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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Point Defiance (LSD-31)

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November - Hotel - November - Mike
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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2-Vietnam, 18 April 67, 27 January 72)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Vietnam)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (10)- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (12) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Thomaston Class Dock Landing Ship:

Laid down, 23 November 1953, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 28 September 1954

Commissioned USS Point Defiance (LSD-31), 31 March 1955, CDR. Oscar Blair Parker in command

During the Vietnam War USS Point Defiance participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 1 to 10 November 1963 26 to 27 MAY 1965 5 to 7 June 1965 16 to 17 June 1965 30 June to 3 July 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 to 7 July 1968 21 July to 1 September 1968 25 October to 1 November 1968
Vietnamese Defense 4 to 21 July 1965 17 to 23 August 1965 11 September to 10 October 1965	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 2 to 13 November 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 9 to 13 and 21 to 28 April 1966 21 to 25 May 1966	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 19 to 23 November 1969 16 to 27 December 1969 30 January to 2 February 1970 30 to 31 March 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 26 to 29 November 1966 4 to 9 December 1966 5 to 17 January 1967 9 to 24 February 1967 28 February to 7 March 1967 25 April to 31 May 1967	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 2 to 6 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 5 June 1967	Vietnam Ceasefire 27 April to 28 May 1972 9 June to 2 July 1972 9 July to 25 August 1972 16 to 18 September 1972 29 September to 1 October 1972 6 to 20 October 1972
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 10 to 30 June 1968

Decommissioned, 30 September 1983

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., 12 August 1991

Struck from the Naval Register, 24 February 1992

USS Point Defiance earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Custody transferred,12 August 1991, to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA. as a non-retention asset

Sold to Pegasus Inc, 29 September 1995, for scrapping

Repossessed by the Navy, 1 July 1997, returned to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet

MARAD acquired title, 18 August 1998

Cleared for disposal, 9 July 2011

Final Disposition, sold 28 July 2011 to All Star Metals, Brownsville TX. Departed the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay Group, 7 September 2011, Sale Price $578,539

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
10123137	120k	Point Defiance (LSD-31) launching, 28 September 1954, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS. Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. photo	Dale Hargrave
	113k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under way in San Francisco Bay, September 1957. Photo by Allied Photographers.	Robert M. Cieri
	67k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** during amphibious exercises, circa 1957-58, WESTPAC.	Donald J. Wagner, SM3, USN USS Gunston Hall
US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 42630	137k	Starboard quarter and port broadside views of *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under way during the later 1950s, while transporting a P2V aircraft on her helicopter deck. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No.'s NH 42630 and US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 42631	Mike Green
US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 42631	143k		Mike Green
	138k	Port bow view of *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under way, circa mid-1950s, location unknown. Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 42632	Mike Green
	108k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine April 1959.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	86k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine April 1959.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	35k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under way, date and location unknown.	Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
?10123138	205k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
?10123139	273k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	68k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** during amphibious exercises, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Stanley C. Svec
	89k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under way off the California coast, date unknown. Photo @copy Marine Photo and Publishing Co., Spring Valley, CA.	Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	268k	"Order Of The Lock” Panama Canal 1963 Navy Certificate issued by *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)**	Tommy Trampp
	273k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31) with the U.S. Navy Bathyscaphe Trieste I loaded in her well deck at San Diego, 14 April 1963. Point Defiance carried Trieste I to Boston to participate in the search for USS Thresher (SSN-593)**. US Navy photo from the collections of the of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	64k	Marine LVTP-5 (Amtrac’s) making their amphibious landing at Van Tuong, South Vietnam in Operation Starlite, 18 August 1965. Operation Starlite involved 5,500 US Marines and was the first major engagement between Viet Cong and US Marines in the Vietnam War, Photo taken from *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)**.	Photo by Jerry Bass USS Point Defiance. Submitted by Frank Andrus BM3 USS Point Defiance
10123136	163k	Marine tankers look toward *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** and the beach as amphibious craft align for a beach landing during an Operation Dagger Thrust mission in 1965. Dagger Thrust (conducted between September-December 1965) consisted of a series of raids on suspected areas of enemy concentration in support of Operation Market Time. LVTPs and other craft can be seen closer to the ship. US National Archives Photo # USN 1113997-A, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Yu Chu
	52k	Scene in the *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** well deck as Marines prepare to disembark at Da Nang, South Vietnam, circa 1966.	Frank Andrus BM3 USS Point Defiance
	45k	General views taken aboard *USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** circa October 1968 to May 1969.	Photos by Roy Smith USS Point Defiance
	57k
	61k
	65k
	57k
	48k
	69k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** at Pearl Harbor, circa 1977.	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	68k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** at Pearl Harbor, circa 1977.	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	66k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** at Pearl Harbor, circa 1977.	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	131k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** well-deck loaded with vehicles, circa 1977.	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	72k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** anchored, circa 1977, place unknown.	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	69k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** being moored, circa 1977, place unknown.	Photo by Dr. Kenneth Hartman
	133k	*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31) maneuvering in San Diego Bay in late 1978. Photos taken from the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)**.	Photos by Richard Stiles
	124k		Photos by Richard Stiles
	592k	Ex-*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** being moved from the reserve fleet at Suisun Bay to Mare Island, 8 September 2011, for hull cleaning prior to being scrapped	Photo by John Cavano
	1514k	Ex-*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** in dry dock #3 at Mare Island, CA., 17 September 2011, to have her bottom cleaned by Allied Defense Recycling prior to being moved to the scrappers yard at Brownsville, TX.	Photos by Darryl Baker
	2760k
	2401k
	924k	Ex-*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** moored pierside at Mare Island, 25 September 2011, after cleaning and prior to being towed to the dismantlers yard at Brownsville, TX.	Photo by Darryl Baker
10123140	924k	Ex-*USS Point Defiance* (LSD-31)** under tow passing through the Panama Canal in September 2011 enroute from Mare Island to Brownsville, TX. for her date with her breakers yard, All Star Metals.	Nicholas Tiberio

