Vancouver (LPD 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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U.S.S. Muze WOMU WVU VANCUUVER 4 , - IA 1 X' ,f ' f f FQURTH CRUISE' ff BOOK .- 1 -Z'

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1 THIS CRUISE BOOK IS DEDICATED IN GENERAL TO THOSE WHO GO DOWN TO THE SEA IN SHIPS, BUT IN PARTICULAR TO OUR SHIPMATE.' ' DONALD RAY WASHINGTON, FN, USN WHO WAS DROWNED IN DANANG HARBOR ON 13 OCTOBER 1969. THERE ARE NO ,ROSES ON A SAILOR'S GRAVE,' NO LILIES ON AN OCEAN WAVE THE ONLY TRIBUTE IS THE SEAGULL'S SWEEPS AND THE TEAR DROPS THAT A SWEETHEART WEEPS. . . . . . FROM AN oLD GERMAN SONG

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SHlP'S HISTORY USS VANCOUVERwas constructed by the New Y0I'k Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York. The keel was laid on November 19, 1960 and officially christened VANCOUVER by her sponsor, Mrs.Stuart Symington, on May 11, 1963, marking her official entry onto the rolls ofthe Navy. VANCOUVER is named after the city of Vancouver, Washington, which in turn derived its name from the noted English explorer and sailor, Captain George Vancouver. Following completion of her fittingout, VANCOUVER left New York in July, 1963 and conducted trials and training on the East Coast before transiting the Pan- ama Canal on August 20, being the first ship of her class to report to the Pacific Fleet for duty. The primary mission of VANCOUVER is to participate in the execution of am- phibious operations including embarkation, transit to an objective area and an as- sault under combat conditions, employing the latest and most effective amphibious force doctrine. VANCOUVER can carry a combination of helicopters, landing craft, vehicles and troops. Her offensive capability rests primarily with the 200- foot flight deck from which assault troops can be rapidly dispatched, and her floodable well from which armored and conventional assault craft laden with troops, heavy weapons and support cargo can be sent to combat areas ashore. VANCOUVER is 521 feet long, 104 feet wide and displaces 15,500 tons fully loaded. It has 540 compartments and from keel to signal bridge is 10 decks high. In addition to a crew of 24 officers and 410 enlisted, the ship is designed to carry more than 900 combat-ready Marines, with all their associated equipment includ- ing tanks, trucks, jeeps, LVT's, various assault boat mixtures, ammunition and combat rations to support amphibious operations. Two General Electric steam turbines give heracrusing speed in excess of 20 knots. Twin screws and rudders give the ship a high degree of maneuverability comparable to that of a cruiser. Defensive capabilities are provided by eight 3 ! 50 caliber automatic dual purpose guns in twin mounts. Since arriving on the West Coast, VANCOUVER has deployed to the Western Pacific five times. In service with the Seventh Fleet and the Amphibious Ready Group, the ship has earned the Vietnamese Service Medal with six campaign starts, the Armed Forces Expeditionary and Vietnamese Campaign Medal, and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for her roll in Operation Deckhouse V, the largest amphibious undertakings since the Inchon, Korea landing in September 1950. VANCOUVER returned from her third major deployment to Vietnam and the Far East on September 28, 1968 and remained in San Diego until mid-November when she got underway for amphibious exercises in waters adjacent to Camp Pendleton, California. Following completion of the exercise VANCOUVER de- parted for San Francisco arriving on 22 November and hosted open house during her two day stay. VANCOUVER returned to San Diego and participated in her final amphibious training of the year in the Coronado Roads area from the 2nd to the 4th of December. VANCOUVER then returned to the Naval Station in San Diego where she spent the remainder of the year in advanced preparation for the upcoming re- pair and modernization . . On 3 February, VANCOUVER departed San Diego for San Francisco with 70 private vehicles and 30 dependents on board who lived at Hunter's Point Naval Shlpyard during the 2 1X2 months in San Francisco. On 6 February, VANCOUVER entered Triple A Machine Shop, Inc., San Francisco, where she .completed Phase I of her overhaul. The ship departed San Francisco on 17 April for a ,brief weekend in San Diego before entering Long Beach Naval Shlpyalid fOI' dI'yd0Cking and Phase II of her overhaul. Work was 311353952 99119 Sh1D.s hull and she left dry dock on 26 May to return to San Diego oo on aviation fuels that were oftloaded prior to overhaul. OH 6 June Captain Edward J. Brown USN relieved Captain John LaCava UENIL as ffgmfmarldine Officer, Uss VANCOUVER1 The ship then commenced four w e s o e resher Training conducted by the Fleet Trainin ' . . g Group San Diego completing her final battle problem on 3 July with an overall gradeyof EXCEL: I-'-ENT! OH 21 July the ship commencedaconcentrated five d ' d f A hib- . ay perio o mp wus Refresher Tfalnme- OH 22 July, VANCOUVER logged her a,oootn accident- -Q