La Salle (AGF 3) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 8 text:

THE TRADITION OF USS LA SALLE The First La Salle The first ship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name La Salle, a troop transport, was commissioned on March 31, 1943 as USS Hotspur {AP-102). Her name was changed to La Salle on April 6, 1943. During World War II, La Salle served with distinction in the Pacific, earning eight Battle Stars, the Navy Occupation Service Medal and the Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge. She was decommissioned on 24 July 1946, and her name was stricken from the Navy rolls on 15 August 1946. La Salle ' s Name Amphibious Transport Docks (LPD) are named for cities which take their names from explorers and developers of the United States. Thus, La Salle is named after the city of La Salle, Illinois, which took its name from the French Explorer Rene Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. The city of La Salle is located in the prosperous agricultural and industrial Illinois River Valley, in north central Illinois. La Salle was founded in 1827 when the Illinois-Michigan Canal was planned and was incorporated as a city in 1852. Its development has been marked by the influence of explorers, missionaries, pioneers, traders, and emigrants. In 1832, Abraham Lincoln enlisted in the Army at La Salle. The city has been a virtual crossroad of America, giving it a colorful, rich history. Today, La Salle is a city of some 12,000 citizens employed in the manufacturing of clocks and watches, cement, electrical goods, chemicals, and shoes. La Salle has benefited from the gifts of abundant natural resources and from the energetic people living in that modern, progressive American community. Rene Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, was born in 1643. He left the religious life of a Jesuit Novitiate to become an explorer and developer of America. He arrived in Canada from France in 1666 and developed a seignior at Lachine. He later developed trade at Fort Frontenac and was granted a patent of nobility. He then returned to France and obtained a patent to build forts, explore and trade. When he came back to America he brought with him Henri de Tonti, who was his lieutenant in later enterprises. After building a blockade at the outlet of the Niagara River in 1697, he set out across the Great Lakes, to what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin, then by land along Lake Michigan to erect Fort Miami on the site of present day St. Joseph, Michigan. He next proceeded along the Illinois River where Fort Creve Coeur was built. He sent an expedition to the upper Mississippi while he returned to find the Illinois Posts deserted by Henri de Tonti, whose work had been interrupted by Iroquois Indian Attacks. La Salle organized an Indian Federation of the Illinois, the Miami, and small tribes to fight the Iroquois. Reunited with Tonti at Macinac Island, La Salle descended the Mississippi River with a small party that reached the river mount on April 9, 1682. He took possession of the whole Mississippi Valley in the name of France, calling the region Louisiana. La Salle completed Fort St. Louis in 1683 and left for France,

Page 7 text:

In May 1987, La Salle rushed to the aid of the stricken U. S. frigate Stark, which was adrift and still burning following an Iraqi missile attack. Initially, La Salle provided crucial fire-fighting, damage control and medical aid. Over the next days, the ship and her crew became home and family for the surviving Stark sailors. Until the arrival of the U. S. tender Acadia in June 1987, La Salle saw to the initial repair requirements of Stark, provided room and board to her crew, and served as a central base for all damage assessment, investigation and public relations functions associated with the tragic event. Mobility, flexibility, and versatility are as much the trademarks of La Salle today as they were 23 years ago. La Salle ' s Mission As a forward deployed unit, with its overseas homeport in Manama, Bahrain, La Salle ' s primary mission is to provide flagship facilities and support for Commander, Middle East Force (COMIDEASTFOR) and his embarked staff. La Salle is also tasked to support the mission of COMIDEASTFOR by fostering goodwill and understanding between the United States and Middle Eastern and Western Indian Ocean countries through port visits, joint naval training exercises and operations. Additionally, La Salle provides logistic, medical and other support within her capability to other U. S. Naval units assigned to Middle East Force. The Middle Eastern and Western Indian Ocean countries continue to increase in importance as areas of considerable global interest both economically and politically. COMIDEASTFOR and La Salle play a significant role in the advancement of U.S. and allied interests in this part of the world and receive the attention of the highest government officials.

Page 9 text:

where he obtained power to, colonize and govern the region between Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico. He set sail from France in four ships, hoping to reach the mouth of the Mississippi, but disaster overtook the expedition. One ship was captured by Spaniards, a second was wrecked and a third turned back to France. The coast of the Gulf of Mexico was such a sandy sameness to the eye that La Salle did not find the mouth of the Mississippi. Instead, he landed on the Texas shore, probably at Lavaca Bay, an arm of Matagorda Bay. From here, futile attempts were made to reach the Mississippi overland. His men grew mutinous. The great explorer died in 1687 while attempting to find the Mississippi. He was murdered bv his own men. The Ship ' s Crest The Ship ' s Crest combines features relating to the explorer, the city and the ship. Its upper right corner bears the charges of the coat-of-arms of La Salle ' s family, an eight-point star and a rabbit. The fort on the lower left side represents Fort St. Louis, which was built by La Salle in 1682 on the banks of the Illinois River. The elevated ground on which the fort stands is known as Starved Rock. The city of La Salle is not far from the site of this fort. The background anchor symbolizes the Navy and the sea; the motto across the anchor ' s base, Facilitas Ad Marem, translates to Versatility at Sea.