USS Tarawa (LHA 1) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 14 text:

It was a cold, gusty, wet Thursday morning, 1 March 1979, which saw us off. Off on the first-ever deployment of an Amphibious Assault Ship, the USS TARAWA. Pearl Harbor, the first step on the deployment, was met with anticipation by all. But first there was work to do, and-a lot of it. The ship had to replenish the stores that it used and then some, for it was here that the Marine units that would deploy with us would embark. The loading of men and equip- ment of BLT 2!3, HMM 262 and LSU HOTEL would be the bulk of this inport periods work. With what litftle time was left available, the crew found time for leisure in the Hawaiian paradise. The beach, surf and wahini at Waikiki, fresh pineapple, challenging the waves at Makaha, and for some, a first taste of night life on the infamous Hotel Street. l l s Q 1-

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USS TARA WA FLA GSHIP OF t CUMMANDER A PHIBIO US S Q UADR O SE VE 1- USS SCHENCTADY 2.- USS BARBOUR COUNTRY 3- U35 ST' LOUIS 4- USS DENVER 5- USS FORT FISHER 6- USS TARAWA CAPTAIN FRANCIS L. ROACH Captain ROACH was born in Eric, Pennsylvania, on 9 De- cember 1928. Captain ROACH graduated from high school in 1946 and joined the Navy as an enlisted man where he studied electronics. He entered the Naval Academy inJune of 1949 and graduated on 5 June 1953 as an Ensign. Captain ROACH'S career includes duty on a destroyer, tank landing ships, a cruiser, var- ious shore duty commands, and USS ST. LOUIS as Commanding Officer. He assumed the duties as Commander, Amphibious Squadron SEVEN on 2 June, 1978.

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A short two-day stay in Pearl after the exercise then on 17 March we were off for the Western Pacific. This transit seemed slower than the first even though we lost a day crossing the International Date Line. Finally on 25 March we crossed the imaginary line into the Western Pacific, under the Operational control of Commander Seventh Fleet. But look, on the horizon it's an island. TARAWA arrived at Enewetok on March 26th to exchange material and information with the ships of Amphibious Squadron One, anxiously awaiting our arrival, for they were on their way home after a six month deployment. TARAWA an- chored inthe middle of the Enewetok Iaggon and immedi- ately became the highest point in the area. From the signal bridge high upon MT. TARAWA , you could easily surveil the surrounding area. Enewetok, not the greatest place to be stationed, especially at high tide or during storms and throughout the ship novice sailors and lvla- rines were asking, Are we there yet? Is this WEST- PAC? TARAWA departed Enewetok late on the afternoon of the 26th setting sail for the Orient and ports west.