Iwo Jima (LPH 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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,. W, , , y,f..iwgg- V 1 1 11lP?5'3f3f5YfT?4l57 l i-3'1'L'.-.p:.,:'...,. .1311-.,fg:.' I HISTORY OF A PROUD SHIP USS IWO JIMA, the first ship of her class and the first ship to be designed from the keel up as an amphibious assault ship, was launched on September 17, 1960 at Bremerton, Washington and commissioned on August 26, 1961. She has an overall length of 602 feet and an extreme width of 101 feet. Fully loaded she displaces 18,340 tons and draws 26.6 feet of water. Her turbine-driven shaft developes 22,000 horsepower and yields a speed in excess of 20 knots. Ship's company consists of 44 officers and 526 enlisted. She can carry a squadron of Marine helicopters, nor- mally 20, and a Battalion Landing Team of 100 officers and 1600 enlisted. USS IWO J IMA's originally assigned home port was San Diego, California. Shortly after her commissioning she began active involvement in a wide spectrum of Navy activities. In April 1962 she participated in Pacific nuclear tests, and November of that year found her transiting the Panama Canal for station in the Carribbean Sea in support of the Cuban Missile Crisis. In September 1986, USS IWO JIMA made her first deployment to the Western Pacific-one of six that she would end up making. During each deployment IWO could be found playing an active role in Southeast Asia operations. Other highlights in the West Coast career of USS IWO JIMA were serving as flagship during the salvage operations of the grounded USS FRANK KNOX CDDR-7421 and being assigned as prime recovery ship for the ill-fated Apollo 13 Moon Mission and the successful recovery of astronauts Lovell, Swigert, and Haise. In addition, she par- ticipated in excess of thirty amphibious operations off the coast of Vietnam. In May 1972, USS IWO JIMA departed San Diego for the last time, bound for her new home port of Norfolk, Virginia. Six weeks after arriving on the East Coast she departed for her first Mediterranean deployment during which she participated in the highly successful NATO exercise Deep Furrow and other amphibious exercises. Retur- ning to Norfolk in January 1973, IWO was outfitted with two missile batteries for the Basic Point Defense Missile System, and her fuel system was converted from Navy Special Fuel Oil to the more economical and pollution-reducing Navy Distillate fuel system. During this first East Coast year, USS IWO JIMA received the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy for the most improved ship in the Atlantic Fleet. In October 1973 USS IWO JIMA reacted to the Middle East flare-up between Israel and Egypt by departing fully loaded, over one month early and with only five days notice, on a contingency deployment. Thus began her second Mediterranean deployment. Throughout her history, USS IWO JIMA has been awarded two Meritorious Unit Commendations, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one silver and one bronze star, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, and two Admiral Flatley Memorial Awards for aviation safety. USS IWO JIMA has recorded over 70,000 accident-free landings since her commissioning and has been awarded numerous departmental awards for excellence in battle efficiency, operations, amphibious assault, air, and com- mumcations.

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