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U.S.S. GUAM

(LPH-9)

GOOD ON-YA

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USS Guam (LPH-9) keel was laid on 15 November 1962 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. She was launched 22 August 1964, and after fitting out, was commissioned 16 January 1965.

LPH-9 was the third US Navy ship to be named after the World War II Battle of Guam. The second USS Guam (CB-2) was a cruiser commisioned towards the end of the Second World War.

USS Guam (LPH-) sailed for Norfolk, VA, her new homeport in April 1965. Immediately sent on to Fleet Refresher Training in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she returned in July 1965 to commence Amphibious Assualt Training.

Gaum then remained on the East Coast with deployments to the Caribbean in 1966, 1967 and 1969. On September 18 1966 Guam recovered the Gemini 11 space capsule with Astronauts Dick Gordon and Pete Conrad onboard.

In 1971 Gaum was choosen as a test ship for the Sea Control Ship Project. The LPH was a suitable platform for VSTOL Harrier fighters and Anti-submarine helicopters. Exercises were conducted through 1974 to evaluate the concept.

USS Guam deployed regularly to the Mediterranean Sea during the rest of her service career. The deployments were varied with North Atlantic cruises for Cold Weather Amphibious Assualt Exercises. In October 1983 Gaum participated in the invasion of Grenada and then headed directly to the Mediterranean due to the Lebanese Civil War.

After overhaul in 1985 USS Gaum returned to standing watch on the East Coast of the U.S., taking her turns with deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. In August 1990 Guam departed Norfolk for the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. While deployed in January 1991 Guam was sent to Somalia to evacuate diplomatic perssonel. She returned to Norfolk in March 1991.

USS Gaum was decommissioned 25 August 1998. She sunk in a Fleet training exercise (SINKEX) 16 OCT 2001

The USS Guam (LPH-9) operational history and significant events of her service career follow:

LPH-9 Deployments - Major Events

Add a LPH-9 Shellback Initiation Add a LPH-9 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
NOV1962-Keel Date: 15 NOV 1962
at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
AUG1964-Launch Date: 22 AUG 1964
JAN1965-Commissioned: 16 JAN 1965
APR1965-AUG1966Dominican Republic Expeditionary Force
MAY1966-MAY1966Fleet Week New York City
SEP1966-OCT1966ComPhibGru4
SEP1966-SEP1966Gemini 11 spacecraft recovery
SEP1966-DEC1966gemini 11 recovery
DEC1966-MAY1967Caribbean
DEC1967-APR1968Caribbean
DEC1967-APR1968Caribbean
JAN1969-MAY1969Caribbean
JUN1970-Panama Canal
JUN1970-Shellback Initiation - 10 JUN 1970 - Pacific Ocean
JUN1970- Shellback Initiation - 10 JUN 1970 - Pacific Ocean
JUN1970-JUN1970Earthquake Relief Mission - Chimbote Peru
JUN1970- Shellback Initiation - 6 JUN 1970 - Pacific Ocean
JUN1970- Shellback Initiation - 10 JUN 1970 - Pacific Ocean
SEP1970-NOV1970mediterranean Jordanian crisis
JUL1971-JUL1974Interim Sea Control Ship trials
SEP1971-NOV1971Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
OCT1972- Shellback Initiation - 19 OCT 1972 - Atlantic Ocean
OCT1972-Shellback Initiation - 19 OCT 1972 - Atlantic Ocean
JAN1973-JUL1973Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
FEB1973-Shellback Initiation - 1 FEB 1973 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1973-FEB1973Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
SEP1974-MAR1975Mediterranean
SEP1974-MAR1975Mediterranean
JAN1976-JUN1977Mediterranean
JUL1976-JAN1977Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
OCT1976-JAN1977Mediterranean
NOV1976- Shellback Initiation - 12 NOV 1976 - Atlantic Ocean
DEC1976- Shellback Initiation - 9 DEC 1976 - Indian Ocean
DEC1976-JAN1977Mediterranean
DEC1976- Shellback Initiation - 9 DEC 1976 - Atlantic Ocean
DEC1976- Shellback Initiation - 9 DEC 1976 - Indian Ocean
DEC1976-Shellback Initiation - 9 DEC 1976 - Indian Ocean
DEC1976- Shellback Initiation - 9 DEC 1976 - Indian Ocean
JAN1978-JAN1981Dry Dock
FEB1978-AUG1978Mediterranean
MAR1978-AUG1978Mediterranean
MAY1979-NOV1979Mediterranean
NOV1979- Shellback Initiation - 15 NOV 1979 - Indian Ocean
JAN1981-APR1981North Atlantic
FEB1982-MAR1982Blue Nose - Arctic Circle
MAR1982-DEC1982Mediterranean-Lebanon
MAR1982-MAR1982Alloy Express 82
OCT1982-MAR1983Mediterranean
FEB1983-APR1983North Atlantic
MAR1983- Shellback Initiation - 4 MAR 1983 - Atlantic Ocean
APR1983-JAN1984North Atlantic
APR1983- Shellback Initiation - 1 APR 1983 - Indian Ocean
JUL1983-Shellback Initiation - 27 JUL 1983 - Pacific Ocean
SEP1983-MAY1984Mediterranean
OCT1983-OCT1983Grenada
DEC1983-DEC1983Bob Hope Show onboard
JAN1984-JAN1988Mediterranean
FEB1986-FEB1986Shuttle Challenger debris recovery
MAY1986-NOV1986Mediterranean
MAY1986-NOV1986Mediterranean
MAY1988-JUN1988Caribbean
AUG1988-JAN1989Mediterranean
AUG1990-JAN1991Desert Shield
DEC1990-Shellback Initiation - 2 DEC 1990 - Pacific Ocean
JAN1991-APR1991Desert Storm
JAN1991-JAN1991Somalia (Operation Eastern Exit )
SEP1992-MAR1993Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
JAN1993-JUN1993Mediterranean
MAY1994-OCT1994Mediterranean
MAY1994-NOV1994Suez Canal, Red Sea , Gulf of Aden
JUL1994-SEP1994Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
JUL1994- Shellback Initiation - 8 JUL 1994 - Atlantic Ocean
JAN1996-JUL1996Mediterranean
SEP1997-MAR1998Mediterranean-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf
AUG1998-Decommissioned: 25 AUG 1998

