USS Tripoli (LPH-10)
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USS ''Tripoli'' (LPH-10), an , was laid down on 15 June 1964 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 31 July 1965; sponsored by Jane Cates, the wife of General
Clifton B. Cates Clifton Bledsoe Cates (August 31, 1893 – June 4, 1970) was a United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 19th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1948 to 1951. He was honored for his heroism during World War I at the Battle ...
, former
Commandant of the Marine Corps The commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) is normally the highest-ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Joint Chiefs of Staff: composition; functions. The CMC reports directly to the secr ...
; and commissioned on 6 August 1966 at the
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...
. ''Tripoli'' was the second US Navy ship named for the
Battle of Derna The Battle of Derna at Derna, Cyrenaica, was the decisive victory in April–May 1805 of a mercenary army recruited and led by United States Marines under the command of U.S. Army Lieutenant William Eaton, diplomatic Consul to Tripoli, and U ...
in 1805. It was the decisive victory of a mercenary army led by a detachment of
US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
and
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
soldiers against the forces of
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
during the
First Barbary War The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the Barbary Wars, in which the United States and Sweden fought against Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war against Sw ...
. It was the first recorded land battle of the United States fought overseas. Following three months fitting out at
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 ...
, the ship put to sea on 6 November 1966, bound for the west coast. It transited the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
at mid-month and arrived at its home port,
San Diego 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 List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
, on 22 November 1966. Final acceptance trials, shakedown training, and post-shakedown availability at Long Beach occupied the warship until it embarked Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
HMH-463 Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 (HMH-463) was a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, also known as "Pegasus", was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Kane ...
, elements of Marine Observation Squadron
VMO-6 Marine Observation Squadron 6 (VMO-6) was an observation squadron of the United States Marine Corps which saw extensive action during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The squadron was the first Marine Corps h ...
, and some members of the staff of the Commander, Amphibious Squadron 8 on 1 May 1967 and departed San Diego, bound for the western Pacific.


Vietnam Service, 1967–1973

''Tripoli'' served on three deployments to
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
ese waters during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, participating in numerous operations.


