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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Tripoli (LPH-10)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Quebec - Uniform
 NWQU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (5) - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Unit Commendation (4)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (9) - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Op. Restore Hope, Somalia)
Fourth Row - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation for Gallantry (8) - Vietnam Campaign Medal
Iwo Jima Class Amphibious Assault Ship (Helicopter):
  • Laid down, 15 June 1964, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. Pascagoula, MS.
  • Launched, 31 July 1965
  • Commissioned USS Tripoli (LPH-10), 6 August 1966, CAPT. Henry M. Suerstedt Jr. in command
  • Decommissioned, 15 September 1995, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 September 1995
  • Custody transferred to the US Army, 27 June 1997
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • USS Tripoli earned nine campaign stars for Vietnam service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,000 t.(lt), 18,474 t.(fl)
    Length 592'
    Beam 84'
    Flight Deck Beam 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 3"/50s removed and replaced with 8 cell Sea Sparrow BPDMS launchers, two Phalanx CIWS added
    Propulsion two 600 psi boilers, one geared steam turbine, one shaft, 22,000 shaft horsepower
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Tripoli (LPH-10)
    Tripoli 460k The experimental tilt-rotor XV-15 aircraft revs its engines, with tie-down chains still in place, on the flight deck of USS Tripoli (LPH-10) during preparations for takeoff, in the Pacific Ocean, 1 August 1983.
    Department of Defense # DN-SN-83-09896 a US Navy photo by R. Stewart now in the collects of DODImagery.mil.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Tripoli 931k The experimental tilt-rotor XV-15 aircraft executes a vertical take off from the flight deck of USS Tripoli (LPH-10) during at-sea tests of the experimental aircraft, in the Pacific Ocean, 1 August 1983.
    Department of Defense # DN-SN-83-09897 a US Navy photo by R. Stewart now in the collects of DODImagery.mil.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Tripoli 107k Close up view of damage to USS Tripoli (LPH-10)s hull as a result of a mine hit during Operation DESERT STORM, April 1991.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Tripoli 90k USS Tripoli (LPH-10) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Dennis Stephenson SMC USN Ret
    Tripoli 88k USS Tripoli (LPH-10) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Tripoli 131k USS Tripoli (LPH-10) underway, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Union 206k Shimmering Water surrounds USS Tripoli (LPH-10) and USS Union (LKA-106) berthed together at White Beach Navy pier, Okinawa.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, May 1970, photo by PH2 R. E. Ziel USN.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Tripoli 205k USS Tripoli (LPH-10) underway off the coast of southern California, 10 September 1997.
    US Navy photo # 970910-N-0000U-003.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10)
    Tripoli 60k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, December 2000 Gerhard Mueller Debus
    Tripoli 49k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 2 July 2002 Photo by Daniel Dunham
    Tripoli 33k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 14 January 2003 George Jeanette
    Tripoli 89k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, mid-March 2004 Jim R. Huffman
    Tripoli 110k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, mid-April 2004 Jim R. Huffman
    Tripoli 64k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at US Naval Shipyard Mare Island, 14 June 2004 Sam Stokes, Hole in the Head Press
    Tripoli 421k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) under tow by ex-USNS Narragansett (T-ATF-167) outbound for sea south of Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, 1 May 2008. CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
    Tripoli 297k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) under tow by USNS Narragansett (T-ATF-167) outbound for sea south of Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, 1 May 2008. CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
    Tripoli 1098k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) under tow by USNS Narragansett (T-ATF-167) outbound for sea south of Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, 1 May 2008. CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
    Tripoli 1529k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) under tow by Narragansett at Presido Shoals, San Francisco Bay, bound for the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 16 October 2008. CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
    Tripoli 60k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) moored at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 27 October 2008. CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
    Tripoli 1108k
    Tripoli 271k Ex-USS Tripoli (LPH-10) in San Francisco Bay, 6 February2009, as a flat tow being moved by tugs from the former U S Naval Shipyard, Mare Island, CA to pier 80, San Francisco. CAPT. Jack C. Goldthorpe, USCG Ret.
    USS Tripoli (LPH-10) Memorabilia
    Tripoli
    Commissioning Program
    Contributed by
    Robert M. Cieri    		 Tripoli
    Decommissioning Program
    Contributed by
    Robert M. Cieri
    View the USS Tripoli (LPH-10)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    USS Tripoli Reunion Association
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Steve Stengel's USS Tripoli web page
    USS Iwo Jima Class Association
    Commanding Officers
    CAPT. Suerstedt Jr., Henry M. :RADM06.08.1966 - 07.09.1967
    CAPT. Adams, William Lee, 07.09.1967 - 16.08.1968
    CAPT. Shelton, Doniphan Brown (Don), :RADM 16.08.1968 - 29.08.1969
    CAPT. Hartley Jr., Paul J. 29.08.1969 - 29.08.1970
    CAPT. O'Rourke, Vincent F. 29.08.1970 - 10.09.1971
    CAPT. Gammon, James Montgomery, 10.09.1971 - 02.12.1972
    CAPT. Lockwood, Warren Harvey, 02.12.1972 - 05.04.1974
    CAPT. Kempf, Cecil Joseph, :VADM 05.04.1974 - 07.11.1975
    CAPT. Levenson, Lee Edward, :RADM 07.11.1975 - 05.08.1977
    CAPT. Smith, Alfred Anderson, 05.08.1977 - 23.04.1979
    CAPT. Haines, Collins Henry, 23.04.1979 - 16.01.1981
    CAPT. McGrail Jr., Charles Reynolds, :RADM 16.01.1981 - 01.06.1981
    CAPT. Higginson, John J. :RADM 01.06.1981 - 28.07.1982
    CAPT. Clift, Thomas Alvin, 28.07.1982 - 29.02.1984
    CAPT. Spane, Robert Johnson, :VADM 29.02.1984 - 30.07.1985
    CAPT. Todd, Terrence Stephen, 30.07.1985 - 14.04.1987
    CAPT. Love III, George Paul, 14.04.1987 - 21.10.1988
    CAPT. Peterson, Eric Laurence, 21.10.1988 - 30.04.1990
    CAPT. McEwen, G. Bruce, 30.04.1990 - 20.09.1991
    CAPT. Hutchison, John Rudolph (J.R.), 20.09.1991 - 20.05.1993
    CAPT. Gallic, Frank Michael, 20.05.1993 - 16.09.1994
    CAPT. Willard, Robert Frederick, :ADM 16.09.1994 - 02.06.1995
    CAPT. Walters, Clyde T. 02.06.1995 - 15.09.1995
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 20 February 2009