Okinawa (LPH 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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71 I tixfl N 1 sf V Ns -1-1:2 YEA-Am . N - 1.---3 . .W -Q,-J Im- -.' Q , -1. . .3 1351 Std it IP, t ' Ei ' EL? , E at 1 1 , 559. f ' i?7f isJfwff ' N its WESTPAC 4 IAN - Underway for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 21-24 IAN - Inport Pearl Harbor 24 IAN - Underway for Guam 4 FEB - Arrive Guam 4-5 FEB - Inport Guam 5 FEB - Underway for Subic Bay, RP 9 FEB - Conducted Passing Exercise with HMAS DERWENT 10 FEB - Arrive Subic Bay 10-23 FEB - Inport Subic Bay 23 FEB - Underway for Zambales Operation Area for Landing Exercise 24-25 FEB - Conducted LANDEX 1-80 26 FEB - Returned to Subic Bay 26-29 FEB - Inport Subic Bay 1 MAR - Underway for Pattaya Beach, Thailand 5 MAR- Arrive Pattaya Beach 5-9 MAR - Inport Pattaya Beach 9 MAR - Underway for Singapore 12 MAR - Arrive Singapore 12-15 MAR - Inport Singapore 15 MAR - Underway for Indian Ocean via Malacca Straits 24 MAR - Arrived at MODLOC fNicknamed Camel Crossroads I 24-28 MAR - Indian Ocean Operations 28 APR - Underway for Mombasa, Kenya 2 MAY - Crossed the Equator, conducted Shellback initiation 4 MAY - Arrive Mombasa 4-8 MAY - Inport Mombasa 8 MAY - Underway for Perth Australia 23 MAY - Arrive Perth 23-28 MAY - Inport Perth 28 MAY - Underway for Subic Bay, RP 6 JUN - Arrive Subic Bay 6-12 IUN - Inport Subic Bay 12 IUN - Underway for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 24 IUN - Arrive Pearl Harbor 24-26 IUN - Inport Pearl Harbor 26 IUN - Underway for San Diego, CA 3 IUL - Arrive San Diego

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Histor USS 0KlNAWA's keel was laid on 1 April 1960, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and was launched on 19 August 1961 by her sponsor, Mrs. john L. McClellan, wife of the Honorable john L. McClellan, Senior, Senator from the State of Arkansas. The ship was commissioned on 14 April 1962 and was assigned to the Naval Operating Base Norfolk, Virginia as her first homeport. In early 1967, her homeport was changed to San Diego, California. In April 1967, OKINAWA sailed for her first deployment to the Western Pacific fWESTPACj, which she reached in late April. She was stationed off the coast of Vietnam and provided nearly continuous on-the-line support of special landing forces operating in the I Corps area near the Demilitarized Zone. During three periods of approx- imately 55 days each, OKINAWA spearheaded nine amphibious assaults against Vietnamese shore objec- tives. Her first deployment was a resounding success and OKINAWA returned to San Diego in yearly December 1967. I I j In the spring of 1968, OKINAWA became the first LPH to participate in the Apollo space program when she was primary recovery ship for the Apollo 8 space mission. . I 0KlNAWA's second WESTPAC cruisfe .com- menced in early November 1968 and ended in Iune 1969. During this deployment, she played a vital role in numerous assaults, one of which, Operation Bold Mariner, was the largest amphibious operation of the Vietnamese conflict. . , e 0KlNAWA's third deployment beganin 1970. During this cruise, she was' awarded the'Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for providing food, medical assistance and supplies to the people of Lagonoy Crulf, Southern Luzon, Republic of the Philippines, who were caught in the path of Typhoon Ioan in October 1970. . OKINAWA again rendered her services to the American space program after her return from WESTPAC. On 7 August 1971, she recovered the Apollo 15 astronauts within a few minutes of spashdown. After this operation, 0KlNAWA's homeport was changed to Long Beach, California, from which she departed for her fourth overseas deployment in April 1972. This was an active cruise in which she led five amphibious assaults in the Quang Tri area of South