First tour

Except for a round-trip voyage to Okinawa early in September, the ship operated out of
US Naval Base Subic Bay Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the Spanish Navy and subsequently the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. The base was 262 square miles, about the size of Singapore. Th ...
, Republic of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
for the remainder of its deployment. Main propulsion plant problems, however, continued to plague it for, on the return trip, the ship went dead in the water not far to the northwest of Subic Bay. went out and towed it into port. After repairs, ''Tripoli'', occupied its remaining time in the Far East with amphibious exercises in the Philippines. On 11 December 1967, relieved it as flagship of TG 76.4, and ''Tripoli'' headed for home. ''Tripoli'' arrived in San Diego on 23 December 1967 and remained there through the end of the year. On 22 May 1967, ''Tripoli'' arrived in the combat zone off the coast of
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
and disembarked
HMH-463 Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 (HMH-463) was a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, also known as "Pegasus", was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Kane ...
and
VMO-6 Marine Observation Squadron 6 (VMO-6) was an observation squadron of the United States Marine Corps which saw extensive action during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The squadron was the first Marine Corps h ...
at Danang on the 23rd and 24th before joining TG 76.5, just then finishing up amphibious landing Operation Belt Tight in the
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to: France * 1st Army Corps (France) * I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Arm ...
zone just south of the
Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone The Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone was a demilitarized zone established as a dividing line between North and South Vietnam from July 1954 to 1976 as a result of the First Indochina War. During the Vietnam War (1955-1975) it became important as t ...
(DMZ) between North and South Vietnam. It headed for the Philippines on 25 May, arrived in Subic Bay on the 27th, and relieved as flagship of Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) Bravo VTG 76.5. In that capacity, it embarked not only the task group commander's staff but also the staff of the Commander, Special Landing Force (SLF) Bravo CTG 79.5, the
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines (2/3) was an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors. The battalion fell under the command of the 3rd Marine Regi ...
, the men and aircraft of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron HMM-164, Surgical Evacuation Team Bravo, and Detachment Bravo of Tactical Squadron (TacRon) 11. On 8 June, it departed Subic Bay for an extended tour of duty in Vietnamese waters. During its 1967 deployment, ''Tripoli'' participated in eight amphibious operations, all conducted along the coast of the I Corps. Its first operation, codenamed Beacon Torch, began on 18 June when US Marines of SLF Bravo were flown into the vicinity of Hoi An, located on the coast midway between the DMZ and the southern limit of I Corps tactical zone. Between 18 June and 2 July, the Marines operated ashore, initially engaging an enemy force of about 100 men. After an air strike broke the enemy resistance, the Marines concluded their mission with a search and destroy sweep to wipe out the remnants of that force. All the while, ''Tripoli'' remained offshore providing logistic support, medical evacuation services for casualties and a platform from which to launch air support missions by the embarked Marine attack squadron. On 2 July, it received the special landing force back on board and immediately headed north to the coast of Quảng Trị Province to answer a call for assistance from Marine Corps units near Con Thien, which had suffered heavily from bombardments by the
People's Army of Vietnam The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Vietnam, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the ...
(PAVN). The ensuing Operation Beaver Track pitted SLF Bravo against the PAVN troops to relieve the pressure on Marine Corps units based ashore with the
III Marine Amphibious Force III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and d ...
(MAF). Simultaneously with Operation Beaver Track, SLF "Alfa", embarked on USS ''Okinawa'', went ashore to engage the same enemy force in Operation Bear Claw. The two battalion landing teams joined III MAF Marines based ashore in a week-long struggle, followed by an eight-battalion search and destroy sweep. Throughout the 12 days of "Beaver Track/Bear Claw," ''Tripoli'' steamed offshore within easy helicopter range to provide logistical, medical, and ground support. The two landing forces were later credited with a third of the 1,100 PAVN casualties and with no small part in breaking up the PAVN attack. "Beaver Track/Bear Claw" ended on 14 July, and both battalion landing teams returned to their ships on the 7th. The respite from combat, however, proved brief. At dawn three days later, ''Tripoli''s Marines stormed ashore in a combined waterborne-airborne amphibious assault on the exposed seaward flank of the Viet Cong (VC) 806th Battalion near Quảng Trị City. The VC avoided contact with the Marines by retiring hastily to the west, where they were badly mauled by South Vietnamese troops. BLT 2/3 re-embarked in ''Tripoli'' on the 27th for another brief rest before the equally brief amphibious Operation Kangaroo Kick, which commenced on 1 August. ''Tripoli'''s Marines landed in Quảng Trị Province, north of Hue. Though the operation ended only three days later, the Marines did not re-embark for the voyage to Subic Bay. Instead, they changed operational control to III MAF, while ''Tripoli'' and the rest of TG 76.5 spent two weeks at the Philippine naval base for upkeep. ''Tripoli'' returned to the Vietnamese coast near
