Mount Vernon (LSD 39) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 104 of the 1985 volume:

USS MOUNT VERNON LSD - 39 USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD-39) is the fifth ship commissioned in the United States Navy to bear the proud name. Buih by the Quincy Shipbuilding Division, General Dynamics Corporation, at Quincy, Massachusetts, its keel was laid on 29 January 1970. Sixteen months later, on April 1971, MOUNT VERNON was launched, designated homeport of San Diego, California. The fourth in a series of five USS ANCHORAGE class dock landing ships, USS MOUNT VERNON is 562 feet in length. Its beam width is 84 feet at the widest point. Fully loaded, the ship displaces 13,700 with a mean draft of 19 feet as measured from keel to waterline. The ship ' s main armament consists of three 3 50 single purpose twin gun mounts. Installed electronic equipment includes air and surface surveillance radars, a navigational radar and sufficient communications equipment to support the ship ' s amphibious mission. MOUNT VERNON ' s helicopter landing platform can be used in support of helicopted assault and logistics operations. Refueling, limited repairs and minor maintenance of aircraft can also be provided. The ship is designed to transport, and operate, heavy landing craft from her well deck. Wet-well evolutions are facilitated through the use of a complex, electro-hydraulically controlled ballasting and deballisting system. The ship ' s habitability features amply provide for the messing and berthing of 18 officers and 335 enlisted personnel normally assigned. They further provide for the berthing, feeding and cargo transport of approxi- mately 300 fully equipped combat troops of the landing force. Since reporting for duty with the Pacific Fleet, MOUNT VERNON has completed seven operation- al deployments with the Seventh Fl eet in the Far East. In each of the seven periods of deployed service, the ship acquitted itself with distinction. Symbolic of that dedicated performance of duty, MOUNT VERNON has been awarded the Navy Unit Commendations, the National Defense Service Award, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal. USS MOUNT VERNON LSD-39 is the fifth U.S. Navy ship to bear the proud name of MOUNT VERNON. Her four predecessors all served with distinction in times of conflict, dating back to the Civil War. The first MOUNT VERNON was a wooden screw merchant steamer built in 1859. She was purchased by the Navy Department in 1861 and fitted out as a gunboat. In just over two years of blockade duty, MOUNT VERNON captured or ran aground more than a dozen Confederate and British vessels. Among her memorable exploits s was participation in the attacks on the Confederate stronghold of Fort Fisher near Wilmington, North Carolina. The fall of this fort in January of 1865 hastened the end of the Civil War, as this was the last Confederate port by which supplies from Europe could reach General Lee ' s troops at Richmond. The second MOUNT VERNON was also in the Civil War. She was a side-wheel river steamer fitted out as a gunboat for defense of Washington, D.C., and served in the Potomac Flotilla of Commander James H. Ward, the first naval officer to lose his life in the Civil War. In November, 1861, the name of this ship was changed to MOUNT WASHINGTON to avoid confusion with the first MOUNT VERNON. The third MOUNT VERNON was originally named the CROWN PRINCESS CECILIE built in 1907 in Germany for the North German Lloyd Lines, she was the pride of luxury liners of her time. She departed New York July 28, 1914, with a full passenger list and gold bullion for the English and French banks. The next week was full of drama, commencing with wireless orders from Bremen for the liner to reverse course and seek a neutral United States port. Under cover of daytime fog, the liner repainted funnels to resemble the colors of a White Star Liner. She was completely concealed by the night as all portholes were covered and no light on board was visible. She made top speed through fog and darkness to elude four British cruisers sent to intercept her. On August 4, CROWN PRINCESS .V- CECILIE, safely entered Bar Harbor, Maine. During succeeding days her passengers traveled to Boston and New York in special trains. A Gold Train with armed guard and crew transferred the 10,700,000 dollars in gold bullion to New York. On November 6, 1914, CROWN PRINCESS CE- CILI E was escorted from Bar Harbor for interment in Boston Harbor. When it became apparent that the U.S. would enter World War I, the German crew wrecked her engines, and numerous name plates in the engine room was mutilated, removed or ex- changed. Upon declaration of war, the liner was transferred to Navy custody for service as a troop transport. The colossal repair and conversion was completed in a little over three months, and the former German liner was commissioned USS MOUNT VERNON on July 28, 1917. By