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USS Duluth (LPD-6)
Encyclopedia
USS Duluth (LPD-6), an Austin class amphibious transport dock
, is the second ship of the United States Navy
named for the city
in Minnesota
.
Duluth was laid down on December 18, 1963 by the New York Naval Shipyard. She was launched
on August 14, 1965 and commissioned
on December 18, 1965. She was the last ship to be launched from the Brooklyn Navy Yard
before it was closed.
. On June 15, 1966, a Sikorsky H-34 from HC-4 made the first helicopter landing on board.
In 1967, from the months of May until November the Duluth operated with Amphibious Ready Group, Seventh Fleet, in South China Sea. Conducted amphibious landing operations Bear Claw and Beacon Guide at Hue (June 7), Chu Lai (June 12), Cue Viet (July 3, 27), and Phu Loc (July 21). Took part in Operations Beacon Gate at Song Cua Dai and Chu Lai (August 7 – August 16) and Beacon Point off Thua Thien province. The LPD then steamed off Quang Nam and Quang Tin provinces during Operation Ballistic Charge (September 16 – September 28). After refitting at Subic Bay, Duluth participated in helicopter-centered Operation Bastion Hill near Cua Viet (October 10 – November 1). Following vehicle ferry operations from Subic early in the month, the LPD steamed to Hong Kong, arriving there November 17.
Underway for a WestPac cruise on May 1, 1970, Duluth loaded BLT 1/9 at Okinawa for transfer to Subic Bay at the end of the month. She then made several cargo lifts to Danang or to Yankee Station
, delivering an H-3 helicopter to America (CVA-66), spare parts, and carried YFU-52 back to Subic Bay before steaming to Sasebo, Japan, for rest and recreation July 3 – July 15. Returning to Subic on the 19th, she spent the next three months conducting amphibious training and logistics operations from Subic to Danang and Vung Tau. In mid-October, Duluth embarked 140 Philippine marines for a joint exercise near Manila, but disaster recovery efforts in the wake of Typhoon Joan
forced a cancellation of the operation. Arriving in Lagoney Gulf on October 22, Duluth operated as a fuel stop and ready deck ship for helicopters during three days of relief operations in a swath of devastated barrios and villages 80 by 20 miles (32 km) wide and including the cities of Virac and Naga. Following another month of logistics support out of Subic Bay, Duluth steamed for home, reaching San Diego on December 10.
On March 28, 1975, Duluth got underway for a WestPac deployment via Pearl Harbor, Okinawa and Subic Bay. Arriving off Vung Tau
on April 21, Duluth participated in Operation Frequent Wind
, the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. On April 29, fourteen South Vietnamese, Marine and Air America helicopters landed delivering over 900 refugees to Duluth alone, including the Italian ambassador. The refugees were later transferred to USNS Sgt. Truman Kimbro (T-AK-254)
. The following day another 1,391 refugees arrived, forcing Duluth’s crew to jettison three RVN helicopters over the side to make room for the arriving CH-53 helicopters. The ship then steamed to Subic Bay and disembarked the refugees on May 5. Over the next four days, working parties of volunteers reported to Grande Island to assist and process refugees. The LPD remained at Subic through the end of the month for cleaning ship.
, Alaska, for oil spill decontamination operations with HMM-268 embarked. Duluth housed clean-up crews, provided medical and weather forecasting services and supported decontamination barge efforts.
Duluth was underway January 21, 1994 for WestPac operations. Arrived in Singapore February 14 and assigned to TG 76.5 for duty off the coast of Somalia
. The ship remained in Singapore for six days before getting underway for the Indian Ocean and arriving off Mogadishu
on March 3 to assist in the evacuation of American forces from Somalia. She remained there, other than a short trip to Melindi, Kenya, until April 24 when the LPD steamed to Mombasa
. Duluth then steamed off Kipini, Kenya, holding for possible contingency operations owing to the civil war in Rwanda, until June 4 when she sailed for Fremantle, Australia. Following a five-day port visit, the LPD returned to San Diego via Pearl Harbor, arriving home on July 21.
), LtCol Bill Johnson (MEU Service Support Group 13), CDR Lee Touchberry (USS Rushmore
), and other Commanding Officers and Officers in Charge from within the Amphibious Ready Group
were present.