Huế Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...
on the 20th and backloaded SLF Bravo in time for the Marines to participate in Operation Belt Drive. On 27 August, the battalion landing team once more went ashore, via both helicopter and landing craft, in Quang Tri Province. PAVN/VC resistance proved slight; and, after a three-day sweep of the Hai Lang forest, the Marines reembarked in ''Tripoli'' on 5 September. That same day, suffered a hit from enemy guns on Cape Lay, North Vietnam. ''Tripoli'', located not far away, went to its assistance and evacuated 12 casualties by helicopter for treatment on board the ship. On the 17th, because its entire complement of CH-46A Sea Knight helicopters had been grounded, ''Tripoli'' launched the first all-boat landing from an LPH. In spite of swells high, a rain squall, 30- to winds, and visibility frequently less than , the boat landings for Operation Fortress Sentry came off almost without a hitch. Ashore near the Cua Viet River some south of the DMZ, the Marines moved inland, but encountered no enemy resistance until the 23d. Then, artillery and air support quickly extinguished the PAVN's will to fight, and the operation was terminated on the 25th. The Marines reembarked between 25 September and 27 September, and the task group headed back to Subic Bay for six days in port. ''Tripoli'' returned to Vietnam at Danang early in October and loaded 39 defective CH-46A helicopters for transportation to
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, where their tail pylons were to be replaced. Shortly after it departed Danang on 7 October, its lookout spied an Air Force F-105 Thunderchief, which crashed into the sea about ahead. One of its helicopters flew to the scene, rescued the pilot, and returned him to the ship for medical treatment. Not long thereafter, its lookouts caught sight of a second survivor of the crash. By the time its helicopter arrived on the scene, an Air Force chopper had already picked up the man. ''Tripoli'''s helicopter assisted in the operation by taking on board the Air Force crewman who had jumped in to assist the survivor into the lift harness. ''Tripoli'' returned from the Ryukyus Islands (Japan) to Vietnamese waters at mid-month. On the 17th, CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters carried the battalion landing team to a point south of Phu Bai Combat Base in Thừa Thiên Province. The following day, the Marines changed operational control to III MAF ashore for a search and destroy sweep along Route 1. Meanwhile, ''Tripoli'' supplied logistic support until it cleared Vietnamese waters on 1 November, bound for Okinawa with another 18 defective CH-46A helicopters. After brief stops at Okinawa and Subic Bay, the ship returned to Danang on 10 November. After re-embarking SLF "Bravo," it prepared for its last amphibious operation of the deployment, Operation Badger Hunt. On the 14th, the landing force was lifted some inland to the area near
An Hoa Combat Base An Hòa Combat Base (also known as Đức Dục) is a former U.S. Marine Corps and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) base west of Hội An in Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. History The base was located approximately 28 km west of Hội ...
in Quảng Nam Province. After silencing sporadic enemy resistance near the landing site, ''Tripoli'''s Marines joined elements of the shore-based 7th Marines in a successful search-and-destroy operation. ''Tripoli'' supported the landing force through the end of the operation on the 27th, when the Marines returned to the ship. It entered Danang on the 29th and began transferring the Marines of the battalion landing team and their supporting elements to . The next day, 30 November, ''Valley Forge'' relieved ''Tripoli'' as flagship, TG 76.5; and ''Tripoli'' got underway to return to the United States via Okinawa and Yokosuka, Japan. It arrived in San Diego on 23 December 1967, and began post-deployment standdown. ''Tripoli'' completed a restricted availability at
Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
between late January and the end of March 1968. During the first three weeks of April, it conducted a series of individual ship exercises and then rounded out the month with amphibious training. From 6 to 17 May, the ship conducted refresher training and then returned to San Diego to prepare for its second WestPac deployment. On 12 June 1968, the ship stood out of San Diego on its way to the Far East. It stopped briefly at
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, Hawaii and at Okinawa before arriving at Subic Bay on 1 July. Between the 2nd and the 5th, it embarked the
2nd Battalion, 7th Marines The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines (2/7) is a light infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms and consist of approximately 800 Marines and Sailors. The battali ...
, HMM-265, Detachment Bravo of TacRon 13 and other supporting units of the ARG "Bravo." On the 6th, it departed Subic Bay and arrived the following day in the Vietnam combat zone.


