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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)

International Radio Call Sign: November - Bravo - Whiskey - Delta NBWD

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (13) - Navy Expeditionary Medal
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2) - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Boat People, 28 April 1981)

Tarawa Class Amphibious Assault Ship (General Purpose):

Laid down, 5 March 1973, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 11 April 1977

Commissioned USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), 23 September 1978, CAPT. Ted C. Steele USN, in command

Deactivated at Naval Station San Diego, 13 October 2005

Towed to Naval Station Pearl for lay up in the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility Pearl Harbor

Decommissioned, 28 October 2005

Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 10 July 2006, during SINKEX 2006

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 gun mounts

two 20 mm Phalanx (CIWS)

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

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
111	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** and USS John Young (DD-973) run side-by-side in the Gulf of Mexico, 22 May 1978. Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. photo.	Robert M. Cieri
79k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway in 1978 in the Pacific. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
133k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway with Marine Corps Helicopter detachment on deck, date and place unknown. US Navy photo.	Belleau Wood web site
107k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway in 1980, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
93k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Belleau Wood web site
71k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway off Point Loma, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
57k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** moored pierside during Fleet Week, at San Francisco, CA., 10 October 1987. Note, crew has spelled out "Just Say No !" on the flight deck. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
89k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown.	Dustie Meads and Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
48k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)**, at anchor in Hong Kong harbor, BCC, 28 July 1995.	William Chiu
48k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** at sea, June 1987. US Navy photo	Edward Cleary
83k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway in 1991 in the Pacific. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
61k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)**, moored at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan, date unknown. US Navy Photo by PH3 Sean C. Ryan	Scot at LBS Products
84k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway, 23 December 1992 in the Pacific. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
89k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3)** underway in the Pacific, date unknown. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
86k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3) departs India Basin in Sasebo, Japan, for the last time, 11August 2000. Belleau Wood recently completed the largest hull swap with the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). The crew that was in Essex transferred to Belleau Wood, and is bringing the ship back to her new homeport of San Diego. The crew that was in Belleau Wood has shifted to Essex** which remains in Sasebo. US Navy photo # 000811-N-1303B-025 by LT. Lisa Brackenbury, photo from US Navy Newsstand web site.	Bill Gonyo
150k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3) underway, circa 2002. This says it all!** US Navy photo	Harvey Britt
73k	*USS Belleau Wood* (LHA-3) sailors “man the rails” for the final time as the ship sails through San Diego Harbor completing her final voyage after 27 years of service as a U.S. Navy ship. Belleau Wood will be the first Tarawa Class amphibious assault ship to be decommissioned to make way for the LHA(R) amphibious class ship, expected in 2013. Note the decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Midway (CV-41)** in the background. US Navy photo # 050711-N-7286M-083 by PH2 Daniel R. Mennuto.	Chet Morris
67k	*USNS Navajo* (T-ATF-169) tows the decommissioned USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) out of Pearl Harbor to open waters off Hawaii for an upcoming sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2006. Belleau Wood** will become an artificial reef near Hawaii. Eight nations are participating in RIMPAC, the world's largest biennial maritime exercise. Conducted in the waters off Hawaii, RIMPAC brings together military forces from Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. US Navy photo # 060710-N-9288T-041 by MC2 Brandon A. Teeples.	Tony Cowart
62k	*USNS Navajo* (T-ATF-169) tows the decommissioned USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) out of Pearl Harbor to open waters off Hawaii for an upcoming sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2006. Belleau Wood** will become an artificial reef near Hawaii.. US Navy photo # 060710-N-9288T-053 by MC2 Brandon A. Teeples.	Lee Wahler
75k	*USNS Navajo* (T-ATF-169) tows the decommissioned USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)** out of Pearl Harbor to open waters off Hawaii for an upcoming sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2006. US Navy photo # 060710-N-8629M-005 by MC2 Rebecca J. Moat.	Tony Cowart

Additional Ships Patches
Contributed by Clinton Henderson	Contributed by Clinton Henderson

USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) Memorabilia
Welcome Aboard pamphlet Contributed by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.	1985 Welcome Aboard pamphlet Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	1992 Welcome Aboard pamphlet Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	1995 Welcome Aboard pamphlet Contributed by Robert M. Cieri
1992 Plan of the Day, 1 January 1986, Cover page Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	1992 Plan of the Day, 1 January 1986, Page-1 Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	1992 Plan of the Day, 1 January 1986, Page-2 Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	1992 Decommissioning Program Contributed by Robert M. Cieri

View SINKEX photos of Belleau Wood 10 July 2006

View the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3)
DANFS history entry Located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

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

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

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Last Updated 18 August 2006