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USS Vancouver (LPD-2)
Encyclopedia
USS Vancouver (LPD-2) was a Raleigh-class
amphibious transport dock
, named after the city of Vancouver, Washington which was in turn named after the explorer George Vancouver.
on 15 September 1962 sponsored by Mrs. Stuart Symington
, and commissioned
on 11 May 1963 with Captain Thomas C. Harbert, Jr., in command.
After completing builder's trials at New York City
and shakedown training out of Norfolk, Virginia
, the amphibious transport dock ship departed the latter port on 14 August and laid a course for the west coast. She transited the Panama Canal
on 20 August and after making a side trip to Acapulco, Mexico, to assist a disabled fishing vessel arrived in San Diego, California
, her permanent home port, on 31 August.
Late in September and early in October, Vancouver made the traditional visit to her namesake city, Vancouver, Washington, and then returned to San Diego for seven weeks of training. Underway training occupied the first four weeks while amphibious training took up the last three. In mid-December, she welcomed on board the newly appointed Secretary of the Navy, Paul H. Nitze, and the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp, Jr.
, as well as several other high ranking United States Navy
and United States Marine Corps
officers, and treated them to a display of her multifaceted amphibious capabilities.
In mid-February 1964, the ship moved from San Diego to Long Beach, California
, where she entered the naval shipyard for post-shakedown availability. She finished repairs on 21 May, completed final acceptance trials early in June, and then returned to San Diego. Late in June, the amphibious transport dock ship made another voyage north to Canada
for a visit to another namesake city, Vancouver, British Columbia, in time to participate in that city's annual maritime festival. On the way back home, she stopped in San Francisco, California
, for the Fourth of July weekend and then reentered San Diego on 7 July. At that point, she began her operational schedule. She participated in three amphibious warfare exercises between July and October and then began preparations for her first deployment to the Far East.
in August 1964—generally accepted as the beginning of the Vietnam War
. She departed San Diego on 16 November, loaded marines at Port Hueneme, and set out across the Pacific on 18 November. Vancouver arrived in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 6 December, and unloaded her passengers. Embarking another Marine battalion at Okinawa on 21 December she moved to Subic Bay
in the Philippines
, where she traded her second load of marines for a third which she transported to Okinawa in January 1965.
During the 1964 Christmas Holidays in Subic Bay, Vancouver had the honor of welcoming aboard the USO tour group consisting of Bob Hope, Jerry Calona, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Jill St. John and Ann Sidney (Miss World 1964). They put on a much appreciated show for the crew and Marines.
After off loading the Marines Vancouver departed Buckner Bay, Okinawa on January 15, 1965 bound for Hong Kong for R&R. After a paint job by Mary Sue and the Girls she left Hong Kong on January 21 bound for Subic Bay, P.I. She arrived in Subic Bay on Jan 23. She departed Subic Bay fully loaded with Marines and all their gear on Jan 27 for Danang, South Vietnam. She twice returned to Subic Bay twice without off-loading the Marines.
On February 8, the ship still loaded with elements of the Ninth Marine Expeditionary Brigade departed Subic Bay and took up station off Danang South Vietnam. She ramained on station for the next 40 days. After 2 false starts she anchored in Danang harbor and, on 8 March in company with Henrico (APA-45)
and Union (AKA-106)
, landed the first U. S. combat troops (Marines) at Danang, South Vietnam
. The Marines were to protect the perimeter of the airbase there and free South Vietnamese troops for other combat duties.
She left Danang March 12, stopped over in Okinawa, departed there on March 16 and arrived in Numazu, Japan, then Yokosuka, Japan on March 18, 1965. She spent almost 3 weeks in Yokosuka. She departed Yokosuka on April 8 bound for Okinawa. She arrived at Okinawa on April 11 then headed to Danang, South Vietnam arriving on April 14. She moved to Hue, South Vietnam and off loaded Marines there. On April 19 Vancouver departed Hue for Subic Bay, P.I. where she arrived on April 20th. She departed Subic Bay after a 2 hour stop bound for Sydney, Australia to participate in the "Battle of the Coral Sea" celebration.
Vancouver crossed the equator for the first time on April 24, 1965. She was boarded by King Neptune and his royal court and the traditional "pollywog" initiation began. With a full complement of "Shellbacks" Vancouver continued on her course to Sydney where she arrived May 1. She participated in the Coral Sea celebration with open house tours of the ship. The crew enjoyed much needed rest and relaxation and the warmth of the people of Australia.
On May 10, Vancouver departed Sydney for Melbourne, Australia arriving May 12. She was greeted warmly by the people and officials.
She left Melbourne on May 19 bound for Pango Pango, American Somoa Islands. While in Pango Pango 3 of the crew were lost in a tragic swimming mishap caused by severe rip currents in one of the logoons. She sadly departed Pango Pango on May 28 and arrived in San Diego on June 8, 1965.
During her first deployment from November 18, 1964 to June 8, 1965 Vancouver steamed 35,442 miles.
However, less than two months after her return, she embarked marines for a special troop lift to the widening Vietnam War. She departed the west coast on 5 August and did not return until 5 October. At that point, she began the normal schedule of upkeep and training exercises at San Diego and other points along the California
coast.
During the first week in July, Vancouver embarked tracked landing vehicles (LVTs) and Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/26 (1st Battalion, 26th Marines) in preparation for her second Seventh Fleet assignment. On 9 July, she put to sea and after a two-day stop at Pearl Harbor
from 14 July to 16 July, arrived at Subic Bay on 28 July. There, she became a unit of the newly constituted Seventh Fleet Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), Task Group (TG) 76.5—a self-contained mobile amphibious assault team made up of a Special Landing Force (SLF), marines and support units, and the ships which served as their transportation and mobile bases. In a series of training exercises held in the Philippines, the Navy-Marine Corps teammates honed their skills for an almost instant response to any need for amphibious support or reinforcement in the Seventh Fleet's zone of operations.
Quite naturally, Vietnam constituted the area most in need of such a capability at that time. Accordingly, the ARG concluded its amphibious training on 12 August, reembarked the landing force, and sailed for the waters off Vietnam. Between 16 August and 29 August, Vancouver participated in her first combat action during Operation Deckhouse III which consisted of two landings at a point some 60 miles (100 km) east of Saigon. The first phase, from 16 August to 20 August, saw BLT 1/26 move ashore in both waterborne and airborne modes against minor opposition and later destroy a fortified Viet-Cong-held village. During the second set of landings, 22 August to 29 August, the marines sent ashore changed operational control from the ARG to the authorities ashore to assist in Operation Toledo a search-and-destroy mission to deprive the enemy of valuable caches of arms and supplies. At the conclusion of "Deckhouse III," Vancouver returned to Subic Bay for ten days of upkeep.
