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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Quebec - Alpha
 NTQA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon, Cuba, Dominican Republic)
Humanitarian Service Medal (Jamaica Relief (14Aug79-23Dec79)
Thomaston Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 May 1953, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.
  • Launched, 7 May 1954
  • Commissioned USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29), 29 November 1954, CDR. D. Bontecou in command
  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1983
  • Custody transferred to MARAD
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 24 February 1992
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD for scrapping, 25 August 1995, to Peck Recycling, Richmond, VA., for $268,707
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,899 t.(lt), 11,525 t(fl)
    Length 510'
    Beam 84'
    Draft 19'
    Speed 20 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 18
    Enlisted 330
    Troop Accommodations 325
    Armament (as built)
    four twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm gun mounts
    six twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boat Capacity (Well Deck)
    three LCUs or nine LCM-8's or fifty AAV's/LVTP-7's amphibious tractors
    Aircraft Capacity helicopter landing area
    Propulsion
    two D-type boilers, 600psi.
    two steam turbines
    two propellers, 24,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By
    /Source
    Plymouth Rock 33k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29), Chesapeake Bay, July 1964. © Richard Leonhardt
    Plymouth Rock 123k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29), Chesapeake Bay, July 1964. © Richard Leonhardt
    Plymouth Rock 111k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29), date and location unknown. USS Plymouth Rock
    Association
    Plymouth Rock 102k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) probably in Hampton Roads, date unknown.
    Photo ©Nobe Smith Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA.     		Bill Gonyo
    Plymouth Rock 135k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) as she appeared circa late 1950s or early 1960s. Note "HUS" helicopter on her after deck
    US Navy photo # NH 97359, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Histoyistory and Heritage Command
    Plymouth Rock 120k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) seen here fitted with a retractable sonar forward, circa 1963.
    US Navy photo # NH 97360, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Plymouth Rock 102k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) underway shortly before deploying to the Mediterranean for a tour with the Sixth Fleet, 8 April 1963. Note the experimental retractable sonar fitted to her bow
    US Navy photo # 1089896, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Hermitage 93k Amphibious Group at sea, 17 April 1964. The ships are USS Hermitage (LSD-34) in left foreground, USS Francis Marion (APA-249) in center, USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) in the left rear and USS Yancey (AKA-93) in the right rear. Three UH-34 helicopters are flying in formation over Francis Marion. Photo was received from USS Francis Marion in 1964.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #: NH 85059    		 Robert Hurst
    Plymouth Rock 226k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) cachet, 19 February 1966. Support ship for H-Bomb Recovery for Alvin and Curv-1 off Palomares, Spain, January - March 1966. Ron Reeves
    Plymouth Rock 102k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) pulls alongside USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) for refueling during operations in the Atlantic, February 1979. Note CH-46 "Sea Knight" helicopters of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (HMM-261) parked in the foreground. Photographed by PH2 Alexander and PH3 Kent from on board the Iwo Jima
    US Navy photo # NH 97361, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Plymouth Rock
    10122914    		 224k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) underway off Norfolk, VA., date unknown.
    ©Nobe Smith    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Plymouth Rock 66k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29), on the Hudson River, New York City, date unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Stanley C. Svec
    Plymouth Rock 43k USS Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) during amphibious exercises off Rhodes, Greece, date unknown. Tracy L. Shaw, photo by George C. Shaw, Jr. 1st. Sgt, USMC
    Additional Ships Patches
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    LaSalle LaSalle
    USS Plymouth Rick (LSD-29)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Bontecou, Daniel29 November 1954 - 23 November 1955
    02CDR. Harvey, Morton23 November 1955 - 26 June 1957
    03CDR. Lautaret, John Daniel28 June 1957 - 10 October 1958
    04CAPT. Josephson, Alan Richard, USN10 October 1958 - 21 July 1959
    05CDR. Redon, Alexander Louis, USN21 July 1959 - 2 August 1960
    06CDR. Simmons III, George Stuart, USN (USNA 1939)2 August 1960 - 27 July 1961
    07CDR. Barry Jr., Richard Francis, USN (USNA 1939)27 July 1961 - 18 August 1962
    08CDR. Prince, Mortimer James18 August 1962 - 27 July 1963
    09CDR. Tenanty, Joseph Raymond, USN (USNA 1939)27 July 1963 - 25 July 1964
    10CDR. Dankworth, Theodore Piper, USN (USNA 1944)25 July 1964 - 6 August 1965
    11CDR. Woodall, Reuben Farrior, USN (USNA 1943)6 August 1965 - 27 September 1966
    12CDR. Bagby, Robert Gray, USN (USNA 1944)27 September 1966 - 10 November 1967
    13CDR. Smith Jr., Paul, USN10 November 1967 - 16 January 1969
    14CDR. Pressler Jr., William J.16 January 1969 - 29 January 1970
    15CDR. Kiehl, Elmer Hill (Ted), USN (USNA 1947)29 January 1970 - 29 June 1971
    16CDR. Cross, Charles Himrod29 June 1971 - 26 January 1973
    17CDR. Betts, Roger Sherman, USN (USNA 1956)26 January 1973 - 5 September 1974
    18CDR. Larson, Jerold Joseph, USN (USNA 1958)5 September 1974 - 11 January 1977
    19CDR. Herman, William Alexander, USN11 January 1977 - 27 November 1978
    20CDR. Barr Jr., Robert Kenney, USN27 November 1978 - 13 December 1980
    21CDR. Larison, Donald Eddie, USN13 December 1980 - 13 January 1981
    22CDR. Conklin, Andrew Janke, USN13 January 1981 - 5 August 1981
    23CDR. Moser, Alan Brown, USN 5 August 1981 - 27 April 1983
    24CDR. Kenyon, Morton William27 April 1983 - 30 September 1983
    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 Plymouth Rock (LSD-29) Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 13 May 2022