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U.S.S. OKINAWA
(LPH-3)THE PROUD LADY OF THE PACIFIC
Click to view crew list
The USS OKINAWA (LPH-3), an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship, was commissioned on 14 APR 1962. USS OKINAWA served her country for 30 years, 8 months and 3 days, until decommissioned on 17 DEC 1992. After fit out and shake down, OKINAWA's first call to service was the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. East Coast service continued until January 1967 when she shifted home port to San Diego due to the massing of naval forces for the struggle in Vietnam. During her service career OKINAWA deployed numerous times to the the Western Pacific, recovered an Apollo space capsule and supported the effort in the Persian Gulf during the First Gulf War. After a thirty year career, she was sunk as a target in a fleet exercise off California, on June 6, 2002 - the 58th anniversary of D-Day.
The USS OKINAWA (LPH-3) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:
LPH-3 Deployments - Major Events
Add a LPH-3 Shellback Initiation | Add a LPH-3 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
APR | 1960 | - | Keel Date: 1 APR 1960 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard | ||
AUG | 1961 | - | Launch Date: 19 AUG 1961 | ||
JAN | 1962 | - | MAR | 1962 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
APR | 1962 | - | Commissioned: 14 APR 1962 | ||
AUG | 1962 | - | DEC | 1962 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
OCT | 1962 | - | OCT | 1962 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
OCT | 1964 | - | NOV | 1964 | OPERATION STEEL SPIKE 1 - SPAIN |
OCT | 1964 | - | NOV | 1964 | Operation Steel Spike 1 - Spain |
NOV | 1964 | - | DEC | 1964 | u.s.m.c. |
APR | 1965 | - | MAY | 1965 | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CRISIS |
JUN | 1965 | - | SEP | 1965 | Caribbean |
JAN | 1966 | - | DEC | 1966 | Caribbean |
JAN | 1966 | - | JAN | 1967 | Caribbean |
JAN | 1967 | - | JAN | 1967 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAR | 1967 | - | DEC | 1967 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAR | 1967 | - | DEC | 1967 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1968 | - | DEC | 1970 | West Pac |
OCT | 1968 | - | JUN | 1969 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1969 | - | MAY | 1969 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1969 | - | JAN | 1969 | Party on China Beach 1-9-1969 |
MAR | 1969 | - | APR | 1969 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1970 | - | NOV | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1970 | - | DEC | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1970 | - | DEC | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
FEB | 1970 | - | FEB | 1971 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAY | 1970 | - | DEC | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAY | 1970 | - | Shellback Initiation - 9 MAY 1970 - Pacific Ocean | ||
MAY | 1970 | - | NOV | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1971 | - | JAN | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1971 | - | JAN | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
AUG | 1971 | - | Appolo 15 Recovery | ||
SEP | 1971 | - | SEP | 1971 | Recovery of Apollo 15 |
JAN | 1972 | - | DEC | 1972 | Gulf of tonka |
JAN | 1972 | - | JAN | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1972 | - | JAN | 1973 | West Pac |
JAN | 1972 | - | JAN | 1973 | RIMPAC |
JAN | 1972 | - | JAN | 1973 | haipong harbor |
APR | 1972 | - | NOV | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
APR | 1972 | - | SEP | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
APR | 1972 | - | SEP | 1972 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
APR | 1972 | - | SEP | 1972 | RIMPAC |
APR | 1972 | - | Shellback Initiation - 1 APR 1972 - Pacific Ocean | ||
APR | 1972 | - | SEP | 1972 | uss okinawa |
AUG | 1972 | - | NOV | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
AUG | 1972 | - | OCT | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
AUG | 1972 | - | OCT | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
SEP | 1972 | - | NOV | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
NOV | 1972 | - | JAN | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1973 | - | JUN | 1973 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUL | 1973 | - | MAY | 1974 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
AUG | 1973 | - | MAY | 1974 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
OCT | 1973 | - | JAN | 1974 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
NOV | 1973 | - | MAY | 1974 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1974 | - | FEB | 1974 | win ready ops 31st mau uss okinawa |
JUN | 1974 | - | JAN | 1977 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1975 | - | AUG | 1975 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
APR | 1975 | - | MAY | 1975 | Phnom Phen - Operation Frequent Wind |
APR | 1975 | - | MAY | 1975 | Evacuation of Saigon - Eagle Pull |
OCT | 1975 | - | MAY | 1976 | Dry Dock |
JUL | 1976 | - | FEB | 1977 | West Pac |
AUG | 1976 | - | DEC | 1976 | West Pac |
SEP | 1976 | - | JAN | 1977 | West Pac |
SEP | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 SEP 1976 - Pacific Ocean | ||
SEP | 1976 | - | JAN | 1977 | paul bunion |
OCT | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 13 OCT 1976 - Pacific Ocean | ||
OCT | 1976 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 OCT 1976 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JUN | 1977 | - | Shellback Initiation - 26 JUN 1977 - Pacific Ocean | ||
