Ashland (LSD 48) - Naval Cruise Book

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mm. i ' ASHLAND was recommissioned on 27 December 1950 and completed her shakedown training in February 1951. In April, she sailed for the east coast where her first assignment was Operation Bluejay, held in conjunction with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). The next several years consisted of a number of major underway periods including a deployment to Greenland and several lengthy operations in the Caribbean as well as the North Atlantic. A notable highlight occurred in September, 1953, when she took two French submarines and seven French naval personnel on board for transpor- tation to the west coast. The vessel transited the Panama Canal on 10 October, deposited her cargo and passengers at San Diego and then returned to Norfolk in October to resume service along the east coast. On 1 November, 1956, ASHLAND was transferred to the control of Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic, for alter- ations enabling the ship to tend aircraft. By July 1957, she was configured to handle six P5M2 aircraft. At the conclusion of a deployment to the Caribbean, she was decommissioned for a second time on 14 September 1957 and placed in the Norfolk Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On 29 November 1961, ASHLAND was recommissioned. Assigned to Amphibious Squadron 4. she began a routine of alternating between local east coast operations and 6th Fleet deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean. In October 1964, she participated in Operation Steel Pike, the largest amphibious assault staged in peacetime up to that point, where she served as a primary control vessel and boat repair ship. In March, 1966. she conducted numerous amphibious landings in the Caribbean, including Operation Beachtime , a landing which involved over 40 ships of the 2nd Fleet. Then in Januar ' 1968, she deployed to the Mediterranean where she took part in the NATO Exercise Dawn Patrol which involved naval forces of France and Greece. On 12 November 1968, ASHLAND weighed anchor for what proved to be her last Mediterranean tour. During the deployment, she repeated her routine of amphibious landing exercises and port visits before returning to the United States in mid- 1969. There, it was found that the repairs she needed to continue efficient operation would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, ASHLAND was decommissioned on 22 November 1969. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 25 November 1969, and she was sold to N. W. Kennedy, Ltd., of Vancouver, British Columbia in May 1970.

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(J -« USS ASHLAND (LSD 1) ASHLAND (LSD-I) had her keel laid on 22 June 1942 at Oakland. Calif., by the Moore Drydock Company, was launched on 21 December 1942 and finally commissioned on 5 June 1943. Following two months of sea trials, the dock landing ship loaded amphibious craft and personnel at San Diego. CA. and then headed out to sea. Over the course of the next two and a half years, from 1 1 August. 1943 until January. 1946. USS ASHLAND took part in several amphibious exercises and assaults throughout the Western Pacific serving as a troop transport and small boat repair ship. On 23 January. 1944. she sortied with Task Force 52 for the assault on the Marshall Islands. ASHLAND was directly involved in the assaults on Kwajalein Island and Eniwetok and several of the other small islands which would soon become major supply and fuel depots for friendly forces. After a period of availability in Pearl Harbor and several training exercises in Hawaiian waters, the ship sailed away on 29 May for the initial assault on the Marianas. She launched boats for the invasion on Saipan on 15 June and then assumed duties as a repair ship. On 24 July. ASHLAND took part in the invasion of Tinian. In the fall of 1 944. ASHLAND was assigned to Task Force 79 and prepared for the invasion of the Philippines where she took pan in the assaults against Leyte and Luzon. The following year, she launched her boats against Iwo Jima on 1 9 l-ebruar . Despite continuing air attacks. ASHLAND ' s crew carried out repair work on schedule until she finally withdrew to Hniwelok on 31 March. Throughout the rest of the war. she continued transporting troops and supplies to other locations like Kcrama Retto and Okinawa. After the end oi the war on 1 5 August. ASHLAND conluiued her duly of carrying ami lending landing craft in the Far Fast until January 1946. Shortly thereafter she returned to the United States and was placed out of commission, in reser e. in March 1946 at San Diego. ASHLAND earned seven battle stars for services rendered during World War II. Throughout her initial years of service, she proved the versatility and nexibilily of the dock landing ship concept.

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CAPTAIN DOUGLAS W. KEITH, U.S. NAVY COMMANDING OFFICER USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) I i ' T Captain Douglas Wayne Keith was J| born in Los Angeles, California, and m hB % grew up in Southern California. He H| | | || graduated and received his commission B BH through the NROTC program at the , m. University of Southern California. Upon commissioning, he reported to USS ORIS KAN Y (CVA 34) as a CIC Watch Officer and Ship ' s Weapons Coordinator. In July of 1974 he was ordered to USS SCHOFIELD ( FFG 3 ) as CIC officer, remaining there until Spring of 1976. From SCHOFIELD, Captain Keith was ordered to an Exchange Officer billet as an instruc- tor at the Canadian Forces Fleet School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. That tour was followed by the Department Head curriculum at Surface Warfare Schools Command in Newport. Rhode Island. Upon graduation he served as Operations Officer on USS RICHARD E. BYRD (DDG 23) from February 1979 to December 1980. From December 1980 to September 1982, he served as First Lieutenant on USS PORTLAND (LSD 37). In September 1982, Captain Keith was assigned to the Naval Military Personnel Command for duty as the Surface Warfare Officer LCDR Detailer He entered the surface command pipeline in Jul ' 1984 and assumed command of USS ARIES (PHM 5), homeported in Key West. Florida. He served as Commanding Officer until November 1986. Upon relief he reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for duty as a program analyst for Space and Command and Control (C3) programs in the Program Resource Appraisal Branch (OP 81). In August 1988, Captain Keith attended the National Defense University ' s Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF) and participated in a cooperative degree program with George Washington University, receiving his masters degree in Public Administration in the field of National Resource Management. Upon completion of ICAF, Captain Keith entered the command pipeline once again to report on site during construction and fitting out of ASHLAND (LSD 48). She was placed in commission May 9, 1992 in New Orleans and Captain Keith assumed command as the ship ' s first Commanding Officer Shortly after commissioning, the ship participated in Hurricane Andrew relief operations as part of Joint Task Force Andrew in both the Bahamas and Southern Florida. Captain Keith ' s awards include the Meritorious Service Medal witii gold slar. tlie Navy ( ' onuiiendalion Modal w illi goki star, the Navy Meritorious Unit Citation and various other campaign and seivicc awartls. Captain Keith is married to the former Diana Lee Caulfield of West Covina. C ' aliloinia. riie and iheir llnvc children - Christopher, Scott, and Carly Anne — reside in Northern Virginia.