Second tour

''Tripoli'''s second tour of duty closely followed the pattern of the first. During the next seven months, it patrolled the coast of South Vietnam near the I Corps tactical in a position to launch its landing contingent quickly whenever they were needed by Marine Corps, Army and South Vietnamese forces operating ashore. The first of its eight amphibious operations came the day after it arrived in the combat zone. Following preliminary naval bombardment, Operation Eager Yankee opened with a combined airborne and waterborne assault. The Marines of SLF Bravo went ashore about east of Phu Bai Combat Base. They then wheeled right and pressed north toward a known VC haven. The VC avoided contact; and, on the 16th, the Marines joined shore-based forces in Operation Houston IV. That operation ended on 22 July, and the battalion landing team returned to the ship the same day. While ''Tripoli'' proceeded to the scene of a new operation, feverish preparations allowed it to send SLF Bravo ashore again just 17 hours after the completion of reembarkation. For Operation Swift Play, the Marines rode helicopters ashore to an area about southwest of An Hoa, deep inland in Quảng Nam Province. The assault forces spotted several enemy formations, but no engagements resulted. The following day, BLT 2/7 transferred to the control of III MAF to conclude an operation designed to parry a major enemy thrust toward Danang. The landing force remained ashore operating under the commanding general, 1st Marine Division, in defense of Danang through the months of August, September and November. Meanwhile, ''Tripoli'' steamed on station offshore providing logistics and medical support, departing Vietnamese waters twice between 22 July and 5 November. In mid-August, it steamed to Subic Bay for repairs; and, in early October, it voyaged via Subic Bay to
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, for a liberty call. During all other periods, it remained off the Vietnamese coast providing support services to the Marines of BLT 2/7 operating ashore. On 5 November, the special landing force ended more than three months of combat duty ashore and re-embarked on ''Tripoli''. Five days later,
HMM-165 Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 (VMM-165) is a United States Marine Corps Tilt-rotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "White Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Californi ...
's helicopters and ''Tripoli'''s landing craft carried the Marines ashore once again. In Operation Daring Endeavor, the Marines located, closed with and destroyed enemy fortifications and captured large quantities of rice. They concluded the action on the 17th and returned to the ship that same day. Three days later, ''Tripoli'' launched its fourth landing, another combined waterborne and airborne operation directed at an area in Quảng Nam Province, just south of Danang. During Operation Swift Move, initial opposition proved very light; and the landing force quickly transferred to the control of the 1st Marine Division for further action ashore in the continued defense of Danang against PAVN and Vietcong forces. ''Tripoli'' continued support activities for the battalion landing team until 3 December when it offloaded what remained aboard of the Marines' equipment at Danang, in preparation for departing Vietnam for a liberty call in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
. After a five-day visit, it continued on to Subic Bay for a two-week availability. On 27 December 1968, she headed back to Danang. On 1 January 1969, she embarked BLT
3rd Battalion, 26th Marines The 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines (3/26) is an inactive infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They were part of the 26th Marine Regiment and 5th Marine Division and fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. They were ac ...
and HMM-164 to reconstitute SLF "Bravo." During the remainder of its second tour of duty, ''Tripoli'' participated in two more amphibious operations. The first of these, Operation Bold Mariner, was hailed as the largest such maneuver since the Allied landings 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 opposin ...
. Aimed at the
Batangan Peninsula The Ba Làng An Peninsula ( vi, mũi Ba Làng An, lit=land nose of Three Villages called An) is a peninsula in Quảng Ngãi Province, Vietnam, northeast of Quảng Ngãi and 32 km south of Chu Lai. The name was often mispronounced as "Ba Ta ...
of Quảng Ngãi Province, where the entire population was considered hostile, the operation sought to cordon off the peninsula and trap the 300 or so Vietcong operating there. Both special landing forces "Alfa" and "Bravo," joined South Vietnamese troops and soldiers of the US Army's Americal Division in forming the cordon. Following a feint near
Mo Duc Mo or MO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Mo, a girl in the ''Horrible Histories'' TV series * Mo, also known as Mortimer, in the novel ''Inkheart'' by Cornelia Funke * Mo, in the webcomic '' Jesus and Mo'' * Mo, the ...
, the amphibious force headed for the real landing area. Navy guns softened the objective beaches, and the Marines went ashore on 13 January, many by helicopter. Marines from Company H,
2nd Battalion, 26th Marines The 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines (2/26) is an inactive infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They were part of the 26th Marine Regiment and 5th Marine Division and fought during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. They were a ...
went ashore in landing craft, M-Boats carried platoons and reinforced companies which landing on the beach forming the east side of the cordon. While the operation continued, ''Tripoli'' remained offshore providing her Marines with the ever-needed logistical support and medical facilities. By 6 February, the soldiers and Marines ashore had thoroughly combed the peninsula for VC troops, so BLT 3/26 turned the mop-up operation over to the American and South Vietnamese soldiers and returned to the ship. The re-embarkation of the Marines was completed by 9 February, just in time for ''Tripoli'' to launch its last amphibious operation of the deployment. The expected enemy Tet 1969 offensive required South Vietnamese troops to be withdrawn from Operation Taylor Common, then in progress near An Hoa in Quang Nam Province. SLF Bravo was to replace those troops in Operation Defiant Measure. The landings began at 08:00 on the morning of 10 February, and the offloading of men and equipment continued for several days. ''Tripoli'' remained in the area until the 16th. Operation Defiant Measure was concluded on that day, though the Marines remained ashore to continue Operation Taylor Common. HMM-164 was disembarked before ''Tripoli'' began its voyage home. It departed Vietnam that same day, and arrived in Subic Bay on the 18th. There, it turned over her duties to USS ''Valley Forge''. On the 22nd, it got underway for badly needed repairs in Yokosuka, Japan, and before continuing on to the United States. It finally arrived back in San Diego on 19 March and began post-deployment standdown. ''Tripoli'' remained on the west coast until November. After leave and upkeep, it began an availability period at the San Diego yard of the National Steel Company, which continued until 11 August. Following refresher training in September and amphibious training in October, it stood out of San Diego on 1 November to return to the Far East. After a brief stop at
Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...
on the 15th for fuel, it continued on to Danang, South Vietnam, arriving five days later.


