Raleigh (LPD 1) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 5 text:

45 F: 42 IJ Gljxsrxa N I ' 1 IW N I z I' 1 '5 5 HA? jf WJWJ R J LLJWJ , QJN T I f E 'f I i 1 , 1 .ff ,f f , ff 1 'Lg in 45: o I I I 0 Z 974' vw. m,.-Q-num 'l 3 ww,-'.f .:..., .- 'i iii J V f N- -. cy 'Q

Page 4 text:

E 2 r 1 1 V 1 1 i 1 l ! s i 1 2 1 1 5 1 Q I y 5 N PZ. ef- '34 .U ii 6

Page 6 text:

SHIP'S HIS TURY USS RALEIGH KLPD-17, the world's first amphibious transport dock, is named in honor of the city of Raleigh, North Carolina and Sir Walter Raleigh. She was built in the New York Naval Ship- yard, Brooklyn, New York, and was christened on 17 March 1962 by Mrs. Terry Sanford, wife of the Honorable Terry Sanford, Governor of North Carolina. RALEIGH is the fourth ship of the fleet named after Sir Walter Raleigh, the famed English explorer who was the first person to attempt settlement of America. The RALEIGH'S full load displacement is 13,900 tons. She has more than 24,000 horsepower, her overall length is 521 feet and her beam is 100 feet. Her keel was laid on 23 June 1960. Total complement of ship's company is 475 officers and enlisted men. In addition, RALEIGH has a total capacity to embark 840 marine officers and enlisted men. RALEIGH was commissioned on 8 September 1962 at New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York. General David M. Shoup, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps, delivered the com- missioning address. Outfitting of the RALEIGH was completed in December, 1962 and she sailed for shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During this training she was twice diverted to stand by in troubled areas of the Caribbean. RALEIGH departed on her first Caribbean Cruise in July 1963 with ships of Amphibious Squadron Eight on PHIBLUEX 3-63. During the period from July 1963 to January 1964 she parti- cipated in extensive helo operations, made numerous well-deck launches of vehicles and marines, and traveled to the troubled Haitian waters. Other deployments to the Caribbean include January to April 1965, November 1966 to May 1967, December 1967 to May 1968, July through November 1968, and February through April 1969. During her April 1965 deployment to the Caribbean as she was participating in operation Quick Kick VII, the government of the Dominican Republic was overthrown and RALEIGH was ordered to evacuate 558 American and foreign nationals whose welfare was endangered by the overthrow. RALEIGH has made numerous trips to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for amphibious refresher training. Her most memorable was in April of 1966 when she answered the distress call of the SS Viking Princess which was buming at sea. Men from the RALEIGH boarded the buming ship and battled the blaze for seven hours. In August 1965 RALEIGH first visited Northern Europe, where she participated in Bar Frost 65, a NATO amphibious exercise featuring a landing in Norway's Fiords north of the Arctic Circle. In October of 1968 she returned to Aruba, Netherlands Antilles where she conducted joint exercises with the Dutch Marines. Her most recent visit to the area was in June of 1971 when she embarked 475 first and third class midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy. RALEIGH's first Mediterranean deployment began in July of 1970. While operating off the 'l d fC is an o rete, she was called into service as part of an Amphibious Ready Group during the Jordanian crisis. She returned to Norfolk in December 1971.