Monrovia (APA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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HISTORY OF U.S.S. MONROVIA (APA-31) The USS MONROVIA is an Amphibious Attack Transport (APA), with a primary mission of trans- porting troops and combat equipment from rear areas and landing them in assault on enemy-held beaches. MONROVIA carries 23 assault boats with which to carry out these landings. She is also fitted out as a flagship, and is presently the flagship for Amphibious Squadron EIGHT. Her keel was laid on 26 March 1942 at Bethlehem Steel ' s Sparrows Point Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland. She was first intended to be the DELTARGENTINA, part of the maritime fleet of Delta Lines, Inc; however, the U.S. Navy purchased the hull for conversion to an attack transport and she was christened USS MONROVIA on 19 September 1942. The ship was named for the home of President James Monroe, MONROVIA , located near the Potomac River not far from Wakefield, Westmor- land County, Virginia. The USS MONROVIA is 491 feet long with a beam of 65.8 feet. Her maximum speed is 17 knots with 7,800 shaft horse power. The daily fresh water distilling capacity is 40,000 gallons. Her displacement fully loaded (799 troops, with their associated equipment) is 14,281 tons and the normal cruising radius is 15,700 miles. The crew consists of 27 officers and 348 enlisted men. MONROVIA ' S homeport is Norfolk, Virginia. MONROVIA was commissioned on 1 December 1942. After training, shakedown and further con- version, she received Army troops on 10 May 1943 for transport to Oran, Algeria, in support of operations in North Africa. On 30 June 1943 General George S. Patton, Jr., boarded MONROVIA with his staff and troops to participate in the Sicilian Landings. MONROVIA received her first battle scars on 19 July 1943 in an attack off Sicily by a Stuka dive bomber which inflicted minor damage. After repairs, she set sail for the United States with Italian prisoners of war aboard. She was transferred to Pacific waters and operated in the New Zealand-New Hebrides area. On 20 November 1943, the bloody Tarawa assault found MONROVIA in the force, landing her troops and then acting as a casualty evacuation ship. On the 15th of June 1944, MONROVIA again flew her battle colors during the Saipan invasion. She once again came through air attacks and shore fire unscratched. In the Guam landings which followed, MONROVIA spent seven days with assault area landing elements of the 77th Infantry Division and experienced casualties. After repairs in Pearl Harbor, MONROVIA participated in the Leyte invasion. On the 20th of October 1944, she landed elements of the 96th Infantry Division and completed offloading equipment the next day, just in time to miss the arrival of units of the Japanese Fleet coming up from the Sulu Sea. The exit from the transport area was made under cover of a heavy smoke screen. On New Year ' s Eve, 1944, MONROVIA got underway to participate in the assault on Luzon, Philippine Islands. She made two trips to Luzon during the month of January 1945 and MONROVIA landed her troops in the assault on Okinawa, harrassed by vicious air attacks. After the war, MONROVIA served as shuttle ship between China a ' nd Japan, carrying troops and supplies. She was decommissioned into the Reserve Fleet on 31 January 1947.

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ATTENTION CAPTAINS ATOStSSS ! g Captain J. G. Fifield COMMANDING OFFICER This cruise book provides an enduring souvenir of MONROVIA ' S 1965-66 deployment through the Mediterranean. I am sure that in years to come it will be reviewed many times and find each of us recalling our individual trials and tribulations. Although MONROVIA was a combat ready unit of the Atlantic Fleet upon departure from Norfolk, she returned with a greatly increased capability gained through participation in many fleet and NATO operations and exercises. We have had the opportunity to visit, rather extensively, four countries and many of us par- ticipated in tours to other countries and areas. At a luncheon given on board MONROVIA for the diplomatic representatives of fourteen countries, it was said that the real American ambassador was the overseas serviceman. The men of MONROVIA have proved to be just that in gesture and deed. I know that your donations of free time and personal effort will always be remembered by the recipients. The cruise was of necessity longer than planned. The extension was accepted in the best of spirit with no visible let down and, if anything, increased effort. This attitude is but another example of willingness and determination to do the very best job possible. For my part, I was delighted to have been a participant in this cruise and to have had such a wonderful group ofofficers and men with me.

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In November 1950, shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War, MONROVIA was recommissioned. She joined the Atlantic Amphibious Force and in December 1951 made the first of her many post- war Mediterranean cruises. On 15 July 1958, MONROVIA served in another important amphibious landing being the first ship to anchor off Beirut, Lebanon, and land her landing force when that country requested assistance from President Eisenhower in resisting communist pressure. The MONROVIA always seems to be close by when trouble arises. On 23 October 1962, she was the first amphibious ship to arrive at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and offload her Marines at the out- set of the Cuban Quarantine Operation. And again on 9 January 1964, the day of the violent riots at the borders between the Canal Zone and Panama, MONROVIA had arrived in Cristobal, C.Z. only a few hours before. MONROVIA, on this occasion, supported U.S. Army troops on the embat- tled front line in sight of the ship. A MONROVIA boat and crew conducted three successful evacuations of U.S. citizens and dependents from Colon waterfront hotels on the 10th and 11th of January bringing out a total of 108 persons, mostly women and children. On 8 May 1965, when it appeared that American citizens and property were in danger in the Dominican Republic, the MONROVIA assisted by landing Marines near Santo Domingo. The MONROVIA received the following citation from the Secretary of the Navy in 1949 for her outstanding record during World War II: For exceptionally meritorious service in actions against enemy aircraft, shore batteries, mines and submarines. Operating in contact with the enemy and under attack the USS MONROVIA performed her duties as an attack transport, consistently main- taining a superior degree of efficiency in the performance of her assigned tasks and contributing materially to the development of the technique of amphibious warfare. Her courageous determin- ation and effort were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. MONROVIA is authorized to wear the following ribbons: Navy Unit Commendation, European- African-Middle Eastern Campaign (1 bronze star), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign (1 silver star), World War II Victory, Naval Occupation Service Medal (Europe), China Service (Extended), Philippine and National Defense Service Ribbons, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal for service in Lebanon and service in the Dominican Republic.