Third tour

During ''Tripoli'''s third deployment to the western Pacific, the combat operations along the Vietnamese coast, which had characterized its first two deployments were totally absent. Instead it conducted a series of amphibious training exercises and a series of "Keystone" operations redeploying Marine Corps units. Its first mission,
Operation Keystone Cardinal Operation Keystone Cardinal was the withdrawal of the 3rd Marine Division from South Vietnam, taking place from 30 September to 27 November 1969. Background Following the withdrawal of the 9th Marine Regiment from South Vietnam in Operation Keyston ...
, began on 20 November 1969 when it loaded the Marines and equipment of BLT
3rd Battalion, 4th Marines 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines (3/4) is an infantry battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed "Thundering Third". Nicknamed "Darkside," it is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, and consist ...
for transportation to Okinawa. At Okinawa between 24 November and 2 December, it disembarked BLT 3/4 and embarked BLT 2/9,
HMM-165 Marine Medium Tilt Rotor Squadron 165 (VMM-165) is a United States Marine Corps Tilt-rotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "White Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Californi ...
, and supporting units to constitute SLP "Alfa." On 2 December, it departed Okinawa bound for the Philippines. It conducted upkeep at Subic Bay between 5 December and 12 December and two amphibious exercises at
Zambales Zambales, officially the Province of Zambales ( fil, Lalawigan ng Zambales; ilo, Probinsia ti Zambales; Pangasinan: ''Luyag/Probinsia na Zambales''; xsb, Probinsya nin Zambales), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon re ...
on the 13th and 14th. ''Tripoli'' returned to Vietnamese waters on the 17th and cruised the area without incident until the 25th, when it headed back to Subic Bay. In the Philippines, minor repairs and more amphibious exercises occupied it until 6 January 1970. It made a six-day cruise to Vietnam and then returned to the Philippines on the 12th for more training. On the 25th, it disembarked SLF "Alfa" at Subic Bay in preparation for a voyage to Vietnam to pick up homeward-bound marines. It entered Danang on 31 January and began embarking personnel from HQ, III MAF, 1st Marine Air Wing, 1st Marine Division, and III MAF Logistics Command. Later that evening, it got underway for home. After a non-stop voyage of 17 days, the ship arrived in San Diego on 16 February. It moved to Long Beach on the 23d to replace a cracked screw and departed that port on the 27th to return to the western Pacific reaching Subic Bay on 15 March. ''Tripoli'' operated in the Philippines and at Okinawa conducting amphibious exercises in preparation for an exercise with units of
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n forces. It arrived in Korean waters on 18 April and, two days later, began Operation Golden Dragon. The combined American-South Korean amphibious exercise lasted until the 25th. ''Tripoli'' returned to Okinawa on the 27th. It briefly operated off Danang at the end of the first week in May and then visited Hong Kong for a week in mid-month. Late in May, it returned via Subic Bay to Okinawa to disembark SLF "Alfa" and then moved to Danang where it disembarked ComPhibRon 9 and his staff and took on cargo for the voyage home. ''Tripoli'' got underway on 7 June 1970 and reached San Diego on the 24th. ''Tripoli'' spent the next 15 months on the west coast. Following post-deployment' upkeep and local operations, it conducted carrier qualifications in the southern California operation area in August and an amphibious exercise off Camp Pendleton. For the remainder of 1970, the ship occupied itself with individual ship's exercises and upkeep in preparation for an overhaul, which began on 1 February 1971. It left Hunters Point on 1 June, fully revitalized, and returned to San Diego on the 3rd to prepare for refresher training, which took place in late June and early July. Amphibious refresher training filled the latter half of July. It made two brief training cruises during the first week in August: one with NROTC midshipmen embarked and the other with Marine Corps reservists on board. Local operations and preparations for its fourth WestPac deployment occupied the rest of August and the entire month of September. On 1 October, ''Tripoli'' stood out of San Diego bound for the Far East. After stops at Pearl Harbor and Okinawa, it arrived in Subic Bay on the 28th. The ship conducted amphibious training operations in the Philippines and made port visits to such places as
Keelung Keelung () or Jilong () (; Hokkien POJ: '), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. The city is a part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with its neighbors, New Taipe ...
and
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City (Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsi ...
in Taiwan and Sasebo, Japan. During its return from Sasebo to Subic Bay, it received orders to deploy to the Indian Ocean with TF-74, a special contingency task force built around in response to the Indo-Pakistani War, which erupted on 3 December. The ship remained in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
for the duration of the brief war. The fighting ended on 15 December; and, two days later, Pakistan officially accepted the loss of its eastern provinces, which became the independent nation,
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. ''Tripoli'' remained with TF 74 in the Indian Ocean and the
Bay of Bengal The Bay of Bengal is the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean, bounded on the west and northwest by India, on the north by Bangladesh, and on the east by Myanmar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. Its southern limit is a line between ...
until early 1972. It returned to Subic Bay on 14 January and resumed training operations punctuated by visits to
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Hong Kong and
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
, Japan. It began operations in Vietnamese waters at the beginning of April, operating on Yankee Station to provide search-and-rescue and medical evacuation services. It departed the combat zone twice, once for upkeep at Subic Bay and later to exchange battalion landing teams at Okinawa. At the end of June, it resumed flight operations in connection with troop movements. However, instead of carrying embarked Marines inland for amphibious landings, its helicopters moved South Vietnamese troops from point to point ashore. On 29 June, ''Tripoli''-assigned helicopters helped to transport 1,400 Vietnamese Marines from Tam My to the vicinity of Quang Tri City during the allied counteroffensive to recapture areas of the I Corps tactical zone, which had been overrun by PAVN during the Easter Offensive. As this operation, codenamed "Lam Son 72" progressed, ''Tripoli'' remained off shore, evacuating casualties and waiting should the reserves be required. That necessity came shortly before noon on 11 July, when its helicopters helped to insert the reserve Vietnamese Marines battalion, picking them up near Route 553 and landing them behind enemy lines, about north-northwest of Quang Tri City. On the 20th, ''Tripoli'' departed Vietnamese waters bound for the Philippines where heavy monsoons had caused extensive flooding. It reached Subic Bay on 23 July and conducted relief operations until 4 August, at which time it set course for the United States. ''Tripoli'' arrived at San Diego on 20 August and, remained there until 10 October. After a six-day amphibious exercise near Hunter Liggett Point, ''Tripoli'' returned to home port, where it stayed through the end of the year. During the first two months of 1973, it operated out of San Diego and prepared to deploy to the Far East once more. ''Tripoli'' stood out of San Diego on 6 March for its fifth deployment to the western Pacific. Steaming via Pearl Harbor, where it made a three-week stop for repairs to its high-pressure turbine, it arrived in Subic Bay on 17 April. The ship remained there and, when not plagued by material casualties to its main propulsion plant, conducted training preparatory to
Operation End Sweep Operation End Sweep was a United States Navy and United States Marine Corps operation to remove naval mines from Haiphong harbor and other coastal and inland waterways in North Vietnam between February and July 1973. The operation fulfilled an Am ...
, the removal of American mines from North Vietnamese waters. Though scheduled to sail for Haiphong on 16 June, it was delayed by more problems in its propulsion plant. Nevertheless, early the next morning, ''Tripoli'' headed for North Vietnam and arrived at Haiphong on the 19th. The clearing of US mines in North Vietnamese waters, particularly Haiphong, was the last remaining precondition to the release of the US prisoners of war. That morning, the commander of TF 78, Rear Admiral Brian McCauley, embarked on the ''Tripoli'' and began negotiations with North Vietnamese representatives over the conduct of Operation End Sweep. McCauley spent his childhood in China and spoke fluent Chinese as the son of Commodore Cleaveland McCauley, who was military attache to China in the 1920s, and the negotiations were conducted in Chinese. Meanwhile, ''Tripoli'''s embarked air group began providing logistics support and inter-ship transportation services. Major issues in the negotiations were resolved by 28 June, and minesweeping operations began early that morning. Throughout the operation, the ship provided a platform for helicopters engaged both in minesweeping operations and for those providing logistics and transport services. Periodically, it retired from the area to replenish and to evade typhoons. Otherwise, it remained in the minesweeping area until 18 July when it departed North Vietnamese waters in company with and , bound for
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
. Four days after its arrival back in Subic Bay, the last American operation in Vietnamese territory ended, and the End Sweep task force was dissolved. Operations reverted to CTG 76.5/ARG "Bravo." That organization lasted only two days because on the 27th, the Commander, PhibRon 1, broke his flag in Tripoli, and it became flagship for TG 76.4/ ARC "Alfa."


