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USS Terrebonne Parish (LST-1156)
Encyclopedia
USS Terrebonne Parish (LST-1156), originally USS LST-1156, affectionately nicknamed the "T-Bone" by her early crew, was a built for the United States Navy
in 1952. The lead ship in her class, she was named for Terrebonne Parish
, Louisiana
, the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. The ship was later transferred to Spain and renamed SPS Velasco (L-11), and was scrapped in 1994.
, Maine
, by Bath Iron Works
. She was launched on 9 August 1952, sponsored by Miss Anne L. McCrea, and commissioned
on 21 November 1952 with Lieutenant Commander
Henry L. Porter in command.
, LST-1156 underwent post-shakedown alterations at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
at Portsmouth
, Virginia
, before commencing operations out of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
at Virginia Beach
, Virginia, with Amphibious Forces, United States Atlantic Fleet, on 14 September 1953. The ship then conducted training exercises out of Little Creek before entering the Norfolk Navy Yard for conversion to an LST
flotilla
flagship
, involving the installation of much new communications equipment.
LST-1156 remained on operations out of Little Creek through June 1955. On 1 July 1955 she was named USS Terrebonne Parish.
Following operations in the Caribbean
and off North Carolina
and overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard
at Charleston
, South Carolina
, Terrebonne Parish conducted a cruise to Lisbon
, Portugal
, and Port Lyautey, French Morocco
, before resuming local operations out of Little Creek. She continued participating in exercises and assault landings in the Caribbean and returned to Norfolk
, Virginia, on 14 May 1957 to resume local operations and LST training.
for Morehead City
, North Carolina
, and, on 30 August 1957, embarked United States Marines, vehicle
s, and cargo
for transport to the Mediterranean. She joined units of the United States Sixth Fleet at Taranto, Italy
, on 16 September 1957. During her subsequent Mediterranean tour pf duty, she took part in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) landing exercises at Saros Gulf, Turkey
, and visited ports in Turkey, mainland Greece
, mainland Italy, Crete
, and Sicily
before returning to the United States
on 12 February 1958 and resuming local operations out of Little Creek.
On 16 June 1959 Terrebonne Parish commenced an "inland seas" cruise, transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway and calling at Iroquois, Cape Vincent, and Port Weller, Ontario
, Canada
; Ashtabula
, Ohio
; Kenosha
, Wisconsin
; Chicago, Illinois
; Milwaukee
, Wisconsin; Cleveland
, Ohio; Erie
, Pennsylvania
; Port Colburne
, Ontario; and Rochester
, New York
, before returning to her home base at Little Creek on 6 August.
Terrebonne Parish also participated in Exercise TRALEX in 1959, one of the largest amphibious warfare
exercises conducted in that year.
Terrebonne Parish conducted yearly deployments to the Mediterranean, with periodic overhauls and exercises, through 1961.
ballistic missile
s in Cuba
, the United States
instituted a naval blockade
-- termed a "quarantine" by the United States Government -- of Cuba, throwing a naval cordon around the island
. During these emergency preparations, Terrebonne Parish operated with the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force through December 1962, when the Cuban Missile Crisis
finally subsided.
in January and February 1963 and then was overhauled in Jacksonville
, Florida
, before she again departed for the Mediterranean. During her 1963 deployment with the 6th Fleet, Terrebonne Parish participated in MEDLANDEX, a joint American-Spanish
exercise in which 3,000 American and Spanish Marines were landed with support from aircraft carrier
-based aircraft
.
Terrebonne Parish remained in the Mediterranean until February 1964 before returning to the United States for amphibious exercises in the spring
of 1964 at Onslow Beach, North Carolina, and off Cape Pendleton, Virginia. She proceeded to New York City
in July 1964 to participate as an exhibit in the New York World's Fair
before taking part in an amphibious exercise with Marines and United States Naval Academy
midshipmen off Camp Pendleton.
of 1964, Terrebonne Parish embarked the men and vehicles of "C" Company, 1st Battalion
, 2nd Marine Regiment, and proceeded for Huelva, Spain
, to take part in "Exercise Steel Pike," in which she became the first LST to "marry" to an eighteen-section causeway
for landing her embarked vehicles.