During the deployment, Duluth participated with the other ships of COMPHIBRON Three and 13th MEU in a highly classified operation to capture Imad Mughniyah. This plan, Operation Return Ox, set sail at 1730C from Bahrain
on July 23, 1996 to intercept the Motor Vessel Ibn Tufail, a Pakistan
i ship on which it was believed Mughniyah was embarked. On July 24, after all ships were at sea and Navy SEAL
S had already begun shadowing the Pakistani ship, it was canceled. Operators were told that the White House
canceled the interception when they could not be given 100% assurance that Mughniya was actually on board. (CNN interview with Colonel John Garrett, USMC (Ret), on March 12, 2002. Colonel Garrett was the Commander of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
which provided some of the force involved in the operation.)
_10090611.jpg)
Duluth was again underway August 14, 2000 for operations in the Indian Ocean as part of the Tarawa (LHA-1)
Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). Following stops at Pearl Harbor and Darwin, Australia, Duluth conducted three days of humanitarian assistance operations off East Timor
(September 14 – September 16) before a one-day stop at Singapore on the 21st. Moving into the Indian Ocean, the ARG stopped at Phuket, Thailand (September 28 – October 1) before steaming on to the Seychelles
, where they arrived October 9. Three days later, Duluth received word that the USS Cole (DDG-67)
had been bombed in harbor at Aden, Yemen, and the LPD quickly steamed north to Aden to provide small boat and helicopter operations in support of Cole. Following a short cruise north to Bahrain
in late December, Duluth sailed east, arriving in San Diego on February 14. While en route, the LPD stopped at Iwo Jima
to launch amphibious vehicles in commemoration of the World War II battle.
Underway for Operation Iraqi Freedom on January 6, 2003, Duluth loaded elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and HMM-161 and sailed west. After a brief stop in Singapore on January 29, the ships sailed into the Indian Ocean and arrived in the northern Persian Gulf
on February 10. The LPD operated at sea until March 19 when hostilities began in Iraq. The ship served as on-scene commander on March 22 when two helicopters from HMS Ark Royal (R07)
collided in the vicinity of Duluth. After the initial surge of Marines ashore, Duluth's crew conducted boat operations in support of operations around Iraqi oil pipeline terminals. Departing the Persian Gulf on May 27, the ship stopped at Cairns, Australia and Pearl Harbor before arriving home on July 23.
While anchored at Guam on December 28, 2004, the LPD was ordered south for Operation Unified Assistance
to aid victims of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. Duluth arrived off Sri Lanka on January 9, 2005 and her crew and embarked Marines cleared helicopter landing zones, removed debris and helped clean up two devastated elementary schools. During this deployment, Duluth delivered 210 tons of supplies to Sumatra and Sri Lanka
.
The amphibious transport dock ship's last deployment ended in June 2005 after a six-month cruise to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Shortly after Duluth's final cruise, she was decommissioned at Naval Station San Diego in a ceremony on September 28, 2005 and LPD-6 was stripped from the national ship's registry. The ceremony featured the crew leaving the ship in ranks and the lowering of the national colors.
Duluth sat in San Diego for many months before being towed to the mothball fleet
in Hawaii.
Port Security Unit
s during Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to May 2003. Two Coast Guard units, PSUs 311 and 313, were assigned to defend the ABOT and KAAOT gas oil platforms (OPLATS) off the Iraqi coast after their seizure during the opening nights of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duluth provided the Coast Guard detachments support by performing significant repairs to platform power sources, quality of life upgrades, command and control system repairs and improvements. More recently Duluth was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for tsunami relief efforts in the Srilanka area.
Austin class amphibious transport dock
The Austin class of amphibious transport dock followed theRaleigh class and was followed by the San Antonio classes. Note that some sources consider Cleveland and Trenton ships to be a part of the Austin class, but the Naval Vessel Registry lists them as a separate class.- Ships :-Cleveland...
, is the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
named for the city
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Duluth was laid down on December 18, 1963 by the New York Naval Shipyard. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on August 14, 1965 and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on December 18, 1965. She was the last ship to be launched from the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
before it was closed.
1965–1970
The ship sailed to Danang, Republic of Vietnam, in May 1965 to operate with Amphibious Ready Group, U.S. 7th Fleet in the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. On June 15, 1966, a Sikorsky H-34 from HC-4 made the first helicopter landing on board.