Operational readiness, 1974–1979

Between January 1974 and the end of 1976, ''Tripoli'' made two relatively routine deployments to the western Pacific. The first lasted from late July 1974 until late January 1975. During that time period, it operated out of Subic Bay and engaged primarily in amphibious training exercises in the Philippines. The second deployment, from mid-February to late October 1976, saw a repetition of this routine, but also included a voyage to Guam for disaster relief duty as a result of Super Typhoon Pamela. It also participated in two joint American-Korean amphibious exercises conducted near
Pohang Pohang () is a city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two wa ...
,
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, in March and June, respectively. The second deployment ended on 25 October, when it arrived in San Diego, remaining there into 1977. The first six months of 1977 were spent in a Planned Restricted Availability (PRAV) at
Naval Station San Diego Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...
, for the purpose of increasing propulsion reliability during the next deployment. While the PRAV concluded on 28 June, it was necessary to tow ''Tripoli'' to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard to use the yard's extensive facilities for the reinstallation of ''Tripoli'''s low pressure turbine. The work was completed on 26 July; and, following successful sea trials, ''Tripoli'' returned to San Diego on 28 July. Succeeding months were spent in refresher training and workup for the ship's forthcoming deployment to the western Pacific. On 3 November, ''Tripoli'' departed San Diego. Chopping to control by the Commander, 7th Fleet, on 25 November, the ship spent the next seven months in WestPac, returning to San Diego on 22 July 1978. Following post-deployment standdown, ''Tripoli'' received an inspection by the Naval Board of Inspection and Survey in September. On 16 October, the ship commenced a three-month PRAV in preparation for a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific in 1979. With the Vietnam War over, ''Tripoli'' was kept operationally ready through countless drills, exercises and maritime deployments. The Pacific Fleet introduction of the
AV-8A Harrier The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British military aircraft. It was the first of the Harrier series of aircraft and was developed in the 1960s as the first operational ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and ...
occurred between 17 June and 13 August 1974. Also in 1974, after proving that it could handle Harrier flight operations, it became the first amphibious warfare ship to carry a full squadron of AV-8s.


1980s

''Tripoli'' sailed on 12 November 1981 from San Diego for a western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployment as flagship of Amphibious Ready Group Alpha/Amphibious Squadron One (, , ) during which USS ''Tripoli'' and Amphibious Squadron One visited Perth and Fremantle, in Western Australia for R&R from 28 January to 3 February 1982. ''Tripoli'' returned home to San Diego, on 15 May 1982. In 1982, the ship was the test platform for the
XV-15 The Bell XV-15 is an American tiltrotor VTOL aircraft. It was the second successful experimental tiltrotor aircraft and the first to demonstrate the concept's high speed performance relative to conventional helicopters. Development Early VTOL ...
experimental tilt-rotor aircraft, the precursor of the
V-22 Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a convention ...
.


