An extinct volcanic mountain of the Cascade mountains; its caldera is now occupied by Crater Lake.
(AE-9: dp. 9.950; l. 459'; b. 63'; s. 15 k.; dr. 26'5"; cpl. 281; a. 1 5", 4 3", 4 20mm.; cl. Mauna Loa)
Mazama (AE-9) was laid down 14 April 1942 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla.; launched 15 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Edward V. Rickenbacker; and commissioned 10 March 1944, Comdr. P.V.R. Harris, USNR, in command.
Anchoring at Manus 9 October, the ammunition ship prepared for the liberation of the Philippines. She steamed on the 15th for Kossol Roads, continuing on to Leyte Gulf, arriving 23 October 3 days after the Leyte landings. She remained in the gulf, in spite of intense and bitter air activity, through the battles off Samar and in Surigao Strait. Following these battles she rearmed the units of the 7th and 3rd Fleets.
On 1 November, Mazama departed for Kossol Roads and Ulithi Atoll. While at anchor in the latter 20 November, she witnessed the first successful attack of the kaiten. By 1 December she was headed for Espiritu Santo to replenish her cargo; returning to Ulithi 5 January 1945. There, at 0650 12 January, a suspicious object was sighted off the starboard quarter. Four minutes later an explosion rocked the ship. She developed a 2° list to port and was down at the head. pumps were immediately started to counteract flooding, later ballast was emptied to reduce the forward draft which had increased to 35 from 23 feet; the change in draft aft, from 25 to 21 feet. By midafternoon, having suffered the loss of eight men, one dead and seven seriously injured, she began to transfer serviceable ammunition; unserviceable munitions were dumped at sea.
The next day the caulking and plugging of open seams was begun. Temporary repairs completed by 6 March, Mazama steamed for San Francisco, arriving 4 April. She then headed back toward the Philippines 9 June with 5,000 tons of ammunition. On 2 July she entered San Pedro Bay where she remained through the end of the war.
On 27 November 1961 Mazama again recommissioned. home ported at Mayport, Fla., for the next 4 years, she participated in fleet exercises along the Atlantic seaboard and in the Caribbean. During fall 1962 exercises in the latter area she was called on to support the ships enforcing the Cuban quarantine. in 1964 she was again deployed to the Mediterranean, where, during the month of August, she stood by in support of the Cyprus patrol as civil unrest and fighting between Greek and Turkish Cypriots threatened an uneasy peace in the eastern Mediterranean.
Mazama returned to Florida 23 December to operate out of Mayport until August 1965. On 20 August she moored at Davisville, R.I., her new home port. Her deployment schedule was also changed and the next year she was assigned to the 7th Fleet.
Departing Davisville 17 March 1966, she arrived at Subic Bay 5 May and for the next 6 months supported units of the 7th Fleet in operations off the coast of Vietnam. On 3 November Mazama was relieved by Shasta. She then headed back to Davisville via the Suez Canal, completing her round-the-world cruise 20 December.
After a cruise to the Mediterranean in late 1967 through early 1968, Mazama returned to operate with and supply ammunition to the 2d Fleet into 1969.
Mazama received two battle stars for World War II service.