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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Austin (LPD-4)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Delta - Oscar
 NEDO
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (2)
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (6)
Third Row - Navy Expeditionary Service Medal (1-Lebanon) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Dominican Republic, 3-Lebanon, 1-Op. Restore Hope, Somalia)
Fourth Row - Iraq Campaign Medal - Global War on Terrorism Service Medal - Armed Forces Service Medal (4)
Austin Class Amphibious Transport Dock:
  • Laid down, 4 February 1963, at New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Launched, 26 June 1964
  • Commissioned USS Austin (LPD-4), 6 February 1965, CAPT. William H. Shaw in command
  • Austin was the lead ship of her class and varies from the rest in that she has no hanger. The Austin class LPDs are based on the design of the earlier Raleigh class LPDs
  • While in commission USS Austin was assigned to COMPHIBGRU2, COMNAVSURFLANT, homeported at NAB Little Creek, VA.
  • Decommissioning date, 27 September 2006, at Pier 1 Naval Station Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 27 September 2006
  • Final Disposition, scrapping contract awarded, 22 May 2009, to International Shipbreaking, Ltd, Brownsville TX.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,734 t.(lt), 17,326 t.(fl)
    Length 570'
    Beam 84'
    Draft 23 ft.
    Speed 21 kts.
    Complement
    24 Officers
    396 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations 900
    Flag Staff Accommodations 90
    Boats Assault Craft, (well deck capacity) 1 LCU, or 2 LCM-8 or 4 LCM-6, (ships boats) 2 LCPL, 1 motor whaleboat
    Armament
    two 25mm MK38 chain guns
    two Phalanx CIWS
    eight 50 cal. machine guns.
    Aircraft up to six CH-46/CH-53 or four UH-1/AH-1, or two AV-8B Harriers
    Propulsion
    two Foster-Wheeler boilers
    two DeLaval steam turbines
    two propellers, 24,000 Shaft Horsepower
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Austin 132k Austin (LPD-4) ready for commissioning, 6 February 1965, at New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y. Tommy Trampp
    Austin 532k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Charles Lamm
    Austin 46k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway in 1967, location unknown.  
    Austin 37k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, 22 April 1965, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # USN 1111157    		 Robert Hurst
    Austin 113k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Austin 83k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 CDR. Louis D. Chirillo USN Ret
    Austin 42k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Joe Franklin SKCS(SW) USN
    Austin
    10090428    		 175k USS Austin (LPD-4) being towed by a CH-53 helicopter in Long Island Sound in 1967.
    US Navy photo    		 Rob Larson
    Austin 60k USS Austin (LPD-4) moored pierside, San Juan Puerto Rico, early 1967 Photo by Steve Connelly USS Austin plank owner
    Austin 71k USS Austin (LPD-4) and USS Lindenwald (LSD-6) moored pierside, San Juan Puerto Rico, early 1967 Photo by Steve Connelly USS Austin plank owner
    Austin 67k USS Austin (LPD-4) at anchor in 1967, location unknown. Photo by Steve Connelly USS Austin plank owner
    Austin 89k USS Austin (LPD-4) in 1967 during an underway refueling from USS Waccamaw (AO-109), location unknown. Bill Guhl USS Waccamaw
    Austin 96k USS Austin (LPD-4) under way, circa 1969, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Austin 307k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway in the Mediterranean Sea, 24 April 1970 Photos by Carlo Martinelli
    Austin 269k
    Austin 74k USS Austin (LPD-4) under way in 1967, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Austin 70k USS Austin (LPD-4) under way date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Austin 258k USS Austin (LPD-4) Med moored, at Genoa, Italy, 4 May 1980 Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Austin/Trenton 75k USS Austin (LPD-4) and USS Trenton (LPD-14) at Norfolk, VA., circa 1980s. Edward Cleary
    Austin 414k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway in Norwegian waters in 1981 during COLDEXI FLOTEXICOLD WINTER 81.
    Photo taken by Brian Sharp FTM3 USS Guam (LHD-9)    		 Edward Cleary
    Austin 81k USS Austin (LPD-4) closing to refuel from RFS Grey Rover (A269) in the North Atlantic, March 1984.
    Photo by George Mortimer    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Austin/Trenton 73k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Leonhardt
    Austin
    1009040929     		208k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway at San Diego, CA., date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Austin
    1009040930     		198k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Austin
    1009040931     		183k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Austin
    1009040932     		208k USS Austin (LPD-4) underway, date and location unknown. Nicholas Tiberio
    Austin 81k USS Austin (LPD-4) returns to Norfolk Naval Station after a regularly scheduled six month deployment with the USS Enterprise Carrier Battle group, 20 December 1996. Note USNS San Diego (T-AFS-6) moored to the pier at left.