Stationed in the Arabian Sea, 1990–1995

In 1990,
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
i President
Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
became the focal point of international interest when, on 2 August his troops invaded
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
. Over 100 US Naval ships were sent in response, and on 1 December 1990, ''Tripoli'' was sent into action once again. ''Tripoli'' proceeded into the northern
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
and assumed duties as flagship for airborne mine countermeasures operations there with
HM-14 Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) is a United States Navy helicopter squadron established in 1978 based at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Nicknamed the ''Vanguard'' and flying the MH-53E Sea Dragon, it comprises both active dut ...
and Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 (HMLA-773) deployed aboard. On the morning of 18 February 1991, at 04:36 ''Tripoli'' was rocked by a
LUGM-145 The LUGM-145 was an Iraqi produced naval moored contact mine. The mine had a 145 kilogram explosive warhead. In February 1991, during the Gulf War, struck a LUGM-145 mine, losing a third of its fuel, and sustaining damage that would cost 3.5 millio ...
mine explosion on her starboard bow. The explosion ripped a 16 by 20 ft hole in the ship's hull. After 20 hours of damage control, the ship was stabilized and was actually ready to resume operations. However its JP5 fuel tanks were damaged by the mine hit and she was unable to deploy her MH-53E Seadragons due to a lack of fuel. ''Tripoli'' remained on station for seven days before finally setting course for
Jubail Jubail ( ar, الجبيل, ''Al Jubayl'') is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, with a total population of 684,531 as of 2021. It is home to the largest industrial city in the world. It is also home to th ...
to allow HM-14 to crossdeck to the and then to
Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
's
Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY), ( ar, الشركة العربية لبناء وإصلاح السفن) is a Multinational Arab company based in Al Hidd, Bahrain. The company was founded in 1977, by seven OAPEC member countries: ...
. After 30 days of quick repairs, ''Tripoli'' returned to the Persian Gulf where it spearheaded the U.N. mine sweeping operation to clear the naval mine fields laid down by Iraq. and sister MSO's were her escorts. ''Impervious'' was responsible for removing these mines that threatened the Tripoli. Soon after the Iraqi invasion, it became clear that Iraq was laying mines in international waters. US ships discovered and destroyed six mines during December. The US Mine Countermeasures Group (USMCMG) was established with the objective of clearing a path to the beach for a possible amphibious landing and battleship gunfire support. The minesweepers , ''Impervious'' and along with the newly commissioned mine countermeasures ship arrived in the Persian Gulf aboard the heavy-lift ship ''Super Servant III''. More than 20 Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams were also deployed to support the mine countermeasures force. Allied minesweepers from Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and Kuwait, and the MH-53E Sea Dragons of Mine Countermeasures Helicopter Squadron 14 joined the mine countermeasure effort. After months of training off Dubai, United Arab Emirates, USMCMG staff embarked on ''Tripoli'' on 20 January, and proceeded to the northern part of the Persian Gulf waters to perform their mission. As flagship for the combined operation, ''Tripoli'''s flight deck was the base for the mine-sweeping helicopters. Six British minesweepers joined their US counterparts, with UK and US warships providing air defense. USMCMG began its work east of the Kuwaiti coastline, working initially to clear a long, wide path. The mine-clearing task force spent the first few weeks of Desert Storm pushing to Point Foxtrot, a by box, which became the battleship gunfire support area south of Faylaka Island. While sweeping further toward shore, the task group was targeted by Iraqi fire control radars associated with Silkworm missile sites inside Kuwait. Task force ships moved out of Silkworm range and worked to locate the radar site. During those maneuvers on 18 February, Iraqi mines found their mark. Within three hours of each other, ''Tripoli'' and were rocked by exploding mines. As damage control teams successfully overcame fires and flooding aboard ''Tripoli'' and ''Princeton'', ''Impervious'', ''Leader'', and ''Avenger'' searched for additional mines in the area. ''Adroit'' led the salvage tug toward ''Princeton'' to tow her to safety. ''Tripoli'' was able to continue her mission for several days, until it was relieved by and and proceeded to Bahrain for repairs. ''New Orleans'' provided the helicopter deck while the mine group staff moved aboard ''La Salle'' to coordinate the operation. ''Princeton'' restored her TLAM strike and AEGIS anti-air warfare defense capabilities within fifteen minutes of the mine strike, whereupon she reassumed duties as local anti-air warfare coordinator and remained on station, providing defense for the mine countermeasures group for an additional 30 hours, until relieved. Charts and intelligence captured from Iraq showed the mine field where ''Tripoli'' and ''Princeton'' were hit was one of six laid in a arc from Faylaka Island to the Saudi-Kuwaiti border. Within that arc, there were four additional mine lines—a total of more than 1,000 mines—laid over a five-month period. Three days later, the massive 31-ship amphibious task force moved north to assist in battlefield preparation as the deadline for the ground offensive neared. As ''Wisconsin'' and ''Missouri'' steamed in the vicinity of recently cleared Point Foxtrot, their gun crews continued to hit Iraqi targets. Marine AV-8B Harriers launched from the flight deck of ''Nassau'' conducted strikes ashore. Three crewmen received
Bronze Stars The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...
, three others received
Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
s and the ship was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon for exceptional performance during the incident. When Somali warlords controlled the city of
Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
, ''Tripoli'' was ordered to respond. On 3 December 1992, ''Tripoli'' arrived off the coast of
Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
and conducted the first landing of forces in support of
Operation Restore Hope The Unified Task Force (UNITAF) was a United States-led, United Nations-sanctioned multinational force which operated in Somalia from 5 December 1992 until 4 May 1993. A United States initiative (code-named Operation Restore Hope), U ...
. During the night landing, ''Tripoli'''s Marines were able to secure the airport and seaports in Mogadishu. When Iraqi President Saddam Hussein began to redeploy his forces along the border of Kuwait in late 1994, ''Tripoli'' was sent as the initial show of force. Assuming duties with other ships in the northern Persian Gulf, ''Tripoli'' prepared to conduct amphibious operations in response to any further southward movement by Iraqi forces.
Operation Vigilant Warrior Operation Vigilant Warrior ( ar, عملية المحارب اليقظ) was a military operation from 8 October 1994 to 15 December 1994 by the United States in response to two divisions of Iraqi Republican Guard troops moving toward the Kuwaiti ...
resulted in the withdrawal of Hussein's forces from Kuwait's border.


