USS ''Nashville'' (LPD-13), an , was the third ship of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
to be named for
the capital city of
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
. Her keel was laid down on 14 March 1966 by the
Lockheed Shipbuilding
Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company (a.k.a. Lockheed Shipbuilding), was a shipyard in Seattle, Washington with Yard 1 on Harbor Island and Yard 2 at what is now Jack Block Park at Seattle Terminal 5, both at the mouth of the West Wa ...
and Construction Company of
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
. She was
launched on 7 October 1967 sponsored by Mrs. Roy L. Johnson, and
commissioned at
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, officially Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres (0.7 km2) on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington in uninterrupted u ...
,
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerto ...
, on 14 February 1970.
History
''Nashville'' various assignments have included four Caribbean Amphibious Ready Groups, eight Mediterranean Groups, two Persian Gulf Groups, a Mine Countermeasure Task Group, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Operations and training assignments with Fleet Marine Force Atlantic.
The ship remained in
Amphibious Squadron 2 in 1977. She served as squadron flagship from 1 January through 11 March; 29 April through 21 May; and 10 August through 31 December 1977.
In addition, she served as flagship for Commander Combined Amphibious Task Force (Commander Task Force 401), Commander Combined Landing Force, and Commander
Task Force 61
Task Force 61 (CTF-61) is a task force of the United States Navy that today denotes what used to be designated the Mediterranean Amphibious ready group (MARG) of the United States Sixth Fleet. It is composed of approximately three Amphibious assa ...
(Commander Amphibious Squadron 2) during NATO
Exercise Dawn Patrol
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athleti ...
'77.
''Nashville'' provided support during 8 June 1995 rescue of pilot Capt.
Scott O'Grady
Scott Francis O'Grady (born October 12, 1965) is a former United States Air Force fighter pilot. On June 2, 1995, he was shot down over Bosnia and Herzegovina by a 2K12 Kub mobile SAM launcher and forced to eject from his F-16C into hostile ter ...
,
who was shot down over Bosnia on 2 June 1995 by an
SA-6 mobile launcher and forced to eject from his
F-16C
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successf ...
into hostile territory.
In 2003, she deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with the
26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. It is an air-ground task force with a strength of about 2,400 personnel when at full strength during a deployment. ...
.
On 16 and 17 January 2006, she was the first vessel to receive the landing of an unmanned
robot
A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...
ic
RQ-8A Fire Scout helicopter.
In July 2006, she was sent to
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
as part of the Expeditionary Strike Group transporting the
24th MEU
The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) 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 (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2 ...
to assist with the evacuation of U.S. nationals from the country,
after
a conflict erupted between the
Israeli military
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branc ...
and
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
militants. On 20 July 2006, it landed the first
Marines
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
on Lebanese soil since 1982.
The ''Nashville'' is featured in an episode of the television program ''
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations'', as it evacuated Americans (including Bourdain and his production crew) from Beirut. The episode was nominated for an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
.
The USS ''Nashville'' was decommissioned on 30 September 2009 at the Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia. Navy officials stated the ship was too costly to maintain and was unable to match the efficiency of newer vessels.
, the vessel is moored at the
Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility
A Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) is a facility owned by the United States Navy as a holding facility for decommissioned naval vessels, pending determination of their final fate. All ships in these facilities are inactive, but s ...
in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania.
Possible sale to India
According to an Indian news source, the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
may bid to acquire the ''Nashville'',
but , India had decided not to move forward with the deal.
The ''Nashville'' is of the same class as the which was previously sold to India and is now the .
Gallery
Image:USS Nashville (LPD-13) underway off the coast of Lebanon on 1 December 1982 (6372139).jpg, USS ''Nashville'' sails off the coast of Lebanon in December 1982
Image:USS Nashville LPD-13 Lebanon evac.jpg, Crewmen from USS ''Nashville'' assist U.S. nationals evacuating from Lebanon in 2006
Image:USS Nashville LPD-13 with Fire Scout.jpg, A RQ-8A Fire Scout helicopter preparing to land on USS ''Nashville''
References
External links
USS ''Nashville''at Navy.mil
at the
Naval History & Heritage Command
The Naval History and Heritage Command, formerly the Naval Historical Center, is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage located at the historic Washington Navy Yard. ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nashville (Lpd-13)
Austin-class amphibious transport docks
Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Ships built by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company
1967 ships