For the remainder of her Mediterranean deployment, Terrebonne Parish took part in landing exercises off Sardinia
and Corsica
and made visits to ports in Italy, France
, and Spain, spending the Christmas
holidays in Barcelona, Spain, in late December 1964 and New Year's Eve
(31 December 1964) at Valencia, Spain.
missile
detachment to the Caribbean, and then underwent extensive overhaul for four months by the Bethlehem Steel
shipyard
at Baltimore, Maryland
. After refresher training, Terrebonne Parish got underway for the Caribbean on 3 March 1966 to begin a four-month deployment to participate in exercises and operations involving beachings and landings. She next made two lifts to the Dominican Republic
in late August and early September 1965.
During this Caribbean tour, a locking device was developed for the sand flaps on the ship's bow
doors to keep them secure while underway, and it was installed on Terrebonne Parish in January 1966 at San Juan
, Puerto Rico
. Tests proved that the new devices were very efficient. As a result, this modification was approved for all LSTs.
in company with four minesweeper
s of Mine Division 83. Upon arriving at Aranci Bay, Sardinia, on 19 April 1967, she joined Amphibious Squadron 6, Task Force 61, and soon participated in "Exercise Fairgame Five," a joint French-American amphibious exercise which brought together elements of the French Army
, French Navy
, French Commandos
, and French Foreign Legion
, and a joint United States Navy-United States Marine Corps team.
Terrebonne Parish then headed for the western half of the Mediterranean and proceeded to Italy and Crete for further exercises. While she was at Taormina
, Sicily, in late July 1967, volunteers from her ship's company
and embarked Marines went ashore to battle a raging brush fire threatening the town of Giardini
.
Leaving Taormina on 7 August 1967 and arriving at Porto Scudo, Sardinia, on 12 August 1967, Terrebonne Parish took part in further amphibious exercises before she re-embarked her Marines after field exercises and proceeded to Malaga, Spain, for further amphibious training operations. She subsequently departed Rota
, Spain, on 2 September 1967 for her return voyage to the United States.
USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)
, dock landing ship
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32)
, attack cargo ship USS Vermilion (AKA-107)
, and tank landing ship
USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)
. During this deployment, she visited Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, periodically to practice amphibious operations. Other ports visited during this cruise were Mayaguez
, Puerto Rico, where the ship's company built playground
equipment at a local school
; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands
; Martinique
, French West Indies
; Colon
, Panama
; Aruba
, Netherlands West Indies; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Terrebonne Parish also participated in an emergency deployment of the Caribbean Ready Group from San Juan, steaming out of sight of land between the islands of Trinidad
and Tobago
following an attempted coup against the government of Trinidad and Tobago
. Enroute from Aruba, she participated in joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy.
In September 1970, Terrebonne Parish steamed in company with the flagship of Commander, Amphibious Forces, Atlantic -- amphibious force command ship USS Pocono (AGC-16)
-- and USS Spiegel Grove—to Halifax
, Nova Scotia
, Canada, and encountered a confluence of two storm
s in which she took "green water" on occasion 25 feet, (7.6 meters) over her bows, heavily damaging many weather deck fixtures and equipment. During one 24-hour period, the formation of ships was only able to make one nautical mile (1.85 kilometers) good over the ground.
In 1971, still homeported at Little Creek, Virginia and operating under command of Amphibious Forces, Atlantic, Terrebonne Parish deployed to the Caribbean for exercises and training activities. These included an operation from 5 to 10 August 1971 in which United States Army
and Panamanian National Guard units participated.
and loaned over to the Spanish Navy
at Little Creek the same day. Terrebonne Parish was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 November 1976 and sold outright to Spain on 17 May 1978.
Renamed Velasco (L-11), the ship served Spain until decommissioned by the Spanish Navy and used as a training hulk for UOE ("Unidad de Operaciones Especiales", a Naval Special Operations Unit) at La Carraca, Cádiz
, Spain.
Velasco was scrapped in 1994.
