Alamo (LSD 33) - Naval Cruise Book

 - Class of 1966

Page 21 of 94

 

Alamo (LSD 33) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1966 Edition, Page 21 of 94
Page 21 of 94



Alamo (LSD 33) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1966 Edition, Page 20
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Page 21 text:

5 i q THE A.R.G

Page 20 text:

'. 1 - . . fy- ,e - - - - 5 ,- 1 .. - - - 4-' .-. , 1 .. W'f1i'i--' iff-Eff . lfifl? 'EMZQ-5 15.1.73 A D THE SHIP THAT GOT US THERE USS ALAMO QLSD-331 was -built by lngalls Shipbuild- ing Corporation of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The keel was laid on 11 October 1954- and launching was on 20 January 1956. After commissioning on 25-August 1956, she sailed to Galveston, Texas on a goodwill cruise and then to Nor- folk to be loaded and outfitted. ALAMO arrived in San Diego on 13 October 1956 and joined the Amphibious Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. A On her first Western Pacific cruise in 1957, ALAMO participated in the Bikini atomic tests before going on to Yokohama, Japan. Her second and third cruises, in 1958 and 1959 added new names to a growing list of ports visit- ed. In 1960 she underwent overhaul at Todd Shipyard in Seattle, Washington which was followed by training and operations off the West Coast. On her fourth WESTPAC cruise in 1961, she became a part of the Amphibious Ready Group. During her fifth trip to WESTPAC, which began in Oc- tober of 1962, ALAMO was diverted to Guam with emer- gency relief supplies to that typhoon-stricken island. Later that same year she provided emergency food relief to the flood-stricken island of 'Mindanao in the Philippines. ln 1963 ALAMO entered Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipyard in Long Beach for her second major overhaul. The spring of 1964 again found her on a relief mission, this time to earthquake ravaged Kodiak, -Alaska. ln June of that year she departed on her ,sixth trip to the Western Pa- cific. lt was on this cruise that she earned her first medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary for Viet Nam operations. During the summer of 1965 ALAMO was chosen twice to make special lifts to WESTPAC. lt was during the sec- ond of these that she made her first combat landing at Qui Nhon, Viet Nam. ALAMO holds the Squadron Battle Efficiency Award for the third consecutive time and proudly wears awards for excellence in Communications, Operations, Engineer- ing, and Amphibious Warfare. ' --1-:T iw 'sf' V ., , -3.1 'EES .559 ,sg NF! ' in D --as 1- .1 ?5149i'n?'?2,s v , . if :HJR 716, v. - - L A Q ' s. i J., , i 'f' A . E . xx ' i 'Z . y .. .Q . M I -i :n H i .. l T. T. nf ' x I7 x.



Page 22 text:

lv i 19-Q' 2 , , ,:, ,.--,,, , - A - .-. 1 .-- .g - .-.-.1-.f - --Y . t - v- .fn 'wg 3 - Ag - - ' .,,- 1.--, ,, . ., - 1.-'t..:-ft . ,'1-- A- . -'5 -'r-'I1.Q', L Dwi-: fgrfif-Bazar' jk ' bmi ,-1, ..- ,-4 -5- , I l rf.-ff-'-.rviu-'la --mf: v - ei-af-f :rf--,:'.:'.--v'-----.. f -:-.-.-..:.- --as- - 4' 1 - fs 'ww-'L .1-'ff-'iff f. M i 3',-ggi' 3' 51,1-itff:.fq?.-C4-.lf.-'S 1.13.44 .. . 'P.5'. f5L1':'- -'.,--.g-.4-Elfnifla-sf..fe sQd7a.f.::,c4i.g.1a a'.f.QSi4na:fgeeu'aiq . -.4 S tix:-'5'--B 1 1 'f-.-1-.lie -'. - ff The AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUP The longest and most challenging part of our WestPac cruise was spent as a key member of the Amphibi- ous Ready Group. We loaded our Marines at Camp Pendelton and Pearl Harbor, and upon arrival in the Philippines made preparations with our comrades in arms, Princeton and Pickaway, for imminent opera- tions. We began by conducting a brief training exercise, Operation Hilltop IV, at Mindoro, a Philippine island south of Luzon. As we would do again in future operations, we carried and launched a wave of amphibious tractors, two LCM-8's and an LCU, all loaded with troops and equipment, and comprising the major landing craft capability of the Ready Group. Acting as Primary Control Ship, we directed the boats to the right beach at the right time, and later did the same for all four of our actual combat operations. Our first landing in Viet Nam was Operation Jackstay, still the only operation of its kind conducted in Viet Nam. We anchored before sunrise in the shallow muddy water at the mouth of the Soirap River, about 30 miles south of Saigon. Working in darkness, we loaded our troops into their vehicles, ballasted down, launched our boats and directed them to the beach on a small point of land over seven miles away. At the same time, Princeton landed troops on the beach by helicopter. In the days to follow, some of us had the opportunity to travel up Viet Cong controlled rivers, carrying water to the LST's anchored in the Soirap or transporting Marines between various locations in the marshy river delta area. Our boats were well armed with machine guns, rifles, armored jackets and battle helmets, on several occasions we were thankful to have been so well prepared. Most of us, however, stayed abroad in support of those ashore, but we all earned the satisfaction of a job well done. These were certainly among the most exciting tasks we performed while in the Ready Group. After each of our operations we were able to return to Subic Bay for repairs, supplies and liberty, but it was never long before we were underway again for Viet Nam. Our second landing was at Baie Chon Mai for Operation Osage. This was a much less demanding operation than Jackstay. Once ashore the Marines had little need for support and we spent several quiet days at anchor, although we were constantly prepared to meet any situation that might arise in that potentially dangerous area. After Osage we off-loaded our Marines at Chu Lai, and sailed for Okinawa to embark another group. We completed a second training exercise at Mindoro, and then commenced our third landing in Viet Nam - Operation Deckhouse l at Vung Xuan Dai. As in Osage, once we had fulfilled our major responsibility of getting the Marines ashore, we had a limited involvement in the operation other than to observe the quiet white beach during the day, the falre and starshells at night, and to ,maintain our readiness. Our final operation, Deckhouse H, was conducted only a few miles south of the North Viet Nam border and the demilitarized zone. As in all of our operations, the morning of D-Day was a memorable experience - anchoring in the dark on an unfamiliar coastline, launching the LVT,s and boats in darkness, and not know- ing what might be waiting on the beach. However, all went smoothly and little opposition was encountered. After several days, our Marines went inland to join with Operation Hastings, one of the largest operations conducted in Viet Nam so far. The operation successfully concluded, we returned to Subic Bay to be re- lieved as Ready Group LSD by the Thomaston. Our six months with the Ready Group meant different things at different times - professional challenge, routine chores, excitement, boredom, hard work and long hours. But mostly it was an unusual opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge in Viet Nam and to be of more than routine service to our country., 1 I 9

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