Departing the Philippines on 12 September, the ship began her second amphibious assault, Operation Deckhouse IV, on 15 September in the vicinity of the Cua Viet River in Quang Tri
province just south of the demilitarized zone
(DMZ). The landings constituted a seaward arm of the larger Operation Prairie
being conducted by American and South Vietnamese forces ashore to destroy North Vietnamese Army fortifications, bunkers, and supply caches in the area and to stem intensified infiltration across the DMZ. During their ten days ashore, the marines of the SLF encountered heavy resistance and accounted for 254 of the enemy killed before they reembarked on 25 September. At the conclusion of the operation, Vancouver disembarked her portion of BLT 1/26 troops at Danang and headed for Okinawa.
After she embarked BLT 3/3 there, she returned to Vietnamese waters on 6 October and steamed with the contingency force in the area off the DMZ for the next 22 days. On 28 October, she disembarked BLT 3/3 and, two days later, embarked BLT 3/26 for transportation to the Philippines. She departed Danang on 1 November and arrived in Subic Bay
on 12 November. During December, she participated in an amphibious exercise, "Mudpuppy II," at Mindoro
and conducted upkeep at Subic Bay. On 30 November, the amphibious transport dock ship got underway for Vietnamese waters and arrived near Vung Tau
the following day.
There, near the entrance to the Saigon River
, she began another amphibious operation in the "Deckhouse" series, Operation Deckhouse V, on 4 January 1967. It lasted until 15 January and was a joint United States - South Vietnamese effort utilizing marines of both nations. Vancouver embarked more than 500 South Vietnamese marines at Vung Tau on 4 January and, after a two-day delay caused by bad weather, sent her binational force ashore on 6 January by both assault craft and helicopter. In spite of continued bad weather and her first experience with riverine operations, the ship and her boats remained in the area for ten days, providing the necessary logistics support for the SLF operating ashore. After reembarking the SLF and South Vietnamese marines on 15 January and then disembarking the latter again at Vung Tau the following day, she departed Vietnam to return to the Philippines.
The ship arrived at Subic Bay on 19 January but remained only two days before continuing on to Okinawa where she exchanged BLT 1/9 for BLT 1/4 late in January. Following a visit to Keelung
, Taiwan
, she returned to the Philippines early in February and conducted an amphibious exercise, "Mudpuppy III," with the marines of BLT 1/4. Another brief rest and relaxation period at Subic Bay at the end of the first week in February preceded her departure from the Philippines on 12 February. Vancouver resumed duty with the ARG on 14 February and, two days later, began her part in Operation Deckhouse VI, another two-phase amphibious assault in support of operations of wider scope being conducted ashore.
At the conclusion of Operation Deckhouse VI, the amphibious transport dock ship visited Subic Bay; Hong Kong
; Okinawa, and Yokosuka, Japan
, before departing the latter port on 24 March to return home to San Diego. After a three-day stop at Pearl Harbor at the end of the month, she arrived in San Diego on 8 April.
Following an unusually long period in port at San Diego, Vancouver resumed operations along the west coast in July. In addition to single-ship underway training, she revisited Vancouver, British Columbia, in July to participate in a Fleet Assembly as part of the Canadian Centennial Celebration. Late that month, the ship resumed local operations which included underway training and amphibious refresher training. That employment occupied her for the remainder of the year and the first month of 1968.
On 1 February 1968, the ship departed San Diego bound for Okinawa to begin another tour of duty with the Seventh Fleet. She stopped at Pearl Harbor from 8 February to 10 February and, after being diverted from Okinawa on 12 February, arrived in Danang on 23 February to disembark her marines, urgently needed to stem the 1968 Tet Offensive. The following day, Vancouver got underway for Subic Bay where she arrived on 26 February. On 27 February, she changed operational control to TG 76.5 and became part of the Seventh Fleet ARG once more. On 29 February, the ship steamed out of Subic Bay for the Cua Viet River area of Vietnam where she began supporting the SLF, operating ashore since late January. While continuing that mission, she put into Danang on 10 March and spent the next two weeks repairing boats as well. In April, she steamed around off the DMZ providing support for BLT 3/1 until 10 April when she headed back to the Philippines.
Vancouver arrived in Subic Bay on 15 April and remained there until 26 April at which time she got underway to return to Vietnamese waters. The amphibious transport dock ship arrived on station near the mouth of the Cua Viet River and began providing logistics support to elements of BLT 3/1 committed to defensive positions in the vicinity of Dong Ha
. That duty lasted until 3 June when she reembarked the SLF.
On 6 June, Vancouver began a combat operation, code named Operation Swift Sabre. The SLF moved ashore in two groups. One group assaulted beaches in landing craft
while the other group flew well inland in helicopter
s. Both groups then began moving toward one another in a sweep of Elephant Valley in Thua Thien province to eliminate a frequent source of hostile mortar fire on the Danang air base. After supporting the marines for a week, Vancouver received a replacement SLF, BLT 2/7, when BLT 3/1 changed operational control to military authorities ashore. The new battalion landing team came on board on 14 June and 15 June, and Vancouver set a course for the Philippines on 15 June. She entered Subic Bay on 18 June and began a ten-day upkeep period. Between 30 June and 3 July, the ship participated in the amphibious exercise "Hilltop XX" and then departed Subic Bay on 6 July for her last tour of duty in Vietnamese waters during the 1968 deployment.
Immediately upon her arrival off Vietnam, she began preparations for the amphibious operation, Operation Eager Yankee. In the predawn of 9 July, destroyer
s Benner (DD-807)
and O'Brien (DD-725)
shattered the silence and sporadically lighted the darkness with gunfire. At the conclusion of the prelanding bombardment, Vancouver, as primary control ship for the boat phase of the assault, began shuttling marines ashore some ten miles east of Phu Bail The first elements of BLT 2/7 went ashore in LVTs and began establishing defensive positions and clearing landing zones for the airborne phase of the operation. The ship remained in the area providing logistics support for the marines as they drove northwest toward a known Viet Cong haven. After a week without contacting the enemy, Vancouvers landing force joined shore-based units in Operation Houston IV while the ship continued in her support role. The second operation ended on 22 July, and the marines reembarked that same day.
However, they did not remain on board for long because, on the following day, Operation Swift Play began. In that operation, an all-helicopter affair, the marines landed well inland about ten miles southwest of Hoi An
in east central Quang Nam province. They failed to contact the enemy during the helicopter assault and, the following day, changed operational control to authorities ashore while Vancouver played her usual support role. She remained in the vicinity until 19 August at which time she headed back to Subic Bay without her United States Marine Corps contingent.
