San Marcos (LSD 25) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE Uss SAN MARCUS QLSD-25, A Short History if Ngo, The USS SAN MARCOS QLSD-251, named after Fort Castilla dc San Marcos, oldest masonry fort standing in the U. S., located in Texas, was the first Landing Ship Dock ever built along the Deleware River. The ship, the largest of the en- tire family of landing ships, is four-hundred-fifty-seven H571 feet in length. She is seventy-two 172, feet wide at the beam, and displaces over five thousand tons. She is almost a third longer than the LST's Qlanding ship tankj, next mem- ber in size, and is as large as some Navy Escort Aircraft Carriers. Launched on 10 january 1945, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the San Marcos was commissioned on 15 April 1945, d th d un er e comman of CommanderI.ys1e E. ELLIS, USN. Attached to the Pacific Fleet from April 1945 until December 1947, the San. Marcos performed many duties, in very many of the islands that were made famous during the last war. In 1945 she went to the Marshall Islands, Guam, the Caroline Islands, Okinawa, Saipan, Iwo lima and finally Iapan. In 1946 and most of '47 the Fightin Two-Bits participated in the Atomic Bomb testa at Bikini Atoll, and made the shuttle runs from Seattle, Washington to the Aleutians and Alaska. Finally on 12 December 1947, with the Navy reducing to peacetime strength, the San Marcos reported to the Com- mander, Pacific Reserve Fleet. At 1000 on 19 December, she was Decommissioned at San Dicgo, Califomia. When the gathering clouds of uncertainty throughout the world brought many of the US N avy vessels out of their re- tirement in late 1950, the San Marcos was one of the first LSD's to undergo reactivation. This was carried out at Mole Pier, San Diego, California, during December 1950 and january 1951. At last on January 26, 1951, the San Marcos WSS recommissioned under the command of Commander George M. PRICE, USN.

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SECTIUN 1 3

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In May 1951, the shipreceived orders to report for duty with the Atlantic Fleet at Norfolk, Virginia. On june 11, 1951, she left Norfolk for the frozen Northland and a summer of operations in Greenland, 'returning to Norfolk in September for three weeks of late summer weather. After participating in l.antFlex 52 operations in the Caribbean Sea, the San Marcos proceeded to Norfolk in late October 1951, where orders were received for a yard overhaul at the Maryland Drydock Co., Bal ' e Mar land. Two and a half months later the ship left Baltimore for Norfolk. Here in ceremonies aboard ship timor , y on the morning of 21 january 1952, Commander Harold W. CAMPBELL, jr. USN relieved Commander Price, of the command of the San Marcos. ' f turn visit to the Caribbean. This time it was The passing of another month saw the San Marcos leave Norfolk or a re ' ' W I d Guan- for exercise ConVex 3. While there the San Marcos visited such ports as San juan, P. R., Trinidad, B. . ., an tanimo Bay, Cuba. Back home again in Norfolk on March 19, the San Marcos had one month of preparations and planning before again ' ' N C d u on completion ' out of Norfolk On 19 April 1952, after two and one-half days in Morehead City, . ., an p steaming . of embarking Marine troops and docking three l.CU's combat loaded with marine equipment the San Marcos proceeded towards the Mediterranean fully ready for her six months tour of duty with the U. S. Sixth Fleet. 5