Vietnam. OKINAWA had the honor of launching the rescue helicopters which returned the Navy's first two air aces of the way to their ship after they had been shot down. OKINAWA returned home to Long Beach on Christmas Day 1972. On 24 january 1973, OKINAWA entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard where she underwent a six-month major overhaul. After four weeks of refresher training, she sailed on 20 September for her fifth WESTPAC voyage. This trip encompassed several landing exercises and a Christmas port visit to Hong Kong. OKINAWA also responded to an S.O.S. from 2 Nnrwpgian merchant ship whose captain suffered an Z 2 . jg, :f a -, f VP is .7 N. . ,g1,.1C?f OKINAWA entered Todd Shipyard, San, Pedge, f,,.,, California, for a two month overhaul on 10CIune ,trl , Q5 On 15 August 1974, her homeport once again'becafne f San Diego, where she arrived on 29 -August: Preparations for her next deployment beganjimmediiai A tely and included an inspection by the Board of,gff,rCC 'f,4. Iifjg refresher training. feyl C On 8 january 1975, OKINAWA jdepartedrfor her sixth WESTPAC deployment,C,and her most historic cruise. On 12 .April 1975,' U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, john Gunther Dean, Called on OKINAWA and other U.S. Naval Amphibious Units to evacuate, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from Phnom Cambodia. The 287 evacuees taken to fOK7lNCAWiA,byf7' helicopter during this Operation EAGLE PULL included Ambassador Dean, Cambodian President Saukham Khoy, 36 civilian news correspondents, and civilians from 13 different countries. Within hours after OKINAWA s return torSubici Bay Naval Base, Republic of the Philippines, orders were received to steam to a position off the south coast of Vietnam to prepare for Operation FREOUENT WIND, the evacuation of Saigon, South Vietnam. From 29 April to 1 May 1975, in the largest helicopter operation in history, over 1200 personnel were evacuated. The ship was awarded ai 'I Navy Unit Commendation for this operation, her 19th Am-7 phibious operation in Vietnam since 1967. OKINAWA then returned to Subic Bay to transfer evacuees ashore. On 13 May 1975, while enroute to the island I ordered to return to Subic Bay fdr possible gassfisftanitej to the hijacked U.S. merchant ship, SS, MAYAQUEZL The MAYAQUEZ incident was resolved' howeveriff r.i,.i,i I before OKINAWA could participate. rigcii From September 1975 to August 1976 gri, ance and an extended upkeep period. -Fromf9f August she underwent refresher trainingC,1neprepara- tion for her seventh WESTPAC deployment., On 25 September 1976 OKINAWA departed forf . ,. if.. .x of Okinawa to offload Marines, OKINAWA waste Inspection and Survey, training of reservists, and e.,.,., f .,.r f .1 1 . C J .fygkl sl- ,V J, f M. 3 fl Xa i . is Q it 4 2 her seventh WESTPAC deployment This tripIfeatUred'C C C C several landing exercises and a Christmas podfjvisirtfto . K ff, f'.,. ff f .' i7 . I I was employed in local operations, routtineiimaiijntem t,,j If sr,..frr..t.. , . I Keelung, Taiwan. OKINAWA returned,hComegto1fSasn Diego on 5 May 1977 via an ammunitionoffl.oasdat56alCCli Beach to San Diego on 5 May. j sfsrr CC CC C Following a standdown period, OKINAWA entered Long Beach Naval Shipyardvjonj 6 june 1977 for a regular nine-month overhaul. ShefCO.mpleted the overhaul in March 1978 and returned FCICQCSQD ,.v- gs legog for local operations, routine,mairfteniafnCQejfjif'afnd.fi.... E refresher training in preparation' for WESTPAC. deployment. On 30 August OKINADWA sailed the Pacific again Mx -'cw' I , f 'ff- ,.f ,N S.. .1 ' ,, 4. 11 April 1979. its' f . The ProudLady departed ninth WESTPAC deployment on 4 My deplolfmefit was a hlStoric one. t C stationed in the Indian Oceanqnot farrff' the Persian ' ' ' m A ' - -' - ' '- ' 1-:ww ..'. a nl I 5 .

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