USS Point Defiance (LSD-31)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Parker, Oscar Blair, USN (USNA 1938)	31 March 1955 - November 1957
02	CDR. Woodhead, Edwin Fletcher, USN (USNA 1938)	November 1957 - November 1958
03	CDR. Madley, Edward Peter, USN (USNA 1937)	November 1958 - 1960
04	CDR. Bowell, John Howard, USN (USNA 1940)	1960 - 18 February 1961
05	CAPT. Hawley, Rupert Dexter, USN	18 February 1961 - 30 January 1962
06	CAPT. Haisten Jr., Homer Howard, USN (USNA 1943)	30 January 1962 - 29 June 1963
07	CAPT. Tower, Robert Gray, USN (USNA 1942)	29 June 1963 - 1 September 1964
08	CAPT. Graham, Woodrow Wilson, USN	1 September 1964 - 12 September 1965
09	CAPT. Holbrook, James Louis (Jim), USN (USNA 1944)	12 September 1965 - 12 October 1966
10	CAPT. Saroch Jr., Emil, USN (USNA 1945)	12 October 1966 - 9 November 1967
11	CAPT. Haak Jr., Frank Sutherland, USN (USNA 1946) :RADM	9 November 1967 - 1 November 1968
12	CAPT. Thomas, Robert Earl, USN	1 November 1968 - 1 November 1969
13	CAPT. Myatt Jr., Albert Zebulon (Bert), USN	1 November 1969 - 22 January 1971
14	CAPT. Gorder, Merle Howard, USN	22 January 1971 - July 1972
15	CDR. Bader, Allen Louis, USN	July 1972 - 1974
16	CDR. McHugh, Charles Earl, USN	1974 - 11 October 1975
17	CDR. Christenson, Robert Warnhoff Sigel, USN (USNA 1957)	11 October 1975 - 10 March 1978
18	CDR. McIntire, Lloyd Gilman, USN	10 March 1978 - 22 March 1980
19	CDR. Austin, Michael Gaylord, USN	22 March 1980 - 1982
20	CDR. Marsden, Philip Scherrer, USN (USNA 1963)	1982 - 18 March 1983
21	CDR. Montgomery, David James, USN	18 March 1983 - 30 September 1983


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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Last Updated 24 February 2023