SEP | 1977 | - | OCT | 1977 | Kangaroo II |
JAN | 1978 | - | MAY | 1979 | West Pac |
SEP | 1978 | - | APR | 1979 | Middle Pacific |
SEP | 1978 | - | APR | 1979 | West Pac |
JAN | 1980 | - | JUL | 1980 | West Pac-Indian Ocean |
JAN | 1980 | - | JUN | 1980 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
MAY | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 2 MAY 1980 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAY | 1980 | - | Shellback Initiation - 2 MAY 1980 - Pacific Ocean | ||
MAY | 1981 | - | DEC | 1982 | West Pac |
JUL | 1981 | - | DEC | 1981 | West Pac |
OCT | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 3 OCT 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
OCT | 1981 | - | Shellback Initiation - 3 OCT 1981 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAY | 1984 | - | Shellback Initiation - 17 MAY 1984 - Pacific Ocean | ||
MAY | 1984 | - | SEP | 1984 | West Pac |
JUL | 1985 | - | DEC | 1985 | West Pac |
SEP | 1985 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 SEP 1985 - Pacific Ocean | ||
SEP | 1985 | - | Shellback Initiation - 11 SEP 1985 - Pacific Ocean | ||
MAY | 1987 | - | Shellback Initiation - 17 MAY 1987 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAY | 1987 | - | Shellback Initiation - 17 MAY 1987 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUL | 1987 | - | Shellback Initiation - 8 JUL 1987 - Indian Ocean | ||
NOV | 1987 | - | MAR | 1988 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
APR | 1988 | - | DEC | 1988 | Dry Dock |
AUG | 1988 | - | Shellback Initiation - 23 AUG 1988 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JUN | 1990 | - | APR | 1991 | Desert Storm |
JUN | 1990 | - | JAN | 1991 | West Pac |
JAN | 1991 | - | DEC | 1991 | Desert Storm |
JAN | 1992 | - | JUL | 1992 | West Pac |
JAN | 1992 | - | JUL | 1992 | West Pac-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf |
MAR | 1992 | - | Shellback Initiation - 30 MAR 1992 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAY | 1992 | - | NOV | 1992 | Mediterranean-Indian Ocean |
DEC | 1992 | - | Decommissioned: 17 DEC 1992 |
LPH-3 General Specifications
Class: Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship
Complement: 667 Officers and Enlisted
Displacement: 11000 tons
Length: 592 feet
Beam: 84 feet
Draft: 27 feet
Final Disposition: Expended as a target 6 June 2002
USS OKINAWA (LPH-3)
Okinawa (LPH-3) was laid down 1 April 1960 (15th anniversary of the invasion of Okinawa) by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Philadelphia Pa.; launched 19 August 1961; sponsored by Mrs. John L. McClellan wife of the Senator from Arkansas; and com missioned 14 April 1962 Capt. William E. Lemos in command.
Following commissioning and sea trials Okinawa departed Philadelphia 20 June 1962 for her homeport Norfolk where she spent a month fitting out. After a six-week shakedown cruise out of Guantanamo Bay and another month in Norfolk the amphibious assault ship began participation in her first fleet exercise in the Caribbean 15 October. Shortly thereafter the Cuban Quarantine was placed in effect and Okinawa remained in the area lending force to the United States' stand until 3 December wh en she returned to Norfolk.
The first half of 1963 was spent in availability at the Philadelphia and Norfolk Naval Shipyards and further trial operations in the Caribbean and out of Norfolk. On 9 July Okinawa began her first formal Caribbean deployment returning to Norfolk 1 October and spending the remainder of that year and the first part of the next in that area. During June 1964 she sailed to Newport R.I. and New York for the World's Fair. On 7 October she left on her first trip to European waters for operation "Steel Pike I " an amphibious exercise off the coast of Spain. After a stop in France and a goodwill visit to Plymouth England Okinawa arrived back in Norfolk at the end of November.
In April 1965 while participating in an exercise off Puerto Rico Okinawa was alerted and sent to an area off the Dominican Republic to act as medical evacuation ship with her marines as a floating reserve during the crisis in that troubled countr y. Then following the end of her deployment she proceeded via Norfolk to Philadelphia for overhaul. The following April she returned to Norfolk and began her third Caribbean deployment on 13 June. Okinawa transferred to the Pacific Fleet sailing 24 January 1967 for the West Coast and arriving San Diego her new home port 8 February.
Okinawa left on 10 March for her first deployment off Vietnam. On 13 April while sailing from Okinawa to Taiwan the ship was diverted by a distress call and the next day rescued all 38 persons from the grounded Panamanian vessel Silver Peak near the Sento Shosho Islands. While off Vietnam Okinawa was a mobile base from which a well-equipped force of marines could quickly strike via helicopters at the Communist insurgents. She returned to San Diego 5 December.
On 4 April 1968
after an intensive period of special training
Okinawa recovered the unmanned Apollo VI space capsule 380 miles north of Kauai
Hawaii. With further exercises and upkeep
she conducted her second Westpac deployment from 2 November
to 26 June 1969
when she arrived in San Diego for leave and upkeep. Okinawa continues her role in support of freedom at home and abroad
alternating duty in home waters with deployments to the Far East into 1970.
[Note: The above USS OKINAWA (LPH-3) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS OKINAWA (LPH-3) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]