Monticello (LSD 35) - Naval Cruise Book

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we 'E Ii ., 'Qs liaplain fit.-o1'ee W. lfolta was hom Ill .luut-au. Alaslta. llc gratlualeil from the ll.S. Naval .-Xcatleuiy in Wall and upon lmelug conunissioneil as Ensign that yea r. his first assignetl duty was Assistant Gunnery Officer aboard the USS .XYLWIN QDD-3555. .-Xfter attending Submarine School. New London, Connecticut in lW4.3, he served aboard the USS l3l.Lil.iCll-L QSS-2425 till the end of WW ll. lle attemled the U .S. Naval Post- graduate School and on graduation, he filled the billet as Executive Officer of the USS MliDRl-LG.-XL CSS--1801, and Material Officer for Commander Sub- marine Force. .-Xdministration, Mare Island. California. l-le was Engineering Officer aboard the USS :XNTIETANI QCVS-365. F0111-Jw- ing this tour of duty, he went ashore again for two years as Head of the Bureau of Ships Programs in the Office of Chief of Naval Operations. I-le returned to sea duty in April GEORGE W. FOLTA Captain, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer jan 1965 - Feb 1966 1958 as Operations Officer and later as Executive Officer of the USS BOSTON CCAC- lj and took command of the USS HOOD QDD-6555 in january 1960. Another tour of duty in the Office ol Chief of Naval Operations as Commance of the New London Test and Evaluation Detachment, Operations Test and Evaluation Force in New London. Frff' there he reported as the Commanding. Officer ofthe MONTICELLO. Captain Folta was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Navy Comment' dation Medal for his command of the l MONTICELI..O's amphibious operation af in the Vietnam area. He has been previously decorated with a Bronze Star, Navy Commendation and Presidential Unit Citation. I' We reluctantly said smooth sailing? to Captain Folta at Chu Lai, Vietnam in February 1966 as he left us for his g new job, again at the Office of Chief O1 Naval Operations in Washington, D. C

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Monticello s Histor and Mission The keel of the USS MONTICELLO QLSD-355 was laid in the yard of Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Ptiscagoula. Mississippi, on ojune 1035. She was launched on 10 August ING and commissioned seven months later nn 20 Nlarch NST. Her proud sgniztt be.1i's the same as the home of Eiioiizas .Ie11'ei'so11. our third Presi- dent .ind .tuthor ot the Decltiraition of liiti.-gk ntietice. lin' lll'lllil.ll'k' mission ul' the 5-.1t1N1'1t'1-11,111 is to t iltiisport 11f1a1i1iE1i.1tts xelnclt-s. 1111011 vehicles. Qviiiiiitttis bogus. LX' l' tl..111ding ith! lizxtckedb. IJIIXS, lit-lict1ptc1's, .1,s.a11,ic--11111.11c.11'gt1.111det1L11ps . .Jil 1.1 ix l.n1tlt-tl 111 t'.1l'ik' nssnnlt 'lfl . :rt-1:11. bt-.tclit-s. She cnn t -fthttt 1111 111 intlI1't1t1pt1lil'ice1's t' 1zc11111tt11'l.1l1ly. gtntl ifiii ---h-tit 11t'l'lt1tlH. . wilt!.11.ti111g1Sl11pDucky. A' X11 IN I ltTIil.l.t1. ncts ns to111111-lSl11px-,l11cl1is Vee 1 i 511 -qt lllllil 11'11t111s illlti t tht -111 1:1x i1t'JlL'ill't1lit1XK'lIl4LQ' 1: 4,111 illlit' 1.11111-. .Ns St'cf111dzi1'y t , 1'5i.ii1.El lilt'L1H?m'llIil lietich, I it 1s.1l1.1xt'111f111n111pIi1l1it1t1s V fi' nit? '11lnthsv.'l1t'111l1t'wt'ulllt'1' s l 11' -1 I1 lit'l1.1il'H :ire llL't,'tiL'li. '.'.-.Iii 11- l'iitiILL'1lllt'i' Iliiihtdeck, X11 1'-. i'1tT1ul.I,l,' C.lll land and launch A 1'11 5.i1'Qf.'.sl ht licupters now in i1 A ll-' .tgn1tt'lreqtietitly .. ,w.p111l11f111s opt-1'n11o11s, heli- 1 1 -rs I.111t1t-d on ilL'l'lUl,I'LlI1S' a' fl 1i3r1, light cnrgo nnd combat c frildi I -. 'lht' 7-lfJN'l'lCliLLO saw her first c11.nb.i1 .icti-tin on this cruise in Vit-111.1111 .is part ofthe Amphibious Rt-ntly Cimup oi' the Seventh Fleet, t1cl'if11'1111Iig ti prime role in the liLllllL'I'1JU5 niajor' amphibious opera- tions serving as Primary Control Ship in most of them. The many capabilities and versatility of the MONTICELLO make her and other LSDS of her class, the most sought after ship in the Amphibious Forces. When not on detached duty, the MONTICELLO is directly under Commander Amphibious Squadron Five, and is homeported in San Diego, California.

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Captain V. F. Kelley took command ofthe MONTICELLO off Chu Lai. Vict- nam on 18 February l9o6. Upon graduation from flight training at U.S. Naval Air Station. Pensacola. Florida, hc was commissioned an Enaign and designated a naval aviator on 1 August 1942. After various duti-as iw flight instructor and iruiiiitingg oiititt-i'. hc carnod a Prosiilontiai Vnii kfifaii In while assignt-il In Ixghrfi-1' Sfpiatlzforf L, dcployod with th '.,,- Snr,-IILI1 I'VI4 -'l. wi t USS CAHUI' ILZX' II. In 5-Q'n't'l1IIJf-1' IV-I tiff 1' I' Il I' Various W1-sl ll' Captain KL Ilu Ira mn- ii' I' I In -1 ' Navy 'H ' ' Y ' Ill'-III1P'.'I'lIl'11'1I I r INV I Squadron lIlIL,Il Ill'-1' Ir1r1 -Ui'-arf' IIVIC .Ii:lz1l!'u1'z1II IIIIII' III writ Ii-'I I Ilur4lIIlI1t'wIm1oIa'ofI III I' I I i XkaIaNI I Ixfw I,pI x 'i II I I N aint: t!,'.l.,tK ticipated in the first aerial battle with the Russian matic MIG aircraft used in North Korea. Ht- was instrumental in forming and training students aviators in high por- :'oi'1i1anot- Fl Il? .Isl .-Xirc raft. g'xi'lt'1' coinplt-ting durics as operations fiiilct r and later t'Xt'Lll1llN'Q officcr on tho CSS XllIJI.K',XY INLTYJX--Ill. ho LllfL'l'lLICLl tho F--Jimi-mal Wai' Uollt-go and was tht-n .lwfigilttl as iltad, National Policy' Suc- ww in tht- Uitiut ofLTI11t't'oIN4lVL1IUpcr- Lfagvigiiz Iitllof. I1oItIs1I1t'.Xi.1' Xludal 'ig it goto star. P11-snlt-11Ii.iI llnil Ullil' ppl'-.I ,i Xing' I'lllI Liuaiion. Igfyitiiii and Nliw. Iiollt-y. tht- llorlnt-r IJ IL' riff. Il, If lL.I-IxIl.II'l. Ilan' Iwo H I' vw. .Jai In-II1t11IIlllllllllwzl. Iowa. ilk IIIU. , F