U.S.S. IWO JIMA

USS IWO JIMA (LPH-2)

Iwo Jima (LPH-2) was launched by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Bremerton Wash. 17 September 1960; sponsored by Mrs. Harry Schmidt; and commissioned 26 August 1961 Captain T. D. Harris in command.

The first ship to be designed and built from the keel up as an amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima carries helicopters and a detachment of embarked Marines for use in the Navy's newest "vertical envelopment" concept of amphibious operations. Following shakedown training she spent the rest of 1961 off the California coast in amphibious exercises. In April 1962 the ship joined Joint Task Force 8 in the Johnston Island-Hawaii area for an important series of nuclear tests. Iwo Jima evacuated several islands and took part in the test evaluation. She sailed for Pearl Harbor 26 July from the test area and continued to San Diego where she arrived 10 August 1962.

In September the ship took part in full-scale amphibious exercises in California departing 17 October from San Diego for her first deployment to the western Pacific. As a crisis flared 19 October over the introduction of offensive missiles into Cuba however Iwo Jima returned to San Diego embarked Marines 22 to 27 October and departed quickly for the Caribbean. As part of America's powerful and mobile force afloat she cruised in a "ready" status until December brought an easing of the Cuban situation. She arrived San Diego 13 December having played a major role in preserving American and Latin American security.

Iwo Jima operated out of her home port during the first half of 1963 carrying out amphibious exercises and training. She departed 30 August on her long delayed cruise to the western Pacific. Joining the 7th Fleet mobile bulwark of American security in the area she ranged from Hawaii to the Philippines and Taiwan.

On 31 October 1963 Iwo Jima departed Philippine waters for special operations along the coast of South Vietnam standing by to protect American nationals during a period of increased strife. She returned to Subic Bay 12 November. The following months she sailed with Special Landing Forces of Marines for rigorous amphibious assault and landing raids practice off the coasts of Taiwan and Okinawa. After unloading ammunition at Sasebo Japan she departed 13 April 1965 for return to San Diego arriving 28 April. Following amphibious training with Marines along the California seaboard she overhauled in the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. This work was completed by 7 December 1965 when Iwo Jima began amphibious refresher training ranging to the Hawaiian Islands. On 13 March 1965 she departed Pearl Harbor for San Diego arriving 6 days later.

Iwo Jima received tons of supplies and scores of Army helicopters tanker trucks and vehicles in her hangar and flight deck spaces. Nearly a thousand troops were embarked for her western transit that began 12 April. She touched Pearl Harbor a few hours the 17th to off-load 50 Marines and their equipment then steamed off St. Jacques Republic of Vietnam 1 to 2 May flying off 77 Army helicopters loaded with troops and combat cargo. From there she proceeded to Subic Bay in the Philippines where troops and equipment were received for amphibious landing at Chu Lai Vietnam 11 May 1965.

Iwo Jima remained off Chu Lai for a month protecting Marines and Seabees establishing an air field on the sandy shore. Besides helicopter support ashore including defense perimeter patrol she was a support center for laundry showers fresh provisions store and mail service. She also supervised the continual off-load of ships over the beach for the entire month then on 7 June 1965 landed squadron personnel and helicopters ashore at Hue-Phu Bai some 30 miles north of Da Nang. After a few days rest in Subic Bay she was routed to Sasebo thence to Buckner Bay Okinawa where she embarked Marines and equipment. This was completed 26 June 1965 when she sailed for Quinohn Republic of Vietnam in company with Talladega (APA-208) and Point Defiance (LSD-31). These ships were designated Task Group 76.5 that part of the 7th Fleet that carries the Marine Special Landing Force. On the 30th she arrived at Quinohn about 100 miles south of Chu Lai. The following day Marines landed ashore to take up defensive positions for he protection of Army engineers and communications units.

Iwo Jima remained off Quinohn for defensive support until 20 July 1965 then steamed for Pratas Reef about 240 miles southwest of Taiwan. Arriving the morning of the 22d her helicopters were immediately pressed into service to aid the salvage of destroyer Frank Knox. The close approach of typhoon "Gilda" pounded the grounded destroyer so badly that it was impossible for small boats to get alongside her. Extra men were heli-lifted off the destroyer while surf rose 12 feet high to break completely over the stern of Frank Knox. Support given by Iwo Jima included such items as hot food clothes, water, pumps, hose, gasoline, air compressors, welding machines, damage control equipment and technicians. Feed water was heli-lifted in special tanks constructed by destroyer tender Prairie (AD 15) who had faint hope of keeping the destroyer's boiler alive. Detached from this duty 1 August 1965 Iwo Jima made a brief call at Hong Kong then proceeded to the Philippines.

On 17 August 1965 Iwo Jima steamed out of Subic Bay for Vung Tau Republic of Vietnam to join in Operation "Starlight " a 5-day search-and-destroy operation that eradicated some 600 Viet Cong. The successful Navy-Marine Corps amphibious operation backed by gunfire support from cruiser Galveston and two destroyers came to a close late on 24 August. Iwo Jima's evacuation and surgical teams kept the American casualties down to a very low percentage. During transit back to Subic Bay she learned Frank Knox had been refloated good news for Iwo Jima's crew who had put in so many hard and long hours at Pratas Reef. She landed her Marine Special Landing Force at Chu Lai 1 to 2 September embarked 800 Marines of a rotation draft and sailed for Buckner Bay.

Iwo Jima landed the rotation troops at Okinawa then came off Quinohn 10 September 1965 to cover the landing of the Army's 1st Air Cavalry Division. She had supported three amphibious assault search-and-destroy raids along the coast by 1 October when she steamed to southern waters remaining in stand-by status for possible evacuation of U.S. nationals in revolt-torn Indonesia. Eight days later she sailed for Danang for a helicopter squadron exchange thence to Subic Bay where she was relieved by Valley Forge (LPH-8). Following a visit to Yokosuka she departed 1 November for return to San Diego arriving 17 November 1965. Several months later she again joined the 7th Fleet Amphibious Ready Group a fast moving assault force which had completed more than 20 search-and-destroy operations along the South Vietnamese coast between March 1965 and September 1966. One of these missions hit only 3 miles south of the demilitarized zone to search out and decimate a regiment of the North Vietnam Army's 34ZB Division which had infiltrated South Vietnam through the neutral zone.

During the first 3 months of 1966 Iwo Jima was at San Diego for upkeep and improvement changes. From April through June extensive refresher training occupied all hands as Iwo Jima prepared for her forthcoming Western Pacific deployment. On 24 July steaming with a task group she passed the volcanic island whose costly conquest by stouthearted sailors and Marines had inspired her name. On board was one of the Marine groups that had landed on Iwo Jima over two decades earlier. After operations in the Vietnam area she sailed for Japan. December 30th once again found Iwo Jima on the line and underway for special operations in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam in a Navy-ready group with a two pronged punch. Early in January 1967 the Commanding Officer Captain Nils W. Boe was relieved by Captain F. X. Timmes. Upon his departure Captain Boe said of his crew in a family-gram to mothers and wives "I want to thank each of you for letting me borrow these magnificent young men for a little while. They have made me feel ten feet tall." On 1 July 1967 Iwo Jima was reassigned to Amphibious Squadron 3 from vice Amphibious Squadron 1 with which she continued to sail with the Pacific Fleet.

Iwo Jima was decommissioned 14 July 1993 and struck from the Navy List 25 Sept. 1993. The vessel was sold 25 July 1995

[Note: The above USS IWO JIMA (LPH-2) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS IWO JIMA (LPH-2) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]