USS ''Clarion River'' (LSM(R)-409) was an ''LSM(R)-401''-class medium-type landing ship (LSM) built for 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 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Named for the

Clarion River The Clarion River is a tributary of the Allegheny River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, in west central Pennsylvania in the United States. It drains a rugged area of the Allegheny Plateau in the Ohio River watershed, flowing throu ...

in west central

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.

Service history

World War II

The ship was originally laid down on 26 January 1945 at the

Charleston Navy Yard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) 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. H ...

. Launched on 18 February 1945 and commissioned as USS ''LSM(R)-409'' on 16 May 1945. She was decommissioned on 6 February 1947 at

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Korean War

''LSM(R)-409'' was recommissioned on 5 October 1950 for

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

service. She was assigned to LSMR Squadron Five and participated in the following campaigns: *

Blockade of Wonsan The Blockade of Wonsan, or the siege of Wonsan, from February 16, 1951 to July 27, 1953, during the Korean War, was the longest naval blockade in modern history, lasting 861 days. UN naval forces, primarily from the United States, successfully ...

(1951–1953) * Communist China Spring Offensive (23 May–6 June 1951) * UN Summer-Fall Offensive (15–30 July 1951 and 26 August–21 September 1951) * Third Korean Winter (16–30 April 1953) * Korean Summer-Fall (1 May–20 July 1953) During her Korean War service, enemy aircraft attacked her in 1953, but did not damage her.Muir, p. 35. Renamed USS ''Clarion River'' (LSM(R)-409) on 1 October 1955, the ship was again decommissioned on 26 October of that year at Astoria, Oregon and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group.

Vietnam

''Clarion River'' was recommissioned on 18 September 1965 at the

San Francisco Naval Shipyard The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city. Originally, Hunters Point was a commercial shipyard established i ...

, Hunters Point. Reclassified as an "Inshore Fire Support Ship" USS ''Clarion River'' (LFR-409) on 1 January 1969, she participated in the following campaigns: * Vietnamese Counteroffensive (26 May–4 June 1966 and 13–30 June 1966) * Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II (1–2 July, 13 July–4 August, 13–29 October, 12–23 November 1966 and 30 January–13 March 1967) * Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III (7 June–6 July, 23 July–17 August, and 26 October–20 November 1967 and 26 December 1967–18 January 1968) * Tet Counteroffensive (3–25 February 1968) * Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V (8 July–13 August and 24 August–23 September 1968) * Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI (3 November–7 December 1968) * Tet 69/Counteroffensive (23 February–8 June 1969) * Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 (9 June–31 October 1969) * Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 (1 November 1969–30 April 1970) Decommissioned for the last time on 8 May 1970 at

Yokosuka, Japan is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region. The city ...

and struck from the

Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) 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 t ...

(date unknown), she was sold for scrap in November 1970 to the Nissho-Iwai American Corporation of

Sasebo, Japan is a core city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is also the second largest city in Nagasaki Prefecture, after its capital, Nagasaki. On 1 June 2019, the city had an estimated population of 247,739 and a population density of 581 persons p ...

Awards

Navy Unit Citation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Cor ...

* Meritorious Unit Commendation *

Combat Action Ribbon The Combat Action Ribbon (CAR, ), is a high precedence United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States Marine Corps military decoration awarded to United States sea service members "who have actively participated in ground or ...

with gold star *

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wo ...

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four ...

with star *

Korean Service Medal The Korean Service Medal (KSM) is a military award for service in the United States Armed Forces and was established November 8, 1950 by executive order of President Harry Truman. The Korean Service Medal is the primary US military award for s ...

with four

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

s *

Vietnam Service Medal The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces established on 8 July 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The medal is awarded to recognize service during the Vietnam War by all members of the U.S. Arm ...

with nine campaign stars *

Korean Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross The Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross also known as the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross or Vietnam Cross of Gallantry ( vi, Anh-Dũng Bội-Tinh) is a military decoration of the former Government of South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam). The medal ...

United Nations Korea Medal The United Nations Service Medal for Korea (UNKM) is an international military decoration established by the United Nations on December 12, 1950 as the United Nations Service Medal. The decoration was the first international award ever created by t ...

Korean War Service Medal The Korean War Service Medal (KWSM, ko, 6.25사변종군기장, ), also known as the Republic of Korea War Service Medal (ROKWSM), is a military award of South Korea which was first authorized in December 1950. History 6.25 Incident Participati ...

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal The Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, also known as the Vietnam Campaign Medal ( vi, Chiến Dịch Bội Tinh), is a South Vietnamese military campaign medal which was created in 1949, and awarded to French military personnel during the First ...

Image gallery

Image:USS Clarion River (LSMR-409), USS Carronade (IFS-1), USS White River (LSMR-536) and USS St. Francis River (LSMR-525) off Da Nang, Vietnam, in November 1967.jpg, USS ''Clarion River'' (LSM(R)-409) with the USS ''Carronade'' (IFS-1), USS ''White River'' (LSM(R)-536), and USS ''St. Francis River'' (LSM(R)-525) off

Danang Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is o ...

, South Vietnam in November 1967. Image:Clarion River LSMR-409 and St. Francis River LSMR-525.jpg, USS ''Clarion River'' (LSM(R)-409) and the USS ''St. Francis River'' LSM(R)-525 recommissioning ceremony, on 18 September 1965, at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point.

Notes

References

* * *Muir, Malcolm, Jr. ''Sea Power on Call: Fleet Operations June 1951-July 1953''. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center, 2005. .

External links

* ussclarionriver.wordpress.com/ The USS ''Clarion River'' LSMR - 409 NEW SITE LOCATION {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarion River Ships built in Charleston, South Carolina LSM(R)-401-class medium landing ships World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States Korean War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States 1945 ships