Manitowoc (LST 1180) - Naval Cruise Book

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Marching beneath a banner de- claring mission accomplished, the U.S. Marines left war-ravaged Beirut today after helping police the PLO withdrawal from the Lebanese capital. But in eastern Lebanon, Syrian-Israeli tensions heightened after two straight days of Israeli air raids on Syrian mis- sile batteries. O c V 0 NS iC ' The shells could not be counted. The entire cityscape disappeared under smoke. There was nothing but the roar that shook the earth. A FRONT ROW SEAT TO HISTORY was the reward for USS MANITOWOC crewmembers while in Beirut. Lebanon during the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) withdrawal from the besieged capital. Manitowoc contributed to the unique Navy-Marine Corps effort by providing wave two of the initial multinational landing- Two hundred and twenty embarked combat Marines of Foxtrox Company, Battalion 2 8 were sent ashore at dawn on August 24. witnesses to stray tracer rounds scarring the midnight-blue sky. City lights illuminated Christian East Beirut: West Beirut was a dark, unlit, torn mass. As US, French and Italian troops supervised the PLO withdrawal, Beirut embarked on a startling metamorphosis. Only three weeks earlier Israeli air and sea forces dealt their biggest blow to the city; now, with guns quieted and the PLO gone, Beirut began rebuilding herself. By September 8 the presence of American, French and Italian peacekeeping forces had brought welcome silence to Beirut ' s guns. Troops of the Multinational Force and the Lebanese Army paraded alongside the ship. Five days before he was assassinated. President-elect Bashir Gemayel reviewed the troops with Ambassador Dillon. On the ship ' s first visit inside the damaged Port of Beirut. Manitowoc crew members were required to wear battle helmets as protection from stray rounds fired less than a half a mile away. Marines, weary from a week of tense duty guarding the port and supervising the PLO withdrawal, were hosted onboard for hot meals, hot showers, snacks and a visit. In turn, the troops provided trucks to take crewmembers on a close-up tour of the devastation of the northern area of the port. On September 8, with peace temporarily restored in Beirut, ManitOWOC backloaded equipment On September 10, a farewell banner greeted onlookers from the derrick-arms. Mission Accomplished — Farewell was the message carried by newspapers and TV networks that day. . • ' Marines on Beirut duty again BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — U.S. Marines returned U Beirut Uxlay on their second peacekeep- ing mi.ssion in a month — an as- signment Pre.sident Reagan says will last until Lebanon ' s g( vern- menl can maintain order and all Israeli and Syrian trwjps are out of the country. V ill stay until Israel, Syria troops leave

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CHRONOLOGY 2 MAY (1000) UNDERWAY FROM LIT- TLE CREEK. VA. }5 MAY liOOt — MOOR AT RADIO ISLAND FOR ONLOAD (1800 SORTIE FROM MOREHEAD CITY ENROUTE TO ROTA SP 06 JVN (liJO) MOOR AT PIER i. ROTA SP 07 JUN (0400) LNDERWAY FOR EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN II JUN (1700) ARRIVE EASTERN MED MOD LOC 24 JVU CIVILUN EVACUATION TO LAR NACA CYPRUS FROM BEIRUT LEBAN ON J9 JUN SHIFT SAILS FOR TARANTO. ITALY 01 JUL (OaJO) ANCHOR AT TARANTO ITALY OS JUL SET SAIL FOR EASTERN MED MODLOC JO JUL MOOR AT NAPLES ITALY 16 AUG (1430) - — UNDERWAY FOR EASTERN MED MODLOC ji Al ' G 0010) ANCHOR OFF BEIRUT. LEBAN- ON SET UNDERWAY WATCH CONDI- TION III WATCH SOCAL AND J 50 ' GUN WATCH , ;,• ., „ 0) MOOR PORT SIDE TO BEIRUT HARBOR , - R.-TIRN TO HARBOR ANCHOR AGE 10 SEP 13 SEP 22 SEP 30 SEP 29 OCT 01 NOV 07 NOV 10 NOV 11 NOV 14 NOV 24 NOV 2S NOV I ' wu rATION BOW RAMP DETAIL ENTER BEIRUT HARBOR (074S) FOXTROT COMPANY EMBARKS OVER BOW RAMP (0800) UNDERWAY FOR TAORMINA SICILY (1815) ANCHOR AT TAORMINA SICILY (0900) --• SET SAIL FOR BEIRUT LEBAN- ON (1000) MARG 2-82 TROOPS RETURN T ' BEIRUT HARBOR (1400) RETURN TO ANCH(JRAGE (0730) COMMENCE TURNOVER WITH MARG 3-82, ONLOAD TR(X)PS (0940) UNDERWAY FOR AL HOCEIMA MOROCCO (1200 ) ANCHOR AT MOROCCO PHIH LEX OP AREA (1630) DEPARTED MOROCCO ANCHORAGE FOR ROTA. SP (0940) MOOR AT ROTA. SP FOR DES NAIL OPERATIONS (GOOD UNDERWAY FOR MOREHEAD CITY. NC (1015) MOOR AT RADIO ISLAND. DEBARK TROOPS. EMBARK GATOR CRUISE GUESTS il040) THANKSGIVING DAY MOORED LITTLE CREEK. VA

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COMMANDER RICHARD M. BUTLER. UNITED STATES NAVY t, i . ; ; . . .. CDK Bi,:. . . umniiifKlcd USS MANIIOWOC ttirouuh two cxtcnilcd deployment which included piirticipiiliDii in two Multinutional Force nmphibioui landing operations in Lebanon, (or whicti hi» ship w.l iiwunlrd the Navy Unit Commendation at u unit of MARG . ' K. ' USS MANITOWOC al»o irned her fifth contecutive Squadron Battle Efficiency ' E award .ring thtt period i-DR Butler II a Univeriity of Southern California journalmni graduate commi»»ione l through the Officer Candidate Prtignim in April ' 4i Hit Mutiul »ervice wa» u» WeapKjn Officer. Boat Group Conjmandet anil N.ivigator on USS LENAWEE (APA195). While on Lenawee he wh» H at Group Comnumder f(jr the fir»t amphihiout Inncling in Vietnam .it DaNang. Hue and Chu L«i Hollowing Dcitroyer Department Head Schfwl in Newport, he wui Operation Officer on USS OZBOURN (DD-846). »erving comhat tour in Tonkin Gulf for which hi iqiKiilion irceived the Navy Unit f ommendation. and parttciputing in the PUEBLO cri»i re pon»e Up jn ..-.iduation from Naval Poitgraduate School, he tcrved in the Bureau • Naval Per»onncl and l ecame designated o» a Proven Suh-«pmali t Personnel Management I)R Butler .erved a Executive Officer of USS SPARTANBURG COUNTY {LST-11921. followed by tour on the Commandci Ni.val Surfair Forrr A tlantic «taft. attendance at the Armed Force Staff College and a F ' ervjnnel and Adminiitrativc Officer for the US Naval Academy at Annnpolit CDR Butler wear the Meritoriou Service Medal (2 award ). Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V (2 award ), Combat Action Ribt.r,n. Navy Unit Commenilation (2 award ). Buttle Efficiency Ribbon. 1 2 award ) and various campaign medal