Monticello (LSD 35) - Naval Cruise Book

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It was now our turn to assume the watch over peace in the Western Pacific. The MONTICELLO, an integral part of Amphibious Squadron One, with her 350 officers and crew and her embarked detachments, was now at the ready to confront any threat to peace in the South Pacific and the Far East. During our eight months overseas we would call on many countries, sail over 30,000 miles and meet thousands of new faces. If anything is to be said about the schedule of our 76-77 deployment, it couldn ' t be called dull. Many of us would cross the earth ' s equator for the first time, an experience in itself. Then there was the promise of a port call in Australia. For many it would be their first time setting foot on Australian soil and the promise of new friends and new experiences in the land of Kangaroos made the trip all the more alluring. The warmth and vitality of the Philippines is no secret among American sailors and Subic Bay, our overseas homeport, promised to be no less exciting. MONTICELLO sailors returning to Subic looked forward to renewing acquaintances, while those making their first trip were eager to see and experience for themselves the city they had heard so much about. Later in the cruise our schedule called for a trip to the Pearl of the Orient Hong Kong, a city many of us had only read or heard about. For the first timer there was much to see and do in the city of Hong Kong. Then there were the other scheduled ports of call; Guam, the American territory with a culture all its own, the magic of the people and culture of Thailand and, of course, the port call of South Korea. All served to make WESTPAC 76-77 an adventure to look forward to.

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WESTPAC 1976-77 Sept. 25, 1976, Departed San Diego October 2-3. 1976, Inport Pearl Harlior. Hi October 9, 1976, Crossed International Dateline October 10, 1976, Kwajalein Atoll October 13, 1976, Crossed Equator February 9-14. 1977, Inport Subic February 15-19, 1977, Enroute Fattaya Beach, Thailand February 19-23, 1977, Inport Pattaya Beach February 23-28, 1977, Exercise with the Royal Thai Navy March 1-6, 1977, Enroute Subic Bay March 6-14, Inport Subic Bay October 15, 1976, Exercise Kangaroo II October 30, 1976, Enroute Port Kembla, Australia November 1-5, 1976, Inport Port Kembla November 6-20, 1976, Enroute Okinawa November 20-22, 1976 Inport Buckner Bay, Okinawa November 22-24, Enroute Subic Bay, Philippines March 15-16, 1977, Exercise in Zambales Bay, March 16-20, 1977, Enroute Pusan, Korea March 20-25, 1977, Inport Pusan March 25-31, 1977, Argops, South China Sea P.I. November 24-December 26, 1976, Inport Subic Bay December 26-29, Enroute Hong Kong December 29 1976-January 2 1977, Inport Hong Kong January 3-10, 1977, Enroute Guam, M.I. January 10-February 4, 1977, Inport Guam February 4-9, Enroute Subic April 1-9, 1977, Operation Team Spirit at Pohang April 9-12, 1977, Enroute Okinawa April 12-13, Inport Okinawa April 14-16, Enroute Subic April 16-28, Inport Subic April 28-May 1, Enroute Okinawa May 1, 1977, Inport Okinawa May 2-8, 1977, Enroute Eniwetok Atoll May 9-14, Enroute Pearl Harbor May 12, 1977, Crossed Dateline May 14-15, Inport Pearl Harbor May 15-20, Enroute San Diego May 21, 1977, Arrival San Diego U