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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Fort Marion (LSD-22)

/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Gold - Zulu NZGZ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia Clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (5)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1 Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Vietnam, 1-Laos) - Vietnam Service Medal (5) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (9)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Fort Marion (LSD-22) was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed ROCS Chen Hai (LSD-192)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Launched, 22 May 1945, at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp, Chickasaw, AL.

Commissioned USS Fort Marion (LSD-22), 29 January 1946, CDR. H. A. Adams in command

During the Korean War USS Fort Marion participated in the following campaigns:

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
North Korean Aggression 18 September to 2 November 1950	UN First Counter Offensive 26 March 1951 6 to 9 April 1951
Communist China Aggression 3 November to 24 December 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 20 to 21 May 1952 26 May to 14 June 1952 25 June to 7 July 1952 16 August to 4 September 1952 16 to 18 October 1952 15 to 20 November 1952
Inchon Landing 13 to 17 September 1950

During the Vietnam War USS Fort Marion participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Defense 1 October 1965 8 October 1965 27 October to 20 November 1965 27 November to 24 December 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 7 December 1968 to 12 January 1969 16 to 22 February 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 25 to 30 December 1965 22 January to 5 February 1966 12 to 24 February 1966 13 to 17 June 1966	Tet 69/Counteroffensive - Phase III 23 February to 27 March 1969 17 to 22 April 1969 7 to 26 May 1969
Vietnamese Counter Offensive - Phase III 10 to 13 September 1967 25 to 27 September 1967 3 to 6 October 1967 23 to 31 October 1967 13 November to 4 December 1967

Decommissioned, 13 February 1970, at Naval Station Bremerton, WA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 31 October 1974

Sold to the Republic of China, 15 April 1977, renamed ROCS Chen Hai (LSD-192)

Decommissioned by the Republic of China Navy in May 1999

Final Disposition, sunk as an artificial reef, 9 December 2000

USS Fort Marion received five battle stars for Korean War service and five campaign stars for the Vietnam War

Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
Length 457' 9" o.a.
Beam 72"
Draft

8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft)

15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
Speed 17 kts (design speed)
Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
Complement

Officers 17

Enlisted 237
Landing Craft

Officers 6

Enlisted 30
Troop Accommodations

Officers 22

Enlisted 218
Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)

three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or

two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or

fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or

forty-seven DUKW or

forty-one LVT or

Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks.
Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)

two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)
Fuel Capacities

NSFO 11,720 Bbls

Diesel 160 Bbls

Gasoline 5,085 Gals
Propulsion

two Westinghouse steam turbines

two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi

single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators

twin propellers, 7,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Fort Marion (LSD-22)
	166k	*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22)** at anchor in San Diego bay, date unknown. Photo ©Jack Davidson Studios, San Diego.	David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret), Main Propulsion Assistant USS Oak Hill
	86k	*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22) with USS Comstock (LSD-19), and USS Cree (ATF-84)** moored at Naval Station San Diego, circa 6 June to 7 September 1969.	© Richard Leonhardt
	84k	LVTs embarking British Royal Marine commandos leave *USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22)** for the beach at Sorye Dong, North Korea, on 7 April 1951. The commandos blew up about 100 yards of railroad, in an effort to interdict enemy logistics, and were then successfully reembarked. US Navy photo # 428316, now in the collections of the National Archives	US Naval Historical Center
	69k	*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22)** underway, date and location unknown.	James Jossman USS Fort Marion and Edward Lee Mc Intosh BT3 USS Fort Marion
	95k	*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands: magazine November 1958	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	30k	*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	52k	*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22)** out bound to sea from San Diego Bay enroute to Danang, South Vietnam, 26 October 1968.	Edward Lee Mc Intosh BT3 USS Fort Marion
	95k	Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington - Ships laid up in reserve at Bremerton, 19 March 1970. They are, from left to right: *USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22), USS Missouri (BB-63), USS Roanoke (CL-145) and USS Worcester (CL-144)*. US Navy photo # USN 1143678* from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	Edward Lee Mc Intosh BT3 USS Fort Marion
ROCS Chen Hai (LSD-192)
	15k	Ex-*USS Fort Marion* (LSD-22) in the Republic of China service as ROCS Chen Hai (LSD-192)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Yu-Lun Miao
	24k	*ROCS Chen Hai* (LSD-192)** underway, date and location unknown.	Yu-Lun Miao
	60k	*ROCS Chen Hai* (LSD-192) moored pierside at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 9 September 1977. The LST moored forward of Chen Hai** is unidentified. Photo by Karsten Petersen	Robert Hurst

USS Fort Marion (LSD-22)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Adams, H. A.	29 January 1946 - November 1948
02	CDR. Marshall, Edmund Sylvester Lee :RADM	November 1948 - ?
04	CAPT. Adair Jr., Noah	1950 - ?
05	CAPT. Mothersill Jr., Philip Wilder	March 1951 - ?
06	CDR. Artz, George Edwin	21 January 1953 - 10 July 1953
07	CDR. Kircher Jr., John Joseph	10 July 1953 - 17 March 1955
15	CDR. Fairley, James Walsh	February 1968 - ?


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS LSD 22 Fort Marion web site

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 9 September 2011