Click the Logo Above to Go to the KDVA Website.

(AE SAILORS ALWAYS GET THE GIRLS !)

Bill Shelton's Korea Pics- 1953
Rainier Rearms the Cruiser USS Los Angeles- 1950-photos by Fred Keeler, BM2
Orville Hall (Center)and Shipmates with Springfield Rifles. Who are the other guys?
A BIG Selection of WW II Memories of Rainier and her Crew
including the Sketches of Seaman 2c E.M. Parker
and the Remembrances of the late Dr. Mel Davis, Rainier's WW2 ship's surgeon-
Don't Miss this Page !
New!- Includes pictures of Dr. Davis,
courtesy of his son Rob Davis.
USS Mt. Baker's Fatal Collision with a Korean Navy Destroyer_ MAY 1952
Third Class Barber Pete Popoff's Rainier Experience- 1950's
Fred Flores' Korea Photos- 1952
Harold Bahr's Korea Era Pictures- War in Black and White
Memories of Rainier- 1961-63 from Chief Gunner Jake Jacobs
With Lots of Pictures from '61
Patricia Kenney Anderson's Memories of her Dad, Chief Charles Kenney- 1942
The WW2 Vet Page
The US Navy in World War Two
All About the Naval Armed Guard,
and a lot of WWII Merchant Marine
and Liberty and Victory Ship Links
Read the Fascinating History of Olongapo City During WW 2
World War Two Web Resources
The Imperial Japanese Navy Page, an All-Inclusive Page
about the Naval War in the Pacific-
Maps, Stats, Pictures...a Dynamite Collection !
Another Great World War Two Navy Page by Dave Friederich, an "AK" Sailor. (AK's are fireproof AE's...)
George Sallet's Diary of a WWII Destroyer Sailor with a reference
to Rainier at Savo Island/ Guadalcanal - 12AUG42-
Were you there ?
Barker's Fine Korean War Page

Other Interesting Stuff

Your Webmaster Has Other Loyalties- I Had a Great Two Week Reserve Cruise in 1971 aboard the USS Gearing (DD-710) in Italy. What a difference steering a destroyer at 35 knots compared to the lumbering Rainier at 12 ! (Gearing's "Official" Page is also up now...check it out here.)
The Greatest Navy movie of all Times- "The Sand Pebbles."
Finally, Why Do They Call Ships "She" ???