The warship arrived in Subic Bay on 21 August and spent the next six days engaged in turnover operations with her relief, Ogden (LPD-6). On 27 August, she put to sea bound for Hong Kong where she arrived on 29 August. After a five-day rest and relaxation period, she departed Hong Kong for Okinawa. Diverted to Subic Bay by a typhoon, she continued her voyage via the San Bernardino Strait
and finally arrived at Okinawa on 9 September. The following day, she set sail for Yokosuka, Japan, where she arrived on 12 September for five days of upkeep.
On 17 September, Vancouver began her voyage home. She reentered San Diego on 28 September and, after a month of post-deployment standdown, resumed local operations along the California coast.
That employment lasted until early in February 1969 when she began the first portion of her regular overhaul at San Francisco. That phase of the task was completed in mid-April and, after a brief return to San Diego, the ship entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
for drydocking. The refurbishing was finished near the end of May, and Vancouver returned to San Diego on 28 February. Following two months of inspections and refresher training, the ship loaded vehicles and cargo at San Diego and got underway for the Western Pacific on 1 August. She made a three-day stop at Pearl Harbor from 8 August to 11 August; then resumed her voyage and arrived at Okinawa on 21 August. After unloading cargo at Buckner Bay, she got underway for Vietnam on 24 August. Upon arriving at Tau My, South Vietnam on 27 August, Vancouver unloaded cargo there and at Danang before departing Vietnam that same day.
On 29 August, she arrived in Subic Bay and began turnover operations to relieve Paul Revere (LPA-248) of duty with ARG Bravo (TG 76.5). A week later, on 6 September, she put to sea with TG 76.5 for her first line tour with the amphibious ready group. She arrived off Danang two days later and entered the harbor on 10 September to unload more cargo. On 12 September, she and her group participated in Operation Defiant Stand by staging an amphibious feint about ten miles south of the actual landing beaches to draw off defenders while ARG Alfa stormed ashore. The task group completed its deception early that morning and headed back out to sea to steam around until needed again. That routine, punctuated by brief visits to Danang and a series of amphibious and other exercises, occupied her until late October.
On 20 October, Vancouver began a new phase in her participation in the Vietnam War. Operation Defiant Stand had been the last amphibious operation of the war. On the heels of President of the United States
Richard M. Nixon's announcement of the staged withdrawal of large numbers of American troops from the war, the amphibious ready group began carrying out the withdrawal. On 20 October, Vancouver moved from Danang to Cua Viet and began loading elements of BLT 1/4. She completed Operation Keystone Cardinal on 22 October and set course for Okinawa the following day. She disembarked the marines at Okinawa on 25 October and 26 October but remained at the island for liberty until 2 November. After embarking BLT 1/9, she headed for Subic Bay where she disembarked the marines on 4 November.
Following a week of repairs at Subic Bay, she reembarked BLT 1/9 on 12 November, conducted an amphibious assault exercise on 13 November, and got underway for Vietnam on 14 November. The new line period, unlike those before, consisted entirely of steaming well off the coast outside the territorial waters of Vietnam in order that the amphibious ready group's presence not be construed as a violation of President Nixon's troop reduction in Vietnam. She continued steaming in the new operating area until 23 November at which time she retired toward the Philippines. She entered Subic Bay on 27 November. Another practice landing in the Philippines followed on 1 December and Vancouver repaired storm damage sustained during the transit from Vietnam to the Philippines.
On 6 December, the ship once more got underway for the coast of Vietnam. She arrived off Danang on 9 December; but, four days later, she left the combat zone for visits to Hong Kong, Taiwan
, and Okinawa. Vancouver returned to the Vietnamese coast on 31 December 1969. 1 January 1970, however, brought her departure from the area on her way back to the Philippines. She entered Subic Bay on 11 January and remained in the Philippines until 20 January when she started a round-trip voyage to Okinawa. The ship returned to Subic Bay on 27 January and remained in the area until 4 February when she headed for Taiwan. After a patrol of the Taiwan Strait
, she entered port at Kaohsiung
, Taiwan, for a four-day visit. She returned to Subic Bay on 21 February and began turnover operations with her relief ship Denver (LPD-9)
. On 4 March, she departed Subic Bay for Okinawa where she delivered cargo on 6 March. Continuing her voyage on 7 March, she stopped at Danang on 11 March, unloaded cargo, and headed back to Okinawa where she refueled on 14 March before continuing on toward the United States.
Vancouver arrived in Del March, California, on 27 March and, the following day, moved to the San Diego Naval Station for drydocking and repairs. Repairs were completed early in June, and the ship departed San Diego on 10 June with United States Naval Academy
midshipmen embarked for their summer cruise. She arrived in Yokosuka on 24 June and departed again on 29 June. The ship visited [Hong Kong between 4 July and 8 July and stopped at Danang on 9 July and 10 July to load cargo bound for the United States. On the way back home, she stopped at Pearl Harbor from 24 July to 27 July and then reentered San Diego on 1 August. Local operations out of San Diego, including LVT training and amphibious refresher training, occupied the ship's time through the end of the year and for the first three months of 1971.
On 30 March, Vancouver put to sea to return to the Western Pacific. She made a two-day stop at Pearl Harbor at the end of the first week in April and arrived in Subic Bay on 19 April. The ensuing six weeks brought amphibious training and port visits to Singapore
and Kaohsiung. In June, the ship carried cargo from Vung Tau
and Danang in the Vietnam to Subic Bay and Okinawa. Early in July, Vancouver participated in an amphibious exercise at Zambales
and then departed the Philippines on 19 April for a week at Hong Kong. On 28 July, the ship returned to the Philippines at Mindoro for more amphibious exercises. August brought voyages to Sasebo
, Japan, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan and, early in September, she returned to the Philippines for another round of practice landings at Zambales.
On 9 September, Vancouver left Subic Bay to pick up cargo in Vietnam. She stopped at Danang, Qui Nhon
, and Camranh Bay before returning to Subic Bay on 17 September. On 25 September, she embarked upon a roundtrip voyage to Okinawa and returned to Subic Bay on 9 October. On 14 October, Vancouver set out on her voyage back to the United States, stopping en route at Okinawa and Pearl Harbor before arriving back in San Diego on 5 November.
The amphibious transport dock ship remained in San Diego through the end of 1971 for post-deployment standdown and for the usual holiday leave and upkeep period. On 11 January 1972, Vancouver began local operations along the California eoast. That duty lasted until 10 June, when she embarked midshipmen for the annual training cruise and got underway for the Far East. During the midshipman cruise, the ship made a visit to Yokosuka, Japan, and two each to Hong Kong and Subic Bay in the Philippines. Late in July, she headed back to the west coast, arriving at San Diego on 4 August. There, on 21 August, Vancouver began her regularly scheduled overhaul. (only stopped in Hong Kong once, stopped in Guam and Pearl harbor on the way back-I was there)(I concur. In addition, we sailed off Vietnam in the "war-zone" for a few days.)