In 1967, from the months of May until November the Duluth operated with Amphibious Ready Group, Seventh Fleet, in South China Sea. Conducted amphibious landing operations Bear Claw and Beacon Guide at Hue (June 7), Chu Lai (June 12), Cue Viet (July 3, 27), and Phu Loc (July 21). Took part in Operations Beacon Gate at Song Cua Dai and Chu Lai (August 7 – August 16) and Beacon Point off Thua Thien province. The LPD then steamed off Quang Nam and Quang Tin provinces during Operation Ballistic Charge (September 16 – September 28). After refitting at Subic Bay, Duluth participated in helicopter-centered Operation Bastion Hill near Cua Viet (October 10 – November 1). Following vehicle ferry operations from Subic early in the month, the LPD steamed to Hong Kong, arriving there November 17.
Underway for a WestPac cruise on May 1, 1970, Duluth loaded BLT 1/9 at Okinawa for transfer to Subic Bay at the end of the month. She then made several cargo lifts to Danang or to Yankee Station
Yankee Station
Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station...
, delivering an H-3 helicopter to America (CVA-66), spare parts, and carried YFU-52 back to Subic Bay before steaming to Sasebo, Japan, for rest and recreation July 3 – July 15. Returning to Subic on the 19th, she spent the next three months conducting amphibious training and logistics operations from Subic to Danang and Vung Tau. In mid-October, Duluth embarked 140 Philippine marines for a joint exercise near Manila, but disaster recovery efforts in the wake of Typhoon Joan
Typhoon Joan (1970)
Super Typhoon Joan was the first of two super typhoons to strike the Philippines within a week in October 1970, the second being Super Typhoon Kate...
forced a cancellation of the operation. Arriving in Lagoney Gulf on October 22, Duluth operated as a fuel stop and ready deck ship for helicopters during three days of relief operations in a swath of devastated barrios and villages 80 by 20 miles (32 km) wide and including the cities of Virac and Naga. Following another month of logistics support out of Subic Bay, Duluth steamed for home, reaching San Diego on December 10.
1971–1975
After a restricted availability to repair a damaged rotor blade in her port turbine, Duluth sailed for another WestPac deployment on October 1, 1971. The ship loaded elements of BLT 2/4 at Okinawa on October 18 before resuming Danang logistics support operations out of Subic Bay. The LPD delivered vehicles, equipment and humanitarian supplies to Danang and embarked deck cargo and damaged PTFs for return to Subic. The LPD remained there until through the winter, conducting the occasional amphibious exercise in the Philippines and transporting troops and supplies between Subic Bay and Buckner Bay. On April 1, following the outbreak of the North Vietnamese “Easter Offensive,” Duluth sailed to a holding station off South Vietnam to await developments. With the North Vietnamese offensive blunted by the end of the month, the LPD steamed to Subic Bay for rest and relaxation, May 8 – May 21. Returning to Vietnam, Duluth embarked 300 South Vietnamese marines at Tan My and landed them at Quang Tri on the 24th, during which operation Duluth took desultory enemy fire from a shore battery. The LPD conducted a similar mission in early July, when Marine helicopters deployed South Vietnamese marines during Operation Lam-Son 72, before sailing for home on July 14 and arriving in San Diego on August 4, 1972.On March 28, 1975, Duluth got underway for a WestPac deployment via Pearl Harbor, Okinawa and Subic Bay. Arriving off Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
on April 21, Duluth participated in Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind was the evacuation by helicopter of American civilians and 'at-risk' Vietnamese from Saigon, South Vietnam, on 29–30 April 1975 during the last days of the Vietnam War...
, the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. On April 29, fourteen South Vietnamese, Marine and Air America helicopters landed delivering over 900 refugees to Duluth alone, including the Italian ambassador. The refugees were later transferred to USNS Sgt. Truman Kimbro (T-AK-254)
USNS Sgt. Truman Kimbro (T-AK-254)
USNS Sgt. Truman Kimbro was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship built for the U.S. Maritime Commission during the final months of World War II....