Decommissioning

''Tripoli'' was decommissioned in 1995 and as of 2004, she was on loan to the
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, but remained laid up at
Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...
. In December 2006, the ship was towed to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where it had a high-tech role as a launch platform with the United States' developing ballistic missile defense program. Three times the ship was towed some off shore and used to launch small ballistic missiles, which were then intercepted by
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their terminal ...
Missiles, test-fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility. The last test in the series was performed 26 October, when the ship fired a "
Scud A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second World, Second and Third World, Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporti ...
-like" missile, which was successfully intercepted. The ship was towed back to the San Francisco Bay Area for the winter. As the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i lacked a suitable land-based launch site, and the costs of building one would far exceed the approximately $600,000 per year it costs to use the old warship, so the vessel returned to Pearl Harbor for a second series of tests in late spring 2008. In March 2015, the ship was towed back through the Panama Canal and stored with the
Beaumont Reserve Fleet The Beaumont Reserve Fleet, was established by act of Congress in 1946, as a component of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF). The fleet is located in Beaumont, Texas. History In 1946, the US Government excavated 24 million cubic yards of s ...
. In August 2016 the
US Maritime Administration The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. De ...
designated it for disposal. In July 2018, ''Tripoli'' was towed from Beaumont to
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
, for scrapping by
European Metal Recycling European Metal Recycling is a global scrap metal company, founded in 1994 by Phillip Sheppard. In 2013, their annual pre-tax profits for the UK were £47 million. They employ around 4,000 people in over 150 locations all around the world. Christ ...
.


Awards

*
Joint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA) is a US military award that was established on June 4, 1981, by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982. The Joint Meritori ...
*
Navy Unit Commendation 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 Co ...
with 4 awards * Combat Action Ribbon with 5 awards * Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation * Navy Battle "E" Ribbon with 2 awards * National Defense Service Medal * Vietnam Service Medal with 9 awards * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal *
Southwest Asia Service Medal The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM or SWASM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members ...
*
Humanitarian Service Medal The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under . The medal may be awarded to members of the United States military (includi ...
*
Philippines Presidential Unit Citation The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
*
Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation 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 wa ...
with 8 awards * Vietnam Campaign Medal


Gallery


See also

*
Vincent O'Rourke Vincent Patrick O'Rourke (19 May 192214 July 2011) was a World War II United States naval aviator in the Pacific theater and two time recipient of the Navy Cross, the Navy's second highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor. After the war ...
, commanding officer of ''Tripoli'' 26 August 1970 to 10 September 1971. *USS Iwo Jima Class Association
USS Iwo Jima Class Association


References


{{DEFAULTSORT:Tripoli (Lph-10) Maritime incidents in 1991 Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ships Cold War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States Vietnam War amphibious warfare vessels of the United States Gulf War ships of the United States Experimental ships of the United States Missile defense Ships of the United States Army Ships built in Pascagoula, Mississippi 1965 ships