The ship completed post-overhaul sea trials early in February 1973 and conducted type and refresher training until mid-March. On 17 March, Vancouver again deployed to the Western Pacific. She arrived in Sasebo, Japan, on 4 April then continued her voyage on 5 April. She briefly stopped at Okinawa on 6 April and arrived in Subic Bay on 8 April.
On 9 April, she relieved Cleveland (LPD-7)
as one of the support ships for Operation End Sweep
, the clearing of American naval mine
s in the harbors of North Vietnam as a result of the withdrawal of American forces from the Vietnam War. During April, May, and June, the amphibious transport dock ship alternated tours of duty in Vietnamese waters in support of the minesweeping forces with liberty and upkeep periods in Philippine ports. She also made periodic liberty calls at Hong Kong and at various Japanese ports.
The ship completed her last tour of duty in Vietnamese waters on 18 July and headed back to the Philippines, arriving in Subie Bay on 20 July. For her remaining two months in the Far East, Vancouver visited Hong Kong, the Japanese ports Numazu, Kagoshima, and Iwakuni. She returned to the Phiiippines early in September, whence she put to sea on 19 September to return home. After stopping overnight at Pearl Harbor on 2 October and 3 October, the ship continued on to San Diego where she arrived on 9 October and began a year of operations along the California coast. Her tasks included: helicopter qualifications, landing craft training, and full scale amphibious warfare exercises.
On 18 October 1974, she concluded her west coast schedule and got underway for the Western Pacific. She stopped at Pearl Harbor on 25 October and 26 October and continuing her voyage on 26 October, arrived in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 9 November. Though assigned to ARG Alfa as relief for Ogden (LPD-5)
, Vancouver began her first real peacetime deployment to the Far East in more than a decade. For the next six months, she spent most of her time alternating between Okinawa and the Philippines conducting a series of amphibious exercises and transporting marines and cargo.
She did, however, return to the Indochina
peninsula that March to participate in Operation Eagle Pull
, the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Operation Frequent Wind
, the evacuation of Saigon, in the wake of the collapse of the non-communist governments in those nations. At the end of the deployment, she departed Okinawa on 20 May and arrived back in San Diego on 6 June.
She resumed west coast operations almost immediately with type training and a weapons inspection. Similar duty occupied her through the end of the year and during the first nine months of 1976. On 25 September 1976, she headed back to the Western Pacific once more. She made a three-day stop at Pearl Harbor at the beginning of October and put in at Kwajalein Atoll on 10 October for ARG commanding officers to conduct turnover briefings. From Kwajalein, she continued her voyage to Broad Sound, Australia, where she arrived on 21 October. There, she conducted a rehearsal landing in preparation for the Operation Kangaroo II landing exercises conducted between 24 October and 29 October in conjunction with Australian military and naval forces. At the conclusion of Kangaroo II, Vancouver made a five-day visit to Sydney
, Australia
, and then got underway for Okinawa. She reached her destination on 20 November, disembarked one group of marines, and took on another. The following day, she headed for Subic Bay, arriving there on 24 November to begin a three-week availability. Late in December, Vancouver embarked upon a voyage to Taiwan and Hong Kong observing New Year's Eve at the latter port.
After a return to Okinawa and Subic Bay early in January 1977, the ship visited Singapore
during the latter half of the month. She returned to the Philippines on 11 February and conducted exercises in the vicinity of Subic Bay until mid March. On 16 March, the amphibious transport dock ship put to sea, bound for Inchon, Korea. During the latter part of March and early part of April, she participated in amphibious training with units of the South Korean military. On 12 April, she stopped at Okinawa and the next day headed back to the Philippines. Vancouver arrived in Subic Bay on 16 April but departed again on 28 April for a round-about voyage home. She made stops at Okinawa, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor before arriving back in San Diego on 21 May. After a month of post deployment standdown, the ship entered the Bethlehem Steel Co. shipyard at San Pedro, California, for her regular overhaul. She remained there into 1978.
Vancouver completed her overhaul satisfactorily on 18 April 1978. A rigorous period of refresher training out of San Diego followed in preparation for the ship's forthcoming deployment to the Western Pacific. Vancouver departed from San Diego on 31 August and spent the remainder of the year in operations with the Seventh Fleet. Her schedule took her to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands
; Subic Bay, Philippines; Pusan, Korea
, and Hong Kong.
, Benicia, California
.
Vancouver earned 11 battle stars for service in the Vietnam War
.
Raleigh class amphibious transport dock
The Raleigh class of amphibious transport docks served the United States Navy.- Ships :...
amphibious transport dock
Amphibious transport dock
An amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship...
, named after the city of Vancouver, Washington which was in turn named after the explorer George Vancouver.
History
Her keel was laid down on 19 November 1960 at Brooklyn, New York by the New York Naval Shipyard. She was launchedShip naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 15 September 1962 sponsored by Mrs. Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.-Education and business career:...
, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 11 May 1963 with Captain Thomas C. Harbert, Jr., in command.
After completing builder's trials at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and shakedown training out of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, the amphibious transport dock ship departed the latter port on 14 August and laid a course for the west coast. She transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 20 August and after making a side trip to Acapulco, Mexico, to assist a disabled fishing vessel arrived in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, her permanent home port, on 31 August.
Late in September and early in October, Vancouver made the traditional visit to her namesake city, Vancouver, Washington, and then returned to San Diego for seven weeks of training. Underway training occupied the first four weeks while amphibious training took up the last three. In mid-December, she welcomed on board the newly appointed Secretary of the Navy, Paul H. Nitze, and the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, Admiral U.S. Grant Sharp, Jr.
U.S. Grant Sharp, Jr.
Ulysses Simpson Grant Sharp, Jr. was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet from 1963 to 1964; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command from 1964 to 1968. He was PACOM commander during the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. Sharp...
, as well as several other high ranking United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
officers, and treated them to a display of her multifaceted amphibious capabilities.
In mid-February 1964, the ship moved from San Diego to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, where she entered the naval shipyard for post-shakedown availability. She finished repairs on 21 May, completed final acceptance trials early in June, and then returned to San Diego. Late in June, the amphibious transport dock ship made another voyage north to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for a visit to another namesake city, Vancouver, British Columbia, in time to participate in that city's annual maritime festival. On the way back home, she stopped in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, for the Fourth of July weekend and then reentered San Diego on 7 July. At that point, she began her operational schedule. She participated in three amphibious warfare exercises between July and October and then began preparations for her first deployment to the Far East.
