Rincon AOC-77

Rincon

(AOC: 77: dp. 6,047;1 325'; b. 48'; dr. 19'; s. 10 k.; epl. 38
cl. Rincon; T. T1-M-BT2)

Rincon, built under Martime Commission contract, was laid down as Tarland (MC hull 2640), 24 February 1945; lalmehed as Rincon, 5 June 1945, sponsored by Mrs. J. L. Baker; delivered to the Maritime Commission 5 October 1945 and operated under eontraet until 1950; transferred to the Navy at Yokohama 1 July 1950, and assigned to the newly formed Military Sea Transportation Service, Far East.

Placed in service and given the hull designation T-AOW77 on her acquisition, Rincon immediately commenced shuttling f~el tn the Japanese ports whence troops and supplies were being sent to the fighting front in Korea. In September the ship was assigned Sasebo-Pusan shuttle runs as facilities at the latter Dort were expanded to meet the needs of U.N. forces being lifted into the embattled peninsula. Throughout the 3 years of conflict, Rincon interrupted that duty only onee for runs to Saigon and Haiphong in March 1951. After the truce in July 1953, she continued her Japanese-Korean shuttle service until February 1959. Then transferred to MSTS, Pacific, she carried fuel from Pearl Harbor to Midway and bases in the Alarshalls until reassigned to MSTS, Far l~ast, in May 1961. She then returned to Sasebo, whence into 1974 she has carried gasoline and other fuels to Ameriean and Allied forces in the western Pacific, particularly those in Vietnam.

Rincon earned two battle stars for her service during the Korean conflict.