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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Tulare (LKA-112)
ex
USS Tulare (AKA-112) (1956 - 1969)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Oscar - Tango
NEOT
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Incident Victor (1964-70)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2)
Second Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (10)
Third Row - Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal


Tulare Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 16 February 1953, as SS Evergreen Mariner, a Maritime Administration type (C4-S-1a) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MC hull 32) at Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp., San Francisco, CA.
  • Launched, 22 December 1953
  • Commissioned USS Tulare (AKA-112), 12 January 1956, CAPT. Donald Whiley Todd in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Tulare (AKA-112/LKA-112) participated in the following campaigns:

    Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Advisory Campaign
    8 August to 29 September 1964
    Tet69/Counteroffensive
    6 March to 19 April 1969
    2 May to 8 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    6 to 10 March 1966
    25 to 29 March 1966
    6 to 9 May 1966
    17 to 22 May 1966
    29 to 31 May 1966
    10 to 12 June 1966
    21 to 26 June 1966
    Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 to 14 June 1969
    7 July to 7 August 1969
    13 to 16 August 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    9 to 25 July 1966
    5 to 14 August 1966
    Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    9 to 11 January 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    6 December 1967 to 27 January 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    18 to 19 December 1970
    27 to 28 December 1970
    8 to 26 January 1971
    1 to 5 May 1971
    Tet Counteroffensive
    5 to 7 February 1968
    18 to 20 February 1968
    23 February to 1 April 1968
    Vietnam Ceasefire
    20 to 21 December 1972
    28 December 1972 to 7 January 1973
    22 to 26 January 1973
    5 to 15 February 1973
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 to 20 April-1968
    19 to 24 May 1968
     

  • Redesignated (LKA-112), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 31 March 1986
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 August 1992
  • USS Tulare earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Final Disposition, Sold 23 November 2011 to International Shipbreaking, Brownsville TX. Departed Suisun Bay for Mare Island, 24 Nov 2011 and departed Mare Island for Brownsville 30 Dec 2011. Sale price $1,138,000.00 ÿ> Specifications:
    Displacement 9,190 t.(lt) 16,000 t.(fl)
    Length 564'
    Beam 76'
    Draft 26'
    Complement 435
    Speed 20 kts.
    Armament
    six twin 3"/50 guns dual purpose gun mounts
    six .50 cal. machine guns
    Propulsion geared turbine, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Tulare 296k Tulare (AKA-112), a converted mariner, outbound from San Francisco Bay to sea, 7 December 1955, prior to commissioning for builders trials. Tulare is almost a hundred feet longer than her sister ships and displaces 15,000 tons. She was constructed by the Bethlehem Steel Company, Pacific, San Francisco, CA.
    US Navy photo # USN 684239
    National Museum of the US Navy
    Tulare 95k Tulare (AKA-112) prior to commissioning, outbound from San Francisco Bay to sea, 7 December 1955, for builders trials. She was the first US attack cargo ship with a helicopter platform. Her quadrupod masts carry standard contemporary radars: SPS-10 forward for surface search, SPS-6 aft for air search.
    US Navy photo and text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.
    Robert Hurst
    Tulare 1018k Tulare (AKA-112) prior to commissioning, outbound from San Francisco Bay to sea in December 1955, probably for builders trials. Photo source "San Francisco Examiner" photo archives David Buell
    Tulare 949k Tulare (AKA-112) prior to commissioning, outbound to sea in January 1956 from San Francisco Bay nearing the Golden Gate Bridge, probably for builders trials. David Buell
    Tulare 1389k USS Tulare (AKA-112) mooring, probably at Naval Station Treasure Island San Francisco, 16 January 1956. Note her boats on the pier.Photo source "San Francisco Examiner" photo archives David Buell
    Tulare 234k USS Tulare (AKA-112) conducting amphibious training with US Marine Corps Reserves in June 1958 at Coronado, CA.
    USMC photos from the files of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
    Darryl Baker
    Tulare 211k
    Tulare 74k USS Tulare (AKA-112) under way, circa 1960, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # K-67590
    Robert Hurst
    Tulare 92k USS Tulare (AKA-112) under way, in 1963 in the Pacific Ocean
    US Navy photo
    Tommy Trampp
    Tulare
    100211234
    601k USS Tulare (AKA-112) participating in an underway replenishment in 1965 with a Sacramento Class AOE and USS George Clymer (APA-27) (not visible) off her port side Photo by Gary Hornung taken from USS George Clymer Bob Canchola
    Tulare 29k USS Tulare (AKA-112) departing Pearl Harbor, 1966 USS Tulare web site
    Tulare 17k USS Tulare (AKA-112) during amphibious operations, date and location unknown.  
    Tulare 54k USS Tulare (AKA-112) at Hong Kong, BCC, June 1966 Les McCallum USS Tulare
    Cimarron
    091902256
    949k USS Cimarron (AO-22) conducting an underway replenishment in 1966 with USS Tulare (AKA-112) to starboard and USS George Clymer (APA-27) (not visible) off her port side Photo by Gary Hornung taken from USS George Clymer Bob Canchola
    Tulare 15k USS Tulare (AKA-112) loading Marines for Vietnam at San Diego, 1967 USS Tulare web site
    Tulare 12k USS Tulare (AKA-112) at anchor Chu Lai, South Vietnam, 1967 USS Tulare web site
    Tulare 89k USS Tulare (AKA-112) coming alongside USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) off the coast of South Vietnam in 1969. Photo taken by H.R. Adams CSC USN Larry Lee
    Tulare 76k USS Tulare (AKA-112) under way in 1969, location unknown.
    US Navy photo by PHCS G. W. Walsh, Jr.
    Robert Hurst
    Tulare 239k USS Tulare (AKA-112) under way circa 1970, location unknown.
    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum File No. LKA 112 975X1-4-70 TH, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.
    Darryl Baker
    Tulare 178k USS Tulare (AKA-112) entering the port of Vancouver, B.C., 20 July 1971.
    City of Vancouver Archives, Photo No. AM1506-S3-3-: CVA 447-5571, by Walter E. Frost.
    Mike Green
    Tulare 76k USS Tulare (AKA-112) under way at San Diego, CA., date unknown. Russ Padden
    Tulare 88k USS Tulare (AKA-112) under way off Oakland, CA., October 1979. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Tulare 40k Ex-USS Tulare (AKA-112) laid up in reserve at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA, circa 2000.
    National Maritime Administration photos.
    Ron Reeves
    Tulare 34k
    Tulare 39k
    Tulare 252k
    Tulare 233k
    Tulare 224k Ex-USS Tulare (AKA-112) in the breakers yard at International Shipbreaking, Brownsville TX., early 2012. Ed Mersich
    USS Tulare web site