Tour of duty begins
Her first tour of duty with the Seventh Fleet coincided with the beginning of the rapid acceleration of American involvement in South Vietnam heralded by the Gulf of Tonkin incidentGulf of Tonkin Incident
The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, or the USS Maddox Incident, are the names given to two incidents, one fabricated, involving North Vietnam and the United States in the waters of the Gulf of Tonkin...
in August 1964—generally accepted as the beginning of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. She departed San Diego on 16 November, loaded marines at Port Hueneme, and set out across the Pacific on 18 November. Vancouver arrived in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 6 December, and unloaded her passengers. Embarking another Marine battalion at Okinawa on 21 December she moved to Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where she traded her second load of marines for a third which she transported to Okinawa in January 1965.
During the 1964 Christmas Holidays in Subic Bay, Vancouver had the honor of welcoming aboard the USO tour group consisting of Bob Hope, Jerry Calona, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Jill St. John and Ann Sidney (Miss World 1964). They put on a much appreciated show for the crew and Marines.
After off loading the Marines Vancouver departed Buckner Bay, Okinawa on January 15, 1965 bound for Hong Kong for R&R. After a paint job by Mary Sue and the Girls she left Hong Kong on January 21 bound for Subic Bay, P.I. She arrived in Subic Bay on Jan 23. She departed Subic Bay fully loaded with Marines and all their gear on Jan 27 for Danang, South Vietnam. She twice returned to Subic Bay twice without off-loading the Marines.
On February 8, the ship still loaded with elements of the Ninth Marine Expeditionary Brigade departed Subic Bay and took up station off Danang South Vietnam. She ramained on station for the next 40 days. After 2 false starts she anchored in Danang harbor and, on 8 March in company with Henrico (APA-45)
USS Henrico (APA-45)
USS Henrico was a that served with the United States Navy in World War II, and subsequently in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.The ship was laid down as SS Sea Darter, a Type C3-S-A2 hull, under a Maritime Commission contract by Ingalls Shipbuilding Co., Pascagoula, Mississippi...
and Union (AKA-106)
USS Union (AKA-106)
USS Union was a of the United States Navy, the fourth ship with this name, and served as a commissioned ship for 25 years and 1 month....
, landed the first U. S. combat troops (Marines) at Danang, South Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. The Marines were to protect the perimeter of the airbase there and free South Vietnamese troops for other combat duties.
She left Danang March 12, stopped over in Okinawa, departed there on March 16 and arrived in Numazu, Japan, then Yokosuka, Japan on March 18, 1965. She spent almost 3 weeks in Yokosuka. She departed Yokosuka on April 8 bound for Okinawa. She arrived at Okinawa on April 11 then headed to Danang, South Vietnam arriving on April 14. She moved to Hue, South Vietnam and off loaded Marines there. On April 19 Vancouver departed Hue for Subic Bay, P.I. where she arrived on April 20th. She departed Subic Bay after a 2 hour stop bound for Sydney, Australia to participate in the "Battle of the Coral Sea" celebration.
Vancouver crossed the equator for the first time on April 24, 1965. She was boarded by King Neptune and his royal court and the traditional "pollywog" initiation began. With a full complement of "Shellbacks" Vancouver continued on her course to Sydney where she arrived May 1. She participated in the Coral Sea celebration with open house tours of the ship. The crew enjoyed much needed rest and relaxation and the warmth of the people of Australia.
On May 10, Vancouver departed Sydney for Melbourne, Australia arriving May 12. She was greeted warmly by the people and officials.
She left Melbourne on May 19 bound for Pango Pango, American Somoa Islands. While in Pango Pango 3 of the crew were lost in a tragic swimming mishap caused by severe rip currents in one of the logoons. She sadly departed Pango Pango on May 28 and arrived in San Diego on June 8, 1965.
During her first deployment from November 18, 1964 to June 8, 1965 Vancouver steamed 35,442 miles.
However, less than two months after her return, she embarked marines for a special troop lift to the widening Vietnam War. She departed the west coast on 5 August and did not return until 5 October. At that point, she began the normal schedule of upkeep and training exercises at San Diego and other points along the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast.
During the first week in July, Vancouver embarked tracked landing vehicles (LVTs) and Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/26 (1st Battalion, 26th Marines) in preparation for her second Seventh Fleet assignment. On 9 July, she put to sea and after a two-day stop at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
from 14 July to 16 July, arrived at Subic Bay on 28 July. There, she became a unit of the newly constituted Seventh Fleet Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), Task Group (TG) 76.5—a self-contained mobile amphibious assault team made up of a Special Landing Force (SLF), marines and support units, and the ships which served as their transportation and mobile bases. In a series of training exercises held in the Philippines, the Navy-Marine Corps teammates honed their skills for an almost instant response to any need for amphibious support or reinforcement in the Seventh Fleet's zone of operations.
Quite naturally, Vietnam constituted the area most in need of such a capability at that time. Accordingly, the ARG concluded its amphibious training on 12 August, reembarked the landing force, and sailed for the waters off Vietnam. Between 16 August and 29 August, Vancouver participated in her first combat action during Operation Deckhouse III which consisted of two landings at a point some 60 miles (100 km) east of Saigon. The first phase, from 16 August to 20 August, saw BLT 1/26 move ashore in both waterborne and airborne modes against minor opposition and later destroy a fortified Viet-Cong-held village. During the second set of landings, 22 August to 29 August, the marines sent ashore changed operational control from the ARG to the authorities ashore to assist in Operation Toledo a search-and-destroy mission to deprive the enemy of valuable caches of arms and supplies. At the conclusion of "Deckhouse III," Vancouver returned to Subic Bay for ten days of upkeep.
Departing the Philippines on 12 September, the ship began her second amphibious assault, Operation Deckhouse IV, on 15 September in the vicinity of the Cua Viet River in Quang Tri
Quang Tri
Quảng Trị is a town district of Quang Tri province in the North Central Coastal region of Vietnam. Significantly, it was the only South Vietnamese provincial capital to be captured by the North Vietnamese forces for a limited period in the 1972 offensive....
province just south of the demilitarized zone
Demilitarized zone
In military terms, a demilitarized zone is an area, usually the frontier or boundary between two or more military powers , where military activity is not permitted, usually by peace treaty, armistice, or other bilateral or multilateral agreement...
(DMZ). The landings constituted a seaward arm of the larger Operation Prairie
Operation Prairie
Operation Prairie was a military operation in northern South Vietnam. Its job was to eliminating North Vietnamese Army forces south of the DMZ....
being conducted by American and South Vietnamese forces ashore to destroy North Vietnamese Army fortifications, bunkers, and supply caches in the area and to stem intensified infiltration across the DMZ. During their ten days ashore, the marines of the SLF encountered heavy resistance and accounted for 254 of the enemy killed before they reembarked on 25 September. At the conclusion of the operation, Vancouver disembarked her portion of BLT 1/26 troops at Danang and headed for Okinawa.
