USS Paul Revere (APA/LPA-248) was the lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...

 of the Paul Revere class of attack transport

Attack transport

Attack Transport is a United States Navy ship classification.-History:In the early 1940s, as the United States Navy expanded in response to the threat of involvement in World War II, a number of civilian passenger ships and some freighters were acquired, converted to transports and given hull...

 in 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...

. She was named for the early patriot, Paul Revere

Paul Revere

Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...

 (1735–1818). She later served in the Spanish Navy

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

 as Castillia (L-21).

The ship was originally laid down as Maritime Administration Hull 27 on 15 May 1952 by the New York Shipbuilding

New York Shipbuilding

The New York Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 1899 and opened its first shipyard in 1900. Located in Camden, New Jersey on the east shore of the Delaware River, New York Ship built more than 500 vessels for the U.S...

 Corp., Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

, and was launched on 11 April 1953 as the SS Diamond Mariner, sponsored by Mrs. Franklin Ewers. The ship was delivered to MARAD

Marad

Marad was an ancient Sumerian city. Marad was situated on the west bank of the then western branch of the Upper Euphrates River west of Nippur in modern day Iraq and roughly 50 km southeast of Kish, on the Arahtu River.The city's ziggurat E-igi-kalama was dedicated to Ninurta the god of...

 on 22 December 1953, and was operated by the Prudential Steamship Corp. for MARAD until placed in the Maritime Reserve Fleet on 24 July 1954. She was acquired by the US Navy on 14 September 1956, classified APA-248 and named Paul Revere on 4 June 1957, converted by Todd Pacific Shipyards

Todd Pacific Shipyards

Vigor Shipyards was founded in 1916 as the William H. Todd Corporation through the merger of Robins Dry Dock & Repair Company of Erie Basin, Brooklyn, New York, the Tietjen & Long Dry Dock Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, and the Seattle Construction and Dry Dock Company...

, San Pedro, California, and commissioned at Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 on 3 September 1958, Capt. Robert Erly in command.

1958–1964

After shakedown, Paul Revere spent the next full year participating in a series of amphibious training operations: "Rocky Shoals" at San Diego in November 1958, "Twin Peaks" at Camp Pendleton in February 1959, "PACNAMIDLEX" at Del Mar, California

Del Mar, California

Del Mar is an upscale beach town in San Diego County, California. The population was 4,161 at the 2010 census, down from 4,389 at the 2000 census. The San Diego County Fair is hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds every summer. Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "by the sea", because it is located...

 in August, "Clear Ridge" off California in September, and "Totem Pole" at Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak, Alaska

Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...

 during November.

During 1960–1961, she was assigned "Ready APA" duty, in which she maintained on board, at all times, a fully equipped and reinforced battalion of landing troops to be put ashore on short notice at any trouble spot in the Pacific. On 21 March 1961 trouble flared in Laos

Laos

Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...

, and Paul Revere commenced patrolling the waters off the coast of Southeast Asia. She remained in the area in a ready status for a total of fifty-four days until tensions eased, then resumed her normal South China Sea

South China Sea

The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...

 patrol.

In January 1962, after returning to the U.S., Paul Revere accomplished a most dramatic rescue, when one of several helicopters engaged in anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare

Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....

 (ASW) exercises plunged into the ocean. Operating several hundred yards from the scene, she launched a manned boat which returned the three crewmen of the helicopter to the ship for medical treatment, all in the space of six minutes.

Following overhaul, she spent the last 5 or 6 months of 1962 in the Western Pacific. This deployment included the ports of Subic Bay, Hong Kong, and several ports in Japan. The year 1963 saw her complete a successful WestPac deployment and another rigorous schedule of training operations.

Departing San Diego on 28 January 1964 for her fourth WestPac deployment en route to Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 Paul Revere participated in "Coco Palm", a merchant convoy sailing exercise. From Pearl Harbor she sailed to Buckner Bay in preparation for one of the largest amphibious operations since the end of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. This exercise, called "Back Pack", involved over 50,000 American and Nationalist Chinese personnel and over 125 ships. It was conducted off the southwestern coast of Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 and terminated on 12 March. Paul Revere also participated in "Ligtas", a combined SEATO exercise in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 during May, and operation "Minute Hand", conducted at Numazu

Numazu, Shizuoka

is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 205,636 and a population density of 1,100 persons per km². The total area was 187.11 km².- Geography:...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 in July. Returning to the States, she joined another convoy exercise, "Mad Bull", and arrived San Diego on 6 August.

Vietnam, 1964–1972

During 1964 the “Peter Rabbit”'s crew saw action in North Vietnam

North Vietnam

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

, as they destroyed communications and fought their way back to the landing craft

Landing craft

Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...

. These men were part of the fire control tech team. They saved a lot of Marines as they fought their way back by calling in fire support to take down the Viet Cong.

Paul Revere spent the first seven months of 1965 conducting training operations off the coast. In August she lifted elements of the 1st Marine Division to Okinawa and during October and November she transported personnel of South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

's famed Tiger Division to Qui Nhon

Qui Nhon

Qui Nhơn , also Quy Nhơn, is a coastal city in Binh Dinh province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of 286 km². Quy Nhon is the capital of Bình Định province. As of 2009 its population was 280,900. Historically, the commercial activities of the city...

, South Vietnam

South Vietnam

South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...

 from Pusan. From 7–18 November she conducted her first actual combat assault as a unit involved in operation "Blue Marlin", with Marine battalions embarked. She was involved in a similar operation called "Double Eagle" at Quảng Ngãi Province

Quang Ngai Province

Quảng Ngãi is a province in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam, on the coast of South China Sea. It is located 883 km south of Hanoi and 838 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.-History:...