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...
in 1952. The lead ship in her class, she was named for Terrebonne Parish
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. The ship was later transferred to Spain and renamed SPS Velasco (L-11), and was scrapped in 1994.
Construction and commissioning, 1952
Terrebonne Parish was originally laid down as USS LST-1156 on 2 January 1952 at BathBath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, by Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works
Bath Iron Works is a major American shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, United States. Since its founding in 1884 , BIW has built private, commercial and military vessels, most of which have been ordered by the United States Navy...
. She was launched on 9 August 1952, sponsored by Miss Anne L. McCrea, 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 21 November 1952 with Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Henry L. Porter in command.
United States East Coast, Caribbean, and Atlantic operations, 1952-1957
Following sea trials and shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
, LST-1156 underwent post-shakedown alterations at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, before commencing operations out of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...
at Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, Virginia, with Amphibious Forces, United States Atlantic Fleet, on 14 September 1953. The ship then conducted training exercises out of Little Creek before entering the Norfolk Navy Yard for conversion to an LST
LST
LST is a three-character initialism that may refer to:* Landing Ship, Tank, a U.S. Navy ship class, of type Amphibious Warfare* Laplace-Stieltjes transform, a transform similar to the Laplace transform* Launceston Airport* Least slack time scheduling...
flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, involving the installation of much new communications equipment.
LST-1156 remained on operations out of Little Creek through June 1955. On 1 July 1955 she was named USS Terrebonne Parish.
Following operations in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and off North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard
Charleston Naval Shipyard
Charleston Naval Shipyard was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston...
at Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Terrebonne Parish conducted a cruise to Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and Port Lyautey, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
, before resuming local operations out of Little Creek. She continued participating in exercises and assault landings in the Caribbean and returned to Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Virginia, on 14 May 1957 to resume local operations and LST training.
First Mediterranean deployment, 1957-1958
On 29 August 1957, Terrebonne Parish cleared Naval Station NorfolkNaval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
for Morehead City
Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and, on 30 August 1957, embarked United States Marines, vehicle
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
s, and cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
for transport to the Mediterranean. She joined units of the United States Sixth Fleet at Taranto, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, on 16 September 1957. During her subsequent Mediterranean tour pf duty, she took part in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) landing exercises at Saros Gulf, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and visited ports in Turkey, mainland Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, mainland Italy, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
before returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 12 February 1958 and resuming local operations out of Little Creek.
Second Mediterranean deployment and Caribbean and United States East Coast operations, 1958-1959
Following overhaul and refresher training, Terrebonne Parish again deployed to the Mediterranean for duty with the Sixth Fleet in September 1958, serving as part of Service Force, Mediterranean, before returning westward once again to the United States and operations off the United States East Coast and in Caribbean waters.Inland seas cruise, United States East Coast operations, and Mediterranean deployments, 1959-1961
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; Ashtabula
Ashtabula, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,962 people, 8,435 households, and 5,423 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,775.9 people per square mile . There were 9,151 housing units at an average density of 1,211.8 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
; Kenosha
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
; Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin; Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio; Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
; Port Colburne
Port Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada...
, Ontario; and Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, before returning to her home base at Little Creek on 6 August.
Terrebonne Parish also participated in Exercise TRALEX in 1959, one of the largest amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
exercises conducted in that year.
Terrebonne Parish conducted yearly deployments to the Mediterranean, with periodic overhauls and exercises, through 1961.
Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
In late October 1962, after the United States detected the presence of SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
s in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
instituted a naval blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
-- termed a "quarantine" by the United States Government -- of Cuba, throwing a naval cordon around the island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
. During these emergency preparations, Terrebonne Parish operated with the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force through December 1962, when the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
finally subsided.
United States East Coast operations and Mediterranean deployment, 1963-1964
Attached to Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet, Amphibious Squadron 6, Terrebonne Parish conducted operations off the Virginia CapesVirginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
in January and February 1963 and then was overhauled in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, before she again departed for the Mediterranean. During her 1963 deployment with the 6th Fleet, Terrebonne Parish participated in MEDLANDEX, a joint American-Spanish
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...
exercise in which 3,000 American and Spanish Marines were landed with support from aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
-based aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
.