After she embarked BLT 3/3 there, she returned to Vietnamese waters on 6 October and steamed with the contingency force in the area off the DMZ for the next 22 days. On 28 October, she disembarked BLT 3/3 and, two days later, embarked BLT 3/26 for transportation to the Philippines. She departed Danang on 1 November and arrived in Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
on 12 November. During December, she participated in an amphibious exercise, "Mudpuppy II," at Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
and conducted upkeep at Subic Bay. On 30 November, the amphibious transport dock ship got underway for Vietnamese waters and arrived near Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
the following day.
There, near the entrance to the Saigon River
Saigon River
The Saigon River is a river located in southern Vietnam that rises near Phum Daung in southeastern Cambodia, flows south and south-southeast for about 140 miles and empties into the Nha Be River, which in its turn empties into the South China Sea some 20 km north-east of the Mekong Delta.The...
, she began another amphibious operation in the "Deckhouse" series, Operation Deckhouse V, on 4 January 1967. It lasted until 15 January and was a joint United States - South Vietnamese effort utilizing marines of both nations. Vancouver embarked more than 500 South Vietnamese marines at Vung Tau on 4 January and, after a two-day delay caused by bad weather, sent her binational force ashore on 6 January by both assault craft and helicopter. In spite of continued bad weather and her first experience with riverine operations, the ship and her boats remained in the area for ten days, providing the necessary logistics support for the SLF operating ashore. After reembarking the SLF and South Vietnamese marines on 15 January and then disembarking the latter again at Vung Tau the following day, she departed Vietnam to return to the Philippines.
The ship arrived at Subic Bay on 19 January but remained only two days before continuing on to Okinawa where she exchanged BLT 1/9 for BLT 1/4 late in January. Following a visit to Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, she returned to the Philippines early in February and conducted an amphibious exercise, "Mudpuppy III," with the marines of BLT 1/4. Another brief rest and relaxation period at Subic Bay at the end of the first week in February preceded her departure from the Philippines on 12 February. Vancouver resumed duty with the ARG on 14 February and, two days later, began her part in Operation Deckhouse VI, another two-phase amphibious assault in support of operations of wider scope being conducted ashore.
At the conclusion of Operation Deckhouse VI, the amphibious transport dock ship visited Subic Bay; Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
; Okinawa, and Yokosuka, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, before departing the latter port on 24 March to return home to San Diego. After a three-day stop at Pearl Harbor at the end of the month, she arrived in San Diego on 8 April.
Following an unusually long period in port at San Diego, Vancouver resumed operations along the west coast in July. In addition to single-ship underway training, she revisited Vancouver, British Columbia, in July to participate in a Fleet Assembly as part of the Canadian Centennial Celebration. Late that month, the ship resumed local operations which included underway training and amphibious refresher training. That employment occupied her for the remainder of the year and the first month of 1968.
On 1 February 1968, the ship departed San Diego bound for Okinawa to begin another tour of duty with the Seventh Fleet. She stopped at Pearl Harbor from 8 February to 10 February and, after being diverted from Okinawa on 12 February, arrived in Danang on 23 February to disembark her marines, urgently needed to stem the 1968 Tet Offensive. The following day, Vancouver got underway for Subic Bay where she arrived on 26 February. On 27 February, she changed operational control to TG 76.5 and became part of the Seventh Fleet ARG once more. On 29 February, the ship steamed out of Subic Bay for the Cua Viet River area of Vietnam where she began supporting the SLF, operating ashore since late January. While continuing that mission, she put into Danang on 10 March and spent the next two weeks repairing boats as well. In April, she steamed around off the DMZ providing support for BLT 3/1 until 10 April when she headed back to the Philippines.
Vancouver arrived in Subic Bay on 15 April and remained there until 26 April at which time she got underway to return to Vietnamese waters. The amphibious transport dock ship arrived on station near the mouth of the Cua Viet River and began providing logistics support to elements of BLT 3/1 committed to defensive positions in the vicinity of Dong Ha
Dong Ha
Đông Hà is the capital town of Quang Tri province, Vietnam. It is located at around . Dong Ha is situated at the crossroads of National Highway 1A and Route 9, part of the East-West Economic Corridor . It lies on the Reunification Express Railway and is served by Dong Ha Railway Station...
. That duty lasted until 3 June when she reembarked the SLF.
On 6 June, Vancouver began a combat operation, code named Operation Swift Sabre. The SLF moved ashore in two groups. One group assaulted beaches in landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
while the other group flew well inland in helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s. Both groups then began moving toward one another in a sweep of Elephant Valley in Thua Thien province to eliminate a frequent source of hostile mortar fire on the Danang air base. After supporting the marines for a week, Vancouver received a replacement SLF, BLT 2/7, when BLT 3/1 changed operational control to military authorities ashore. The new battalion landing team came on board on 14 June and 15 June, and Vancouver set a course for the Philippines on 15 June. She entered Subic Bay on 18 June and began a ten-day upkeep period. Between 30 June and 3 July, the ship participated in the amphibious exercise "Hilltop XX" and then departed Subic Bay on 6 July for her last tour of duty in Vietnamese waters during the 1968 deployment.
Immediately upon her arrival off Vietnam, she began preparations for the amphibious operation, Operation Eager Yankee. In the predawn of 9 July, destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s Benner (DD-807)
USS Benner (DD-807)
USS Benner was a of the United States Navy, named for Marine Second Lieutenant Stanley G. Benner , who was killed during the Battle of Guadalcanal....
and O'Brien (DD-725)
USS O'Brien (DD-725)
USS O'Brien , an , was the 4th ship of the United States Navy to be named after Captain Jeremiah O'Brien and his five brothers, Gideon, John, William, Dennis and Joseph, who captured HMS Margaretta on 12 June 1775 during the American revolution.The fourth O'Brien was laid down by Bath Iron Works,...
shattered the silence and sporadically lighted the darkness with gunfire. At the conclusion of the prelanding bombardment, Vancouver, as primary control ship for the boat phase of the assault, began shuttling marines ashore some ten miles east of Phu Bail The first elements of BLT 2/7 went ashore in LVTs and began establishing defensive positions and clearing landing zones for the airborne phase of the operation. The ship remained in the area providing logistics support for the marines as they drove northwest toward a known Viet Cong haven. After a week without contacting the enemy, Vancouvers landing force joined shore-based units in Operation Houston IV while the ship continued in her support role. The second operation ended on 22 July, and the marines reembarked that same day.
