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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Okinawa (LPH-3)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Oscar - Kilo - India NOKI

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2) - Navy Unit Commendation (5)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1 Cuba, 2 Iran/Indian Ocean)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1 Cuba, 1 Dominican Republic, 1 Op. Eagle Pull, 1 Op. Frequent Wind, 2 Persian Gulf) - Vietnam Service Medal (7)
Fourth Row - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Humanitarian Service Medal (1 Eagle Pull, 1 Frequent Wind) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbons - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)

Iwo Jima Class Amphibious Assault Ship (Helicopter):

Laid down, 1 April 1960, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.

Launched, 19 August 1960

Commissioned USS Okinawa (LPH-3), 14 April 1962

During the Vietnam War Okinawa (LPH-3) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 18 to 19 April 1967 18 to 31 May 1967	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 25 to 28 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 12 June 1967 27 June to 15 August 1967 1 September to 1 November 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 15 to 18 July 1970 23 to 27 July 1970 9 to 12 August 1970 8 to 10 September 1970 12 to 15 September 1970 4 to 9 October 1970 5 to 6 November 1970 23 to 27 May 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 8 December 1968 to 26 January 1969 12 to 22 February 1969	Vietnam Ceasefire 27 April to 30 May 1972 9 June to 2 July 1972 9 July to 25 August 1972 29 September to 1 October 1972 5 to 20 October 1972 21 to 22 November 1972
Tet/69 Counteroffensive 23 February to 30 March 1969 14 April to 27 May 1969	.

Decommissioned and Struck from the Naval Register, 17 December 1992

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA

Transferred to Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility Bremerton in August 2000 for SINKEX preparation

Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 06 June 2002, off the coast of Southern California

Okinawa earned seven campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 11,000 t.(lt.), 18,474 t.(fl)
Length 592'
Beam 84'
Flight Deck 105'
Draft 27'
Speed 22 kts.
Complement 667
Troop Accommodations 2,157
Aircraft 25 helicopters
Armament

(as built) 4 3"/50 AA guns

(modifications) two Phalanx CIWS added
Propulsion

two 600 psi boilers

one geared steam turbine

single shaft, 22,000 shaft horsepower

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
32k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3) underway as a unit of Task Force 124 during Operation Power Pack enroute to the Dominican Republic in April 1965 with HMM-263 aboard. Okinawa was the hospital ship and HMM-263** was the Medevac Squadron during the U.S. Intervention in the Dominican Republic in 1965	.
129k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** underway off NOB Norfolk , VA., 20 July 1964	© Richard Leonhardt
69k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** underway during Apollo 15 recovery operations in 1971.	Tom Sparkman, CDR, USNR-Ret.
60k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3) underway on Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam, circa May/June 1972. The aircraft aboard Okinawa** belonged to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron HMM-164. Photo taken from St. Louis (LKA-116)	Photo by Patrick Doyle, 9th Motor Transport Bn, 4th Marines
64k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3) receives a double probe rig from USNS Kawishiwi (T-AO-146)** as they prepare for an underway fuel replenishment, date and place unknown.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
68k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3) in the Gulf of Siam during Operation Eagle Pull in March 1975 conducting an underway replenishment with USS Vega (AF-59)**.	Photo by Richard Spring, CMDCM(SW/AW) USN Ret.
102k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** underway off Okinawa in 1977. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
74k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** underway in the Pacific, August 1979. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
108k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)**, returning to San Diego in 1984 from a Mini-Westpac Cruise, her first cruise after a year in drydock when the Phalanx system was installed. US Navy photo	Jerry Hays
56k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** at anchor in Hong Kong Harbor, 1989	William Chiu
64k	*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** at anchor in Hong Kong Harbor, 1989	William Chiu
74k	Ex-*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3) inboard of ex-USS New Orleans (LPH-11)** moored together at the end of a multi-ship row at Suisun Bay. Photo by Carolyn Bonner. Photo from "Warship Boneyards" by Kit and Carolyn Bonner.	Robert Hurst
122k	Ex-*USS Okinawa* (LPH-3)** underway at San Diego as she heads out to sea, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
41k	Ex-Okinawa (LPH-3), sunk as target by *USS Portsmouth* (SSN-707)**, 6 June 2002. Location: 031° 27' 00.0" North, 119° 42' 00.6" West. Depth: 2020 fathoms. Tonnage: 13000. COMSUBPAC "SINKEX" photo	Fabio Peña

USS Okinawa (LPH-3) Memorabilia
Commissioning Program Contributed by Robert M. Cieri	Decommissioning Program Contributed by Robert M. Cieri

View the USS Okinawa (LPH-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
USS Okinawa LPH-3 - Military.com Unit Page

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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Last Updated 12 May 2008