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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Tarawa (LHA-1)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Lima - Hotel - Alpha NLHA

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Iran/Indian Ocean)- National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon, 1-Somalia) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Tarawa Class Amphibious Assault Ship (General Purpose):

Laid down in November 1972, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. Pascagoula MS.

Launched, 1 December 1973

Commissioned USS Tarawa (LHA-1), 29 May 1976, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. Pascagoula MS., CAPT. James H. Morris USN in command

USS Tarawa is a unit of Amphibious Group Three, Naval Surfaces Forces Pacific, US Third Fleet, US Pacific Fleet, and is homeported at San Diego, CA.

Specifications:
Displacement 38,900 tons (fl.)
Length 820'
Beam 106'
Draft 26'
Speed 24 kts.
Complement 82 Officer, 882 Enlisted
Troop Accommodations 1900 plus
Armament

two RAM launchers

two single 5"/54 dual purpose gun mounts

two single 20mm Phalanx (CIWS)

six single 25mm chain guns
Aircraft 28 amphibious transport helicopters
Propulsion two 600 psi boilers, two geared steam turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total shaft horsepower

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
155k	"Navy Times" 1986 Ship in the Spotlight featuring *USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)**.	Robert M. Cieri
118k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway during at-sea trials, Summer 1975. US Navy photo from "NAVSEA Journal."	Bob Bush
146k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway during at-sea trials, Summer 1975. US Navy photo from "NAVSEA Journal."	Bob Bush
95k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
89k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** arriving at White Beach, Okinawa, 4 April 1979.	Ken Moss EN3 CTF-76 Staff
89k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1) moored at White Beach, Okinawa, April 1979. In the foreground LCU-1666 is underway entering the pier area after leaving Tarawa**'s well deck.	Ken Moss EN3 CTF-76 Staff
60k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** about to recover a Marine Corps AV-8A Harrier during the exercise "Valiant Blitz", in the Philippines, 1980.	Robert Hurst
77k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
105k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, date and place unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
242k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway at San Diego, CA, date unknown. US Navy photo	.
62k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway location unknown, June 1986. US Navy photo	Robert M. Cieri
53k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	.
55k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** at anchor in Hong Kong harbor, BCC, 24 November 1989.	William Chiu
59k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** at anchor in Hong Kong harbor, BCC, 24 November 1989.	William Chiu
63k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** at anchor in Hong Kong harbor, BCC, 24 November 1989.	William Chiu
73k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, September 1995, location unknown.	Robert M. Cieri
105k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** on patrol off southern California in support of exercise Kernel Blitz '97, 28 June 1997. US Navy photo # 970628-N-3962B-001.	Bill Gonyo
70k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** at anchor off Bahrain, 11 March 1998 US Navy photo 980311-N-1717N	.
97k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, July 2001, location unknown.	Robert M. Cieri
58k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** departing Pearl Harbor, 28 June 2002. US Navy photo # 1-020628-N-3228G-002 from the US Navy Newsstand web site.	Bernard A. Cardali USN, USS LST-308
51k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** moored pierside at NAS North Island, San Diego, CA., 2003.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
96k	*USNS Yukon* (T-AO-202) delivers fuel to USS Tarawa (LHA 1)** during an underway replenishment (UNREP), in the Arabian Gulf, 7 April 2003. US Navy photo # 030407-N-2515C-005 by PH2 Larry S. Carlson.	Navy Newsstand
82k	*USNS Yukon* (T-AO-202) delivers fuel to USS Tarawa (LHA 1)** during an underway replenishment (UNREP), in the Arabian Gulf, 7 April 2003. US Navy photo # 030407-N-2515C-009 by PH2 Larry S. Carlson.	Navy Newsstand
63k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** during amphibious operations, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Bill Gonyo
50k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway, date and location unknown. Photo by Justin Kavalauskas, USMC HMM-163 REIN	Mark Tilton
79k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** underway aerial view, date and location unknown. Photo by Justin Kavalauskas, USMC HMM-163 (REIN)	Mark Tilton
62k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** flight deck view, date and location unknown. Photo by Justin Kavalauskas, USMC HMM-163 REIN	Mark Tilton
45k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** stern gate view, date and location unknown. Photo by Justin Kavalauskas, USMC HMM-163 REIN	Mark Tilton
74k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** leading the Parade of Ships passing Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, 9 October 2003, during Fleet Week 2004.	Photo by CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
63k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** departing from her home port, San Diego, CA., 16 July 2005 for a WESTPAC deployment. The ship returned to San Diego, 20 February 2006. US Navy photo.	Jack Treutle
483k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** moored pierside at Naval Station San Diego, CA., March 2006.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
447k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** moored pierside at Naval Station San Diego, CA., 2006.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
181k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** moored pierside at Naval Station San Diego, CA., August 2006.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
404k	*USS Tarawa* (LHA-1) and USNS Pecos (T-AO-197)** moored pierside at Naval Station San Diego, CA., October 2006.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
770k	An AV-8B Harrier assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM-166 (reinforced) launches from the flight deck of *USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)*. U.S. forces maintain a naval and air presence in the region that deters destabilizing activities while safeguarding the region's vital links to the global economy. US Navy photo # 080301-N-6597HN-093, PERSIAN GULF (March 1, 2008)* by MCSN Jon Husman.	Robert M. Cieri
309k	Aboard *USS Tarawa* (LHA-1)** Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit run and train on the fight deck, 7 March 2008. US Navy photo # 080307-N-1786N-018, PERSIAN GULF (March 7, 2008) by MC3 Bryan Niegel.	Robert M. Cieri

USS Tarawa (LHA-1) Memorabilia
Christening Program Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	Commissioning Program Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	Ship's Namesake Contributed by Robert M. Cieri

Welcome Aboard - 1980
Contributed by
Robert M. Cieri

Welcome Aboard - 1986
Contributed by
Robert M. Cieri

Welcome Aboard - 1995
Contributed by
Robert M. Cieri

Welcome Aboard - 2001
Contributed by
Robert M. Cieri

View the USS Tarawa (LHA-1)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

View the USS Tarawa (LHA-1)
Ship History/Command Operations Reports located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association
USS Tarawa Veterans' Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Amphibious Assault Ships - LHA/LHD/LHA(R)

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Last Updated 25 April 2008