However, they did not remain on board for long because, on the following day, Operation Swift Play began. In that operation, an all-helicopter affair, the marines landed well inland about ten miles southwest of Hoi An
Hoi An
Hội An , or rarely Faifo, is a city of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea in the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is located in Quang Nam province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants...
in east central Quang Nam province. They failed to contact the enemy during the helicopter assault and, the following day, changed operational control to authorities ashore while Vancouver played her usual support role. She remained in the vicinity until 19 August at which time she headed back to Subic Bay without her United States Marine Corps contingent.
The warship arrived in Subic Bay on 21 August and spent the next six days engaged in turnover operations with her relief, Ogden (LPD-6). On 27 August, she put to sea bound for Hong Kong where she arrived on 29 August. After a five-day rest and relaxation period, she departed Hong Kong for Okinawa. Diverted to Subic Bay by a typhoon, she continued her voyage via the San Bernardino Strait
San Bernardino Strait
The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. It separates the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island from the island of Samar in the south.-Filipinos and San Bernardino Strait:...
and finally arrived at Okinawa on 9 September. The following day, she set sail for Yokosuka, Japan, where she arrived on 12 September for five days of upkeep.
On 17 September, Vancouver began her voyage home. She reentered San Diego on 28 September and, after a month of post-deployment standdown, resumed local operations along the California coast.
That employment lasted until early in February 1969 when she began the first portion of her regular overhaul at San Francisco. That phase of the task was completed in mid-April and, after a brief return to San Diego, the ship entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard
Long Beach Naval Shipyard
thumb|right|300px|Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1993The Long Beach Naval Shipyard, which closed in 1997, was located at Terminal Island between the city of Long Beach and the San Pedro district of Los Angeles and approximately 23 miles south of the Los Angeles International Airport.The Long Beach...
for drydocking. The refurbishing was finished near the end of May, and Vancouver returned to San Diego on 28 February. Following two months of inspections and refresher training, the ship loaded vehicles and cargo at San Diego and got underway for the Western Pacific on 1 August. She made a three-day stop at Pearl Harbor from 8 August to 11 August; then resumed her voyage and arrived at Okinawa on 21 August. After unloading cargo at Buckner Bay, she got underway for Vietnam on 24 August. Upon arriving at Tau My, South Vietnam on 27 August, Vancouver unloaded cargo there and at Danang before departing Vietnam that same day.
On 29 August, she arrived in Subic Bay and began turnover operations to relieve Paul Revere (LPA-248) of duty with ARG Bravo (TG 76.5). A week later, on 6 September, she put to sea with TG 76.5 for her first line tour with the amphibious ready group. She arrived off Danang two days later and entered the harbor on 10 September to unload more cargo. On 12 September, she and her group participated in Operation Defiant Stand by staging an amphibious feint about ten miles south of the actual landing beaches to draw off defenders while ARG Alfa stormed ashore. The task group completed its deception early that morning and headed back out to sea to steam around until needed again. That routine, punctuated by brief visits to Danang and a series of amphibious and other exercises, occupied her until late October.
On 20 October, Vancouver began a new phase in her participation in the Vietnam War. Operation Defiant Stand had been the last amphibious operation of the war. On the heels of President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard M. Nixon's announcement of the staged withdrawal of large numbers of American troops from the war, the amphibious ready group began carrying out the withdrawal. On 20 October, Vancouver moved from Danang to Cua Viet and began loading elements of BLT 1/4. She completed Operation Keystone Cardinal on 22 October and set course for Okinawa the following day. She disembarked the marines at Okinawa on 25 October and 26 October but remained at the island for liberty until 2 November. After embarking BLT 1/9, she headed for Subic Bay where she disembarked the marines on 4 November.
Following a week of repairs at Subic Bay, she reembarked BLT 1/9 on 12 November, conducted an amphibious assault exercise on 13 November, and got underway for Vietnam on 14 November. The new line period, unlike those before, consisted entirely of steaming well off the coast outside the territorial waters of Vietnam in order that the amphibious ready group's presence not be construed as a violation of President Nixon's troop reduction in Vietnam. She continued steaming in the new operating area until 23 November at which time she retired toward the Philippines. She entered Subic Bay on 27 November. Another practice landing in the Philippines followed on 1 December and Vancouver repaired storm damage sustained during the transit from Vietnam to the Philippines.
On 6 December, the ship once more got underway for the coast of Vietnam. She arrived off Danang on 9 December; but, four days later, she left the combat zone for visits to Hong Kong, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and Okinawa. Vancouver returned to the Vietnamese coast on 31 December 1969. 1 January 1970, however, brought her departure from the area on her way back to the Philippines. She entered Subic Bay on 11 January and remained in the Philippines until 20 January when she started a round-trip voyage to Okinawa. The ship returned to Subic Bay on 27 January and remained in the area until 4 February when she headed for Taiwan. After a patrol of the Taiwan Strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
, she entered port at Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Taiwan, for a four-day visit. She returned to Subic Bay on 21 February and began turnover operations with her relief ship Denver (LPD-9)
USS Denver (LPD-9)
USS Denver , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of United States Navy to bear this name. Denver’s keel was laid 7 July 1964 at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington. She was launched 23 January 1965, christened by Mrs. John A...
. On 4 March, she departed Subic Bay for Okinawa where she delivered cargo on 6 March. Continuing her voyage on 7 March, she stopped at Danang on 11 March, unloaded cargo, and headed back to Okinawa where she refueled on 14 March before continuing on toward the United States.
Vancouver arrived in Del March, California, on 27 March and, the following day, moved to the San Diego Naval Station for drydocking and repairs. Repairs were completed early in June, and the ship departed San Diego on 10 June with United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
midshipmen embarked for their summer cruise. She arrived in Yokosuka on 24 June and departed again on 29 June. The ship visited [Hong Kong between 4 July and 8 July and stopped at Danang on 9 July and 10 July to load cargo bound for the United States. On the way back home, she stopped at Pearl Harbor from 24 July to 27 July and then reentered San Diego on 1 August. Local operations out of San Diego, including LVT training and amphibious refresher training, occupied the ship's time through the end of the year and for the first three months of 1971.
On 30 March, Vancouver put to sea to return to the Western Pacific. She made a two-day stop at Pearl Harbor at the end of the first week in April and arrived in Subic Bay on 19 April. The ensuing six weeks brought amphibious training and port visits to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Kaohsiung. In June, the ship carried cargo from Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
and Danang in the Vietnam to Subic Bay and Okinawa. Early in July, Vancouver participated in an amphibious exercise at Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
and then departed the Philippines on 19 April for a week at Hong Kong. On 28 July, the ship returned to the Philippines at Mindoro for more amphibious exercises. August brought voyages to Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan, and Kaohsiung, Taiwan and, early in September, she returned to the Philippines for another round of practice landings at Zambales.
On 9 September, Vancouver left Subic Bay to pick up cargo in Vietnam. She stopped at Danang, Qui Nhon
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...
