the west coast. On 27 July, Samuel Gompers stood out of Bremerton, with the dependents aboard, and returned to San Diego. From 30 July to 15 November, she serviced ships there. On 15 November, the tender departed San Diego, with Task Unit (TU) 15.8.2, bound for Subic Bay, via Pearl Harbor and Guam, and her second WestPac deployment. The Task Unit included the destroyers , , and destroyer leader . She provided underway replenishment for the accompanying ships three times during the transit, including hi-lining a seaman from Swenson for an emergency operation on Thanksgiving Day, 28 November. From 8 December 1968 to 13 May 1969, she performed fleet repair services in Subic Bay. Capt. Risch was relieved by Captain Claiborne S. Bradley on 3 January 1969. The period was broken by one five-day visit to Hong Kong. On 13 May, the AD sailed to Yokosuka for a short period of rest and recreation, from whence she sailed to the west coast, arriving on 4 June. 1970–1973 Samuel Gompers operated in the San Diego area until 13 March 1970 when she again deployed to the western Pacific, under command of her Executive Officer, Commander Pete Watson, while Capt. Bradley was on emergency leave. After making a port call at Pearl Harbor, she moored at Subic Bay. Except for five days rest and recreation in Hong Kong in June, with 164 Navy dependents from Subic Bay, the tender operated out of that port until 7 July 1970 when she sailed for Yokosuka, Japan, arriving 10 July. The ship's second change of command took place on 1 August 1970 when Captain Daniel L. Banks relieved Captain Bradley. She departed Japan and arrived in San Diego on 13 September 1970. She remained there until 2 November 1971 when she steamed west on another deployment. She made port calls in Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka. During her next nine-month deployment period, Samuel Gompers made two trips to Da Nang, South Vietnam, from 9 to 16 April; and from 22 to 30 April. During her deployment she picked up the nickname "FATSAM" for Fast Attack Tender, Samuel Gompers. When she reached her home port on 31 July, she remained there to provide repair services to fleet units until mid-July 1973. At this time, she moved up the coast to Portland, Oregon, entering a dry dock period at Swan Island Shipyard and was in dry dock having