 "Rupertus", again homeported at Long Beach, arrived there on 3 August 1966.A year later, she sailed for the Far East again, arriving on "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin in July.With when a series of explosions temporarily disabled the carrier on 29 July, "Rupertus" maneuvered to within of the crippled ship and remained alongside for a period of three hours, assisting in fighting fires, cooling magazines, and rescuing personnel thrown into the sea.