, and Camranh Bay before returning to Subic Bay on 17 September. On 25 September, she embarked upon a roundtrip voyage to Okinawa and returned to Subic Bay on 9 October. On 14 October, Vancouver set out on her voyage back to the United States, stopping en route at Okinawa and Pearl Harbor before arriving back in San Diego on 5 November.
The amphibious transport dock ship remained in San Diego through the end of 1971 for post-deployment standdown and for the usual holiday leave and upkeep period. On 11 January 1972, Vancouver began local operations along the California eoast. That duty lasted until 10 June, when she embarked midshipmen for the annual training cruise and got underway for the Far East. During the midshipman cruise, the ship made a visit to Yokosuka, Japan, and two each to Hong Kong and Subic Bay in the Philippines. Late in July, she headed back to the west coast, arriving at San Diego on 4 August. There, on 21 August, Vancouver began her regularly scheduled overhaul. (only stopped in Hong Kong once, stopped in Guam and Pearl harbor on the way back-I was there)(I concur. In addition, we sailed off Vietnam in the "war-zone" for a few days.)
The ship completed post-overhaul sea trials early in February 1973 and conducted type and refresher training until mid-March. On 17 March, Vancouver again deployed to the Western Pacific. She arrived in Sasebo, Japan, on 4 April then continued her voyage on 5 April. She briefly stopped at Okinawa on 6 April and arrived in Subic Bay on 8 April.
On 9 April, she relieved Cleveland (LPD-7)
USS Cleveland (LPD-7)
USS Cleveland , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city in Ohio. Her keel was laid down at Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was launched on 7 May 1966, and was commissioned on 21 April 1967 at Norfolk,...
as one of the support ships for Operation End Sweep
Operation End Sweep
Operation End Sweep was a U.S. Navy operation to remove the naval mines from Haiphong harbor in North Vietnam in July 1973. This action was done in favor of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, abiding to the Paris Peace Accord.-References:*...
, the clearing of American naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s in the harbors of North Vietnam as a result of the withdrawal of American forces from the Vietnam War. During April, May, and June, the amphibious transport dock ship alternated tours of duty in Vietnamese waters in support of the minesweeping forces with liberty and upkeep periods in Philippine ports. She also made periodic liberty calls at Hong Kong and at various Japanese ports.
The ship completed her last tour of duty in Vietnamese waters on 18 July and headed back to the Philippines, arriving in Subie Bay on 20 July. For her remaining two months in the Far East, Vancouver visited Hong Kong, the Japanese ports Numazu, Kagoshima, and Iwakuni. She returned to the Phiiippines early in September, whence she put to sea on 19 September to return home. After stopping overnight at Pearl Harbor on 2 October and 3 October, the ship continued on to San Diego where she arrived on 9 October and began a year of operations along the California coast. Her tasks included: helicopter qualifications, landing craft training, and full scale amphibious warfare exercises.
On 18 October 1974, she concluded her west coast schedule and got underway for the Western Pacific. She stopped at Pearl Harbor on 25 October and 26 October and continuing her voyage on 26 October, arrived in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 9 November. Though assigned to ARG Alfa as relief for Ogden (LPD-5)
USS Ogden (LPD-5)
USS Ogden , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Ogden, Utah....
, Vancouver began her first real peacetime deployment to the Far East in more than a decade. For the next six months, she spent most of her time alternating between Okinawa and the Philippines conducting a series of amphibious exercises and transporting marines and cargo.
She did, however, return to the Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
peninsula that March to participate in Operation Eagle Pull
Operation Eagle Pull
Operation Eagle Pull was the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 12 April, 1975. At the beginning of April 1975, Phnom Penh, the last remaining stronghold of the Khmer Republic, was surrounded by the Khmer Rouge and totally dependent on aerial resupply through Pochentong Airport...
, the evacuation of Phnom Penh and Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind was the evacuation by helicopter of American civilians and 'at-risk' Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, on 29–30 April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War...
, the evacuation of Saigon, in the wake of the collapse of the non-communist governments in those nations. At the end of the deployment, she departed Okinawa on 20 May and arrived back in San Diego on 6 June.
She resumed west coast operations almost immediately with type training and a weapons inspection. Similar duty occupied her through the end of the year and during the first nine months of 1976. On 25 September 1976, she headed back to the Western Pacific once more. She made a three-day stop at Pearl Harbor at the beginning of October and put in at Kwajalein Atoll on 10 October for ARG commanding officers to conduct turnover briefings. From Kwajalein, she continued her voyage to Broad Sound, Australia, where she arrived on 21 October. There, she conducted a rehearsal landing in preparation for the Operation Kangaroo II landing exercises conducted between 24 October and 29 October in conjunction with Australian military and naval forces. At the conclusion of Kangaroo II, Vancouver made a five-day visit to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and then got underway for Okinawa. She reached her destination on 20 November, disembarked one group of marines, and took on another. The following day, she headed for Subic Bay, arriving there on 24 November to begin a three-week availability. Late in December, Vancouver embarked upon a voyage to Taiwan and Hong Kong observing New Year's Eve at the latter port.
After a return to Okinawa and Subic Bay early in January 1977, the ship visited Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
during the latter half of the month. She returned to the Philippines on 11 February and conducted exercises in the vicinity of Subic Bay until mid March. On 16 March, the amphibious transport dock ship put to sea, bound for Inchon, Korea. During the latter part of March and early part of April, she participated in amphibious training with units of the South Korean military. On 12 April, she stopped at Okinawa and the next day headed back to the Philippines. Vancouver arrived in Subic Bay on 16 April but departed again on 28 April for a round-about voyage home. She made stops at Okinawa, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor before arriving back in San Diego on 21 May. After a month of post deployment standdown, the ship entered the Bethlehem Steel Co. shipyard at San Pedro, California, for her regular overhaul. She remained there into 1978.
Vancouver completed her overhaul satisfactorily on 18 April 1978. A rigorous period of refresher training out of San Diego followed in preparation for the ship's forthcoming deployment to the Western Pacific. Vancouver departed from San Diego on 31 August and spent the remainder of the year in operations with the Seventh Fleet. Her schedule took her to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
; Subic Bay, Philippines; Pusan, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and Hong Kong.
- Need information from 1979 through 1992.
Fate
Vancouver was decommissioned 27 March 1992 and mothballed in reserve status at Pearl Harbor until she was transferred to the National Defense Reserve FleetNational Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
, Benicia, California
Benicia, California
Benicia is a waterside city in Solano County, California, United States. It was the first city in California to be founded by Anglo-Americans, and served as the state capital for nearly thirteen months from 1853 to 1854. The population was 26,997 at the 2010 census. The city is located in the San...
.
Vancouver earned 11 battle stars for service in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.