Terrebonne Parish remained in the Mediterranean until February 1964 before returning to the United States for amphibious exercises in the spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
of 1964 at Onslow Beach, North Carolina, and off Cape Pendleton, Virginia. She proceeded to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in July 1964 to participate as an exhibit in the New York World's Fair
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
before taking part in an amphibious exercise with Marines and United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
midshipmen off Camp Pendleton.
Mediterranean deployment, 1964-1965
Early in the autumnAutumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 1964, Terrebonne Parish embarked the men and vehicles of "C" Company, 1st Battalion
1st Battalion 2nd Marines
1st Battalion, 2nd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina consisting of approximately 900 Marines and Sailors...
, 2nd Marine Regiment, and proceeded for Huelva, 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...
, to take part in "Exercise Steel Pike," in which she became the first LST to "marry" to an eighteen-section causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
for landing her embarked vehicles.
For the remainder of her Mediterranean deployment, Terrebonne Parish took part in landing exercises off Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
and made visits to ports in Italy, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Spain, spending the Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holidays in Barcelona, Spain, in late December 1964 and New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
(31 December 1964) at Valencia, Spain.
Caribbean operations, 1965-1966
Returning home to the United States towards the end of March 1965, Terrebonne Parish transported a United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
detachment to the Caribbean, and then underwent extensive overhaul for four months by the Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
at Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. After refresher training, Terrebonne Parish got underway for the Caribbean on 3 March 1966 to begin a four-month deployment to participate in exercises and operations involving beachings and landings. She next made two lifts to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in late August and early September 1965.
During this Caribbean tour, a locking device was developed for the sand flaps on the ship's bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
doors to keep them secure while underway, and it was installed on Terrebonne Parish in January 1966 at San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Tests proved that the new devices were very efficient. As a result, this modification was approved for all LSTs.
Seventh Mediterranean deployment, 1967
Terrebonne Parish commenced her seventh Mediterranean deployment on 30 March 1967. when she embarked Marines of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, at Morehead City and crossed the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in company with four minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
s of Mine Division 83. Upon arriving at Aranci Bay, Sardinia, on 19 April 1967, she joined Amphibious Squadron 6, Task Force 61, and soon participated in "Exercise Fairgame Five," a joint French-American amphibious exercise which brought together elements of the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
, French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, French Commandos
Commandos
Commandos is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game series, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game is set in the Second World War and follows the escapades of a fictional British Commandos section. It leans heavily on historical events during WWII to carry the plot...
, and French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
, and a joint United States Navy-United States Marine Corps team.
Terrebonne Parish then headed for the western half of the Mediterranean and proceeded to Italy and Crete for further exercises. While she was at Taormina
Taormina
Taormina is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina, about midway between Messina and Catania. Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century...
, Sicily, in late July 1967, volunteers from her ship's company
Ship's Company
The Ship's Company refers to all officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel aboard a naval vessel. The size of the ship's company is the number of people on board, excluding civilians and guests.-Command structure:...
and embarked Marines went ashore to battle a raging brush fire threatening the town of Giardini
Giardini
Giardini is a suburb of Palermo, Sicily. It is further off from the central city. It was important in the history of the Cosa Nostra. The cith has a population of 82 million and a GDP of $167,460....
.
Leaving Taormina on 7 August 1967 and arriving at Porto Scudo, Sardinia, on 12 August 1967, Terrebonne Parish took part in further amphibious exercises before she re-embarked her Marines after field exercises and proceeded to Malaga, Spain, for further amphibious training operations. She subsequently departed Rota
Rota, Spain
-External references:*, official website * On-line since 1999! News, premiere information, pictures, weather, etc. Into Spanish, English... ****- External links :...
, Spain, on 2 September 1967 for her return voyage to the United States.
Eighth Mediterranean deployment, 1969, and Caribbean deployment, 1970
Terrebonne Parish deployed to the Mediterranean in 1969, then deployed to the Caribbean early in 1970 as part of the Caribbean Ready Group in Exercise "Carib 1-70," which also included amphibious assault shipAmphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault...
USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)
USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7)
USS Guadalcanal , the third Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship , was launched by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 16 March 1963, sponsored by Mrs. David Shoup, wife of General Shoup, the former Commandant of the Marine Corps; and commissioned 20 July 1963, Captain Dale K. Peterson in command...
, dock landing ship
Dock landing ship
A Dock landing ship or Landing ship is a form of amphibious warship designed to support amphibious operations. These amphibious assault ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel...
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32)
USS Spiegel Grove (LSD-32)
USS Spiegel Grove was a of the United States Navy. She was named for Spiegel Grove, the home and estate in Fremont, Ohio, of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.-Career:...
, attack cargo ship USS Vermilion (AKA-107)
USS Vermilion (AKA-107)
USS Vermilion , was a of the United States Navy, named after a parish in southern Louisiana and a county in eastern Illinois...
, and tank landing ship
Tank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)
USS Suffolk County (LST-1173)
USS Suffolk County was a built for the United States Navy during the late 1950s. Named after counties in Massachusetts and New York, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name....
. During this deployment, she visited Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, periodically to practice amphibious operations. Other ports visited during this cruise were Mayaguez
Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Mayagüez is the eighth-largest municipality of Puerto Rico. Originally founded as "Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" it is also known as "La Sultana del Oeste" , "Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" , or "Ciudad del Mangó"...
, Puerto Rico, where the ship's company built playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
equipment at a local school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
; Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, French West Indies
French West Indies
The term French West Indies or French Antilles refers to the seven territories currently under French sovereignty in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean: the two overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the two overseas collectivities of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, plus...
; Colon
Colón, Panama
Colón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
; Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, Netherlands West Indies; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Terrebonne Parish also participated in an emergency deployment of the Caribbean Ready Group from San Juan, steaming out of sight of land between the islands of Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
following an attempted coup against the government of Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Enroute from Aruba, she participated in joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy.
United States East Coast operations, 1970
Following return from Carib 1-70, Terrebonne Parish participated in riverine operations in St. Helena Sound, South Carolina. As one of the ships in Amphibious Forces, Atlantic, she earned more Battle E awards than most of the other ships in that command.In September 1970, Terrebonne Parish steamed in company with the flagship of Commander, Amphibious Forces, Atlantic -- amphibious force command ship USS Pocono (AGC-16)
USS Pocono (AGC-16)
USS Pocono was an Adirondack class amphibious force command ship named after a range of mountains in Eastern Pennsylvania. She was designed as an amphibious force flagship, a floating command post with advanced communications equipment and extensive combat information spaces to be used by the...
-- and USS Spiegel Grove—to Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada, and encountered a confluence of two storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
s in which she took "green water" on occasion 25 feet, (7.6 meters) over her bows, heavily damaging many weather deck fixtures and equipment. During one 24-hour period, the formation of ships was only able to make one nautical mile (1.85 kilometers) good over the ground.
Ninth Mediterranean deployment, 1970-1971, and Caribbean deployment, 1971
Terrebone Parish returned to the Mediterranean in late 1970 for her ninth deployment.In 1971, still homeported at Little Creek, Virginia and operating under command of Amphibious Forces, Atlantic, Terrebonne Parish deployed to the Caribbean for exercises and training activities. These included an operation from 5 to 10 August 1971 in which United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Panamanian National Guard units participated.
Transfer to Spain, 1971, and Spanish Navy career, 1971-1994
Soon after returning from Panama, Terrbonne Parish began preparations for her upcoming transfer to the Spanish government. On 29 October 1971 the ship was decommissionedShip decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
and loaned over to 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...
at Little Creek the same day. Terrebonne Parish was 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 November 1976 and sold outright to Spain on 17 May 1978.
Renamed Velasco (L-11), the ship served Spain until decommissioned by the Spanish Navy and used as a training hulk for UOE ("Unidad de Operaciones Especiales", a Naval Special Operations Unit) at La Carraca, Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, Spain.
Velasco was scrapped in 1994.