LPH-9 General Specifications

Class: Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship

Complement: 80 Officers and 638 Enlisted

Displacement: 19217 tons

Length: 598 feet

Beam: 84 feet

Draft: 30 feet

Final Disposition: Expended as a target16 October 2001



USS GUAM (LPH-9)



Guam (LPH-9) was laid down by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 15 November 1962; launched 22 August 1964 sponsored by Mrs. Vaughn H. Emory Green; and commissioned 16 January 1965 Captain N. E. Thurmon in command.

After fitting out and builder's trials the new amphibious assault ship joined the Atlantic Fleet 21 April 1965 and sailed for Norfolk her homeport. Arriving Hampton Roads the next day for training off the Virginia Capes she departed Hampton Roads for underway training out of Guantanamo Bay Cuba.

Guam returned to Norfolk 5 July for intensive amphibious training. She sailed from Hampton Roads 29 November to participate in amphibious and ASW exercises en route to the Caribbean. On 10 December Guam joined the Amphibious Ready Squadron in the Caribbean as flagship for Amphibious Squadron 12. There she operated at peak readiness to protect the peace and security of the Caribbean and Central America constantly threatened by Communist aggression and subversion.

From 16 to 28 February 1966 Guam patrolled south of the Dominican Republic ready to land forces on the volatile island of Hispanola if necessary. She conducted amphibious exercises until entering Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1 June for post shakedown availability.

She departed Philadelphia 2 August and prepared for service as the primary recovery ship for the Gemini 11 space flight. On 18 September nt 0959 EDT Guam recovered Astronauts Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon 710 miles east of Cape Kennedy. From 28 November to 12 December Guam participated in Exercise "Lantflex 66" and on the latter date became flagship of Amphibious Squadron 8 and Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group. She continued this duty into 1967 prepared to land troops at any point in the Caribbean where she might be needed to protect the freedom and integrity of the Americas.

[Note: The above USS GUAM (LPH-9) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS GUAM (LPH-9) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]