. The following day another 1,391 refugees arrived, forcing Duluth’s crew to jettison three RVN helicopters over the side to make room for the arriving CH-53 helicopters. The ship then steamed to Subic Bay and disembarked the refugees on May 5. Over the next four days, working parties of volunteers reported to Grande Island to assist and process refugees. The LPD remained at Subic through the end of the month for cleaning ship.
1983
In August, September and October 1983 Duluth served in support of the multi-national peace keeping mission to Beirut, Lebanon, and participated in the evacuation of Ambassador Robert Collins and family.1987
In June the USS Duluth embarks 1st Bn 9th Marines, from Camp Pendleton, California, as Battalion Landing Team One Slant Nine and sets out on its six month WestPac tour. The official deployment was designated as the 13th MAU SOC (Marine Amphibious Unit, Special Operations Capable). Included in this deployment are the USS Tripoli, USS Germantown, and the USS Fredrick. Aboard the USS Germantown, LCAC's 1 & 2 are carried. It is the first time that the LCAC's (Landing Craft Air Cushion)are deployed in support of Naval and Marine Corps operations. Several Humanitarian missions are executed in the Philippines and Indonesia. Marines were also deployed to the Mediterranean to assault several terrorist-held oil rigs. The Marines were also called upon to restore order and security around the Subic Naval Base after several "Sparrow teams" killed high ranking government officials in an attempted coup. The ship received a Battle "E" and the Marines a Meritorious Unit Citation for actions throughout the deployment.1989–1994
In August 1989, Duluth sailed to Prince William SoundPrince William Sound
Prince William Sound is a sound off the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System...
, Alaska, for oil spill decontamination operations with HMM-268 embarked. Duluth housed clean-up crews, provided medical and weather forecasting services and supported decontamination barge efforts.
Duluth was underway January 21, 1994 for WestPac operations. Arrived in Singapore February 14 and assigned to TG 76.5 for duty off the coast of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. The ship remained in Singapore for six days before getting underway for the Indian Ocean and arriving off Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
on March 3 to assist in the evacuation of American forces from Somalia. She remained there, other than a short trip to Melindi, Kenya, until April 24 when the LPD steamed to Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
. Duluth then steamed off Kipini, Kenya, holding for possible contingency operations owing to the civil war in Rwanda, until June 4 when she sailed for Fremantle, Australia. Following a five-day port visit, the LPD returned to San Diego via Pearl Harbor, arriving home on July 21.
1996–1997
Commander Donald S. Inbody assumed command of Duluth at 1430 on May 21, 1996 in a ceremony on the flight deck while underway in the Sea of Thailand en route Singapore. Commodore Frank Gallic (Commander, Amphibious Squadron Three) spoke. Colonel John Garrett (13th Marine Expeditionary Unit13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced...
), LtCol Bill Johnson (MEU Service Support Group 13), CDR Lee Touchberry (USS Rushmore
USS Rushmore (LSD-47)
USS Rushmore is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota....
), and other Commanding Officers and Officers in Charge from within the Amphibious Ready Group
Amphibious Ready Group
An Amphibious Readiness Group of the United States Navy consists of a Navy element—a group of warships known as an amphibious task force —and a landing force of United States Marines , in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized, and equipped...
were present.
During the deployment, Duluth participated with the other ships of COMPHIBRON Three and 13th MEU in a highly classified operation to capture Imad Mughniyah. This plan, Operation Return Ox, set sail at 1730C from Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
on July 23, 1996 to intercept the Motor Vessel Ibn Tufail, a Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i ship on which it was believed Mughniyah was embarked. On July 24, after all ships were at sea and Navy SEAL
Seal
Seal commonly refers to:* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals many of which are commonly called seals* Seal , a device which helps prevent leakage, contain pressure, or exclude contamination where two systems join...
S had already begun shadowing the Pakistani ship, it was canceled. Operators were told that the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
canceled the interception when they could not be given 100% assurance that Mughniya was actually on board. (CNN interview with Colonel John Garrett, USMC (Ret), on March 12, 2002. Colonel Garrett was the Commander of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
13th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced...
which provided some of the force involved in the operation.)
2000–2005
USS Tarawa (LHA-1)
USS Tarawa is a United States Navy amphibious assault ship, the lead ship of her class, and the second ship to be named for Tarawa Atoll, site of a Marine landing during World War II. The first Tarawa was the...
Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). Following stops at Pearl Harbor and Darwin, Australia, Duluth conducted three days of humanitarian assistance operations off East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
(September 14 – September 16) before a one-day stop at Singapore on the 21st. Moving into the Indian Ocean, the ARG stopped at Phuket, Thailand (September 28 – October 1) before steaming on to the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
, where they arrived October 9. Three days later, Duluth received word that the USS Cole (DDG-67)
USS Cole (DDG-67)
The second USS Cole is an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-equipped guided missile destroyer homeported in NS Norfolk, Virginia. The Cole is named in honor of Marine Sergeant Darrell S. Cole, a machine-gunner killed in action on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945, during World War II...
had been bombed in harbor at Aden, Yemen, and the LPD quickly steamed north to Aden to provide small boat and helicopter operations in support of Cole. Following a short cruise north to Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
in late December, Duluth sailed east, arriving in San Diego on February 14. While en route, the LPD stopped at Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
to launch amphibious vehicles in commemoration of the World War II battle.
Underway for Operation Iraqi Freedom on January 6, 2003, Duluth loaded elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and HMM-161 and sailed west. After a brief stop in Singapore on January 29, the ships sailed into the Indian Ocean and arrived in the northern Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
on February 10. The LPD operated at sea until March 19 when hostilities began in Iraq. The ship served as on-scene commander on March 22 when two helicopters from HMS Ark Royal (R07)
HMS Ark Royal (R07)
HMS Ark Royal is a decommissioned light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of Invincible-class...
collided in the vicinity of Duluth. After the initial surge of Marines ashore, Duluth's crew conducted boat operations in support of operations around Iraqi oil pipeline terminals. Departing the Persian Gulf on May 27, the ship stopped at Cairns, Australia and Pearl Harbor before arriving home on July 23.
While anchored at Guam on December 28, 2004, the LPD was ordered south for Operation Unified Assistance
Operation Unified Assistance
Operation Unified Assistance is the name of the United States military's response to the tsunami of 2004.-Overview:On 28 December, the first elements of the Combined Support Force were deployed to Utapao, Thailand following that country's approval of the use of that base.More than 12,600...
to aid victims of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. Duluth arrived off Sri Lanka on January 9, 2005 and her crew and embarked Marines cleared helicopter landing zones, removed debris and helped clean up two devastated elementary schools. During this deployment, Duluth delivered 210 tons of supplies to Sumatra and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
The amphibious transport dock ship's last deployment ended in June 2005 after a six-month cruise to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Shortly after Duluth's final cruise, she was decommissioned at Naval Station San Diego in a ceremony on September 28, 2005 and LPD-6 was stripped from the national ship's registry. The ceremony featured the crew leaving the ship in ranks and the lowering of the national colors.
Duluth sat in San Diego for many months before being towed to the mothball fleet
United States Navy reserve fleets
The United States Navy maintains a number of its ships as part of a reserve fleet, often called the "Mothball Fleet". While the details of the activity have changed several times, the basics are constant: keep the ships afloat and sufficiently working as to be reactivated quickly in an...
in Hawaii.
Awards
Duluth won many awards in its 39 years. The most recent was the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Award for supporting Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
Port Security Unit
Port Security Unit
United States Coast Guard Port Security Units are deployable units organized for sustained force protection operations. They can deploy within 96 hours and establish operations within 24 hours. PSUs conduct OCONUS port security in support of requesting regional Combatant commander. They provide...
s during Operation Iraqi Freedom from March to May 2003. Two Coast Guard units, PSUs 311 and 313, were assigned to defend the ABOT and KAAOT gas oil platforms (OPLATS) off the Iraqi coast after their seizure during the opening nights of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Duluth provided the Coast Guard detachments support by performing significant repairs to platform power sources, quality of life upgrades, command and control system repairs and improvements. More recently Duluth was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for tsunami relief efforts in the Srilanka area.
External links
- history.navy.mil: USS Duluth (LPD-6)
- http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/09/0906.htm
- Navy News Release on Decommissioning
- US 3rd Fleet: USS Duluth Decommissioned After 39 Years Of Service
- USCG Reservist Magazine October 2003
- USCG Reservist Magazine May 2004
- Defend America Magazine March 23, 2003
- USS Duluth (LPD-6) Facebook Group