, landing the 3rd Battalion

3rd Battalion 1st Marines

3rd Battalion 1st Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Horno on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California...

, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, on 28 January 1966. She continued lift support for Marine units in Vietnam through March and then returned to San Diego on 19 April.

Paul Revere resumed coastal operations on her return, until May 1967 when she again deployed to the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

. As a unit of 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...

 (ARG) off the coast of Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

 she engaged in operations "Belt Drive", "Fortress Sentry", "Formation Leader", and "Knox". She returned to San Diego on 16 December and commenced coastal operations. For meritorious service from 17 August to 11 November 1967 during sustained amphibious operations against communist insurgent forces in the Republic of Vietnam, Paul Revere was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation

Meritorious Unit Commendation

The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....

, the first ship of her type to receive the award.

During 1968 she participated in training cruises for Naval Reservists and Midshipmen, including a special familiarization cruise for Sea Cadets. She also continued her upkeep and training preparations for her next coming deployment in January 1969.

Having been redesignated LPA-248 on 1 January 1969, Paul Revere deployed on 30 January, departing San Diego as part of ARG "Bravo" (TG 76.5) in company with , , , , , and , bound, via Pearl Harbor and Subic Bay, for Southeast Asia. Ports-of-call during the cruise included Pearl Harbor, Subic Bay, Buckner Bay, Okinawa; Yokosuka, and Hong Kong. While in Pearl Harbor, Paul Revere was berthed near the while it was being repaired after a serious fire at sea. She arrived in her operating area off Vietnam on 7 March and delivered her cargo to Da Nang

Da Nang

Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...

 and supported combat operations conducted by a USMC Battalion Landing Team which was embarked onboard. On 3 June 1969, while operating off the coast of Viet Nam, Paul Revere received word that had been struck and cut in two by the . The stern section of the Evans was towed to Subic Bay and was in the floating drydock when Paul Revere arrived for upkeep.

Toward the end of the deployment, Paul Revere participated in a series of "Keystone" operations beginning with "Keystone Eagle" on 14 July 1969. After an impressive ceremony on the deep water piers in Da Nang Harbor, the 1st Battalion

1st Battalion 9th Marines

The 1st Battalion 9th Marines is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, it served until the mid-1990s when it was deactivated to make room for one of three light armor reconnaissance battalions...

 9th Marines boarded Paul Revere and sailed for Okinawa in the first increment of America's withdrawal from South Vietnam. A photograph of the ship loading Marines appeared in Newsweek

Newsweek

Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

 magazine. The 2nd

2nd Battalion 9th Marines

The 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I, the unit played an instrumental role in the defeat of the Japanese forces in the Battles of Guam and Iwo Jima during the World War II...

 and 3rd Battalion

3rd Battalion 9th Marines

The 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Formed during World War I it served until the early 1990s when it was redesignated as 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines during a realignment and renumbering of the Marine Corps' infantry battalions, following the...

s of the 9th Marines were transported to Okinawa in two subsequent trips. Paul Revere was relieved of duty with ARG "Bravo" (TG 76.5) by on 29 August 1969 at Subic Bay. During the homecoming sea and anchor detail the crew observed the San Diego – Coronado Bridge, which had been under construction for three years, had been completed. In an awards ceremony at Naval Station San Diego

Naval Station San Diego

Naval Base San Diego is the largest base of the United States Navy on the west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of 54 ships and over 120 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched...

, Captain Mitchell Karlowicz was awarded the Bronze Star for commanding Paul Revere in support of combat operations against the enemy.

Paul Revere had a dry dock period at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard from November 1969 to April 1970. During the time in the yards, she was refitted with modern ECM

Electronic countermeasures

An electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...

 equipment and additional communications hardware to enable the ship to deploy as the flagship for Amphibious Groups I and III on a WestPac cruise in September 1970. The cruise began with Paul Revere escorting two new gunboat

Gunboat

A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...

s, and , to Pearl Harbor. During the 1970–71 cruise, under the command of a naval aviator, Captain Charles Lindberg, the ship visited Pearl Harbor, Bangkok, Subic Bay, Okinawa, Sasebo, Yokosuka, Hong Kong and Singapore. On the voyage to Singapore Paul Revere crossed the equator and initiated the crew's "pollywogs

Line-crossing ceremony

The ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite in the Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and other navies that commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the Equator. Originally, the tradition was created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates...

."

In 1972 she participated in the Easter Offensives.

Post-Vietnam, 1972 — decommissioning

After Vietnam Paul Revere was placed in reserve status, home-ported at the Bremerton, Washington, Naval Shipyard, and crewed by Naval Reserve personnel.

In the summer of 1977 during her crew's annual drill period, she took on board the men and equipment of 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry (part of 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis

Fort Lewis

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....

, WA), and delivered them to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base for amphibious operations training.

Castillia (L-21)

Paul Revere was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 on 1 January 1980, and subsequently sold through the Security Assistance Program to Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 on 17 January 1980, renamed Castillia (L-21). The Spanish Navy

Spanish Navy

The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...

 decommissioned the ship on 6 June 1998, but her final disposition is unknown.

Awards, citations & campaign ribbons

Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation

National Defense Service Medal National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...

Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...  with 6 service star Service star A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service... s

Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...  with 6 service stars

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5)

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

External links