    US Navy photo # 961221-N-1055H-015 by PH1 Alexander C. Hicks Jr.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Austin 147k USS Austin (LPD-4) on-station at the crash site of EgyptAir Flight 990, November 1999. Austin served as the command and control ship for the Navy's search and recovery mission.
    US Navy photo # 991110-N-1110A-503 by PH1 Tina M. Ackerman    		 Bill Gonyo
    Austin 123k USS Austin (LPD-4) is gently maneuvered into a pier at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 9 May 2005 by Santaquin (YTB-824). Austin was attached to Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), which was operating in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of exercise New Horizons in Haiti. Nassau ESG was being called upon to support the recovery of forces and equipment as the New Horizons’ project closed.
    US Navy photo # 050510-N-2903M-001 by PH1 Terry Matlock, Navy Newsstand    		 Bill Gonyo
    Austin 191k Ex-USS Austin (LPD-4) laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), 29 October 2007. Photo by ©Marc Piché Vercheres, Quebec, Canada. TJ Tropea, Courtesy Marc Piché
    Austin 56k One of ex-USS Austin (LPD-4) anchors on display at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Museum, Brooklyn, N.Y., 2011. Danielle Romano, Museum Curator
    Additional Ships Patches
    Austin
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski    		 Austin
    Contributed by Frank M. Egger    		 Austin
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski    		 Austin
    10090494
    Contributed by Tommy Trampp

    For more photos and information about USS Austin, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Austin (LPD-4)
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Shaw, William Harvey6 February 1965 - 25 November 1966
    02CAPT. Stecher, Robert Wesley25 November 1966 - 27 October 1967
    03CAPT. Hoover, William Howard, USN (USNA 1945)27 October 1967 - 16 December 1968
    04CAPT. Mathews, John Marion16 December 1968 - 29 April 1970
    05CAPT. Vermylia, Robert S.29 April 1970 = 30 July 1971
    06CAPT. Guthrie, William Sherrod30 July 1971 - 3 August 1973
    07CAPT. Powell Jr., James Richard3 August 1973 - 17 December 1974
    08CAPT. Kamrad, Joseph George17 December 1974 - 16 January 1976
    09CAPT. Miller Jr., Curtis William, USN (USNA 1953)16 January 1976 - 13 April 1977
    10CAPT. Rogers, Robert Burnett :RADM13 April 1977 - 4 August 1978
    11CAPT. Fries, Charles Leslie4 August 1978 - 12 October 1979
    12CAPT. White, Ervin Eugene12 October 1979 - 2 March 1980
    13CAPT. Kingston, John James2 March 1980 - 14 April 1980
    14CAPT. Sabine, Frederick Ralph 14 April 1980 - 12 February 1982
    15CAPT. Springer, Judson H.12 February 1982 - 31 October 1983
    16CAPT. Olds, Frederick Arthur31 October 1983 - 20 September 1985
    17CAPT. Smith, Robert P.20 September 1985 - 23 September 1987
    18CAPT. Gastar, Stanley Douglas23 September 1987 - 6 October 1989
    19CAPT. De Gruy, Charles Monrose, USN (USNA 1967)6 October 1989 - 13 May 1991
    20CAPT. Buchanan Jr., Charles Cecil, USN (USNA 1967)13 May 1991 - 13 November 1992
    21CAPT. Holder, Gordon Stallings, USN :VADM13 November 1992 - 17 June 1994
    22CAPT. Petruska III, Andrew M.17 June 1994 - 24 May 1996
    23CAPT. Valentine Jr., William Dawson, USN (USNA 1979) 24 May 1996 - 10 October 1997
    24CAPT. Callas, Richard Stanton10 October 1997 - 1 July 1999
    25CAPT. Crow, William Wayne, USN (USNA 1980)1 July 1999 - 22 March 2001
    26CDR. Colonna, Richard A., USNR22 March 2001 - 10 November 2002
    27CDR. Gordon, Scott Stephen, USN (USNA 1984)10 November 2002 - 28 May 2004
    28CDR. Graham, Michael Ray, USN (USNA 1985)28 May 2004 - 26 March 2005
    29CDR. Flanagan, Kevin Patrick26 March 2005 - 27 September 2006
    30CDR. Harris Jr., Ward Lee, USN (USNA 1974) (temporary CO)no dates
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 10 February 2023