USS Chicago (CA-136) - 2nd Vietnam Deployment

2nd Vietnam Deployment

Assigned to tender availability on 1 September, the ship received boiler and other repairs and inspections from Isle Royale before departing for another WestPac deployment on 11 October 1967. After departing Pearl Harbor on 18 October, the warship assisted in vectoring aircraft to the site of a Navy F-8 Crusader crash site, successfully rescuing the pilot. Arriving on station in the Gulf of Tonkin three weeks later, via Yokosuka, Okinawa, and Subic Bay, the ship relieved Belknap, beginning PIRAZ duties on 12 November. These responsibilities, improved over the past year, included radar surveillance, coordinating barrier CAP and rescue operations, providing MiG and border warnings, and a wide variety of communication and real-time data sharing services.

After a visit to Hong Kong from 16 to 21 December, the cruiser moved to Subic Bay for an import availability period completed on 3 January 1968. Chicago steamed to Singapore, for a short rest period, before returning to the PIRAZ station on 13 January. On 28 January, following the seizure of Pueblo by North Korea, the cruiser steamed to the Sea of Japan to help coordinate air activities for the carriers of Task Group 70.6. On 7 February, as the crisis eased, Chicago departed to resume PIRAZ duties in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Following two more PIRAZ cruises, Chicago departed Subic Bay on 1 May and arrived in San Diego on 15 May, via Guam and Pearl Harbor. After a brief diversion to the Pacific Missile Range, to conduct experimental aircraft tracking and missile firings, the cruiser entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 1 July for a regular repair period followed by machinery and electronics sea trials and inspections for the remainder of 1968.