August of 1918, MOUNT VERNON had made nine trooplifts between New York and Brest, France. Departing again from Brest in September, she was 200 miles off the French coast when on September 5, her number one guncrew spotted the periscope of a German submarine 500 yards off her starboard bow. She opened fire on the submarine and it submerged as a torpedo wake streaked toward the ship. The torpedo struck amidships, blowing out all four engines on the starboard side, which formed half her total power plant. The transport reversed course for Brest, where she was placed in drydock for temporary repairs. The torpedo explosion had taken the lives of 36 men and injured 3 others. MOUNT VERNON returned to Boston for permanent repairs, which were still underway when the war ended in November 1918. She had transported 33,660 men to France during her combat career. She rejoined the transport service in February 1919, and returned 42,500 veterans home from France before decommissioning in September 1919. The fourth MOUNT VERNON was built in 1933 as the spacious liner SS WASHINGTON and operated by the United States Lines. Upon being acquired by the Navy on 16 June 1941 she was placed in the Philadelphia Navy yard where her 100 dollar a day suites were stripped and replaced with many steel bunks. In August 1941 she put to sea and during World War II served gallantly both in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. On 18 January 1946 after transporting thousands of troops throughout the world MOUNT VERNON was decommissioned and delivered to the U.S. Maritime Commission. The latest MOUNT VERNON bears a proud name, one famous not only in American Naval Annals but also one of a legendary estate, rich in American Heritage. This legacy represents a challenge to the fifth United States ship MOUNT VERNON embarking on her life with the Fleet today. COMMANDING OFFICER COMMANDER WILLIAM L. MARKS A native of Flint, Michigan, Commander William L. Marks graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in February 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Following commissioning at Officer Candidate School, he attended the Submarine Officer Basic Course in Groton, Connecticut, and was subsequently assigned to the USS BARRACUDA (SST-3), homeport in Key West, Florida, in July l ?o7. In BARRACUDA he served as Weapons and Supply Officer and later as the Engineer Officer. Commander Marks ' next assignment was with Submarine Development Group ONE in San Diego, California, where he was the Assistant Officer-in-Charge of the first Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle. In 1972, Commander Marks was transferred to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he served as Engineer Officer of USS BARBEL (SS-580) until 1974 and Operations Officer and Navigator of USS BLUEBACK (SS-581) until January 1977. In March of 1977, he assumed the duties as Executive Officer of USS BARBEL (SS-580). Beginning in October 1978, Commander Marks attended the U. S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, v%hi?re he earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Following graduation in December 1980, he was assigned as Executive Officer of USS CLEVELAND (LPD-7) homcported in San Diego, California. In May l ' S3. during Western Pacific Deployment, Commander Marks assumed duties as Commanding Officer of USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD-39). Commander K ' ks is married to the former Pamela Ann Morey of Ames, Iowa. They have two daughters, Kathryn Ann an.. .mc Marie. EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMANDER PATRICK C. MULLINS A native of Port Huron, Michigan, Commander Mullins graduated, and was commissioned from the U. S. Naval Academy in June 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography. Following commissioning he was assigned to the USS CLEVELAND (LPD 7) where he served as Second Division Officer, the Gunnery Assistant, and finishing his tour as Navigator. Commander Mullins ' next assignment was as an Exchange Officer with the Royal Navy at their New Entry Training Establishment in Cornwall, England. On return from the United Kingdom he attended the Surface Warfare Officer ' s Department Head School and upon graduation was assigned as Weapons Officer, USS MARVIN SHIELDS (FF 1066), In 1979, Commander Mullins attended the Split Tour Engineering Officer School prior to his assignment as Engineer Officer on USS POINT DEFIANCE (LSD 31). On completion of the tour as Engineer Commander Mullins was ordered to the staff of the Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Center, Pacific in San Diego where he was responsible for the future plans of the school. Commander Mullins is married to the former Ann Croxford of Liverpool, England. They have a son Nathan and a daughter Stephanie. • ■ !IV, jB3 U u LT WARCHAL m LTCDR LIGMAN tt LT BRODARICK. 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