    For more photos and information about USS Tulare, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • National Register Eligibility Assessment
  • Decommissioning Program
  • USS Tulare (AKA-112)
  • Suisun Reserve Fleet photos by Michael McDermott

  • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Todd, Donald Whiley12 January 1956 - 10 September 1956
    02CAPT. MacKenzie, Colin Jack10 September 1956 - 16 September 1957
    03CAPT. Crawford, Earl Russell :RADM16 September 1957 - 25 September 1958
    04CAPT. Rutter Jr., James Boyd25 September 1958 - 9 October 1959
    05CAPT. O'Brien Jr., Leslie James :RADM9 October 1959 - 17 December 1960
    06CAPT. Schwartz, John Randolph, USN17 December 1960 - 2 March 1962
    07CAPT. Ramage, Donald Brewster, USN (USNA 1938)2 March 1962 - 11 July 1963
    08CAPT. Byrnside Jr., Benjamin Claude, USN (USNA 1941) 11 July 1963 - 14 July 1964
    09CAPT. Elder, William Ernest14 July 1964 - 30 October 1964
    10CAPT. Robinson Jr., Samuel James, USN (USNA 1943)30 October 1964 - 15 October 1965
    11CAPT. Streeper, Harold Preston (Jeep), USN15 October 1965 - October 1966
    12CAPT. Thompson, Robert Drysdale, USN (USNA 1946)14 October 1966 - 16 March 1968
    13CAPT. Russell Jr., Thomas Beckwith, USN :RADM16 March 1968 - 3 June 1969
    14CAPT. Law, Jason Pierce, USN (USNA 1948-B)3 June 1969 - 18 September 1970
    15CAPT. Bogwell, Wallace Bruce18 September 1970 - October 1971
    16CAPT. Cheek, Glen ReidOctober 1971 - May 1973
    17CDR. Bussard Jr., Vernon RandolphMay 1973 - May 1974
    18CDR. McCullough, Robert FranceMay 1974 - ?
    19CAPT. Roundtree, Jack Lewis1977 - July 1979
    20CDR. McKinney, James Bradley, USN (USNA 1960)July 1979 - January 1980
    22CAPT. Breece, James Philip, USN (USNA 1961)January 1980 - 15 February 1980
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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    Last Updated 24 February 2023