Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Monticello (LSD-35)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Delta - Victor NGDV

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (3) - Navy Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (5-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (11)
Fourth Row - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Eniwetok Clean Up, 1-Boat People) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (11) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Thomaston Class Dock Landing Ship:

Laid down, 6 June 1955, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 10 August 1956

Commissioned USS Monticello (LSD-35), 29 March 1957, CAPT. J. T. Hodgson, Jr., in command

During the Vietnam War USS Monticello (LSD-35) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 22 to 23 October 1965 14 to 18 November 1965 28 November to 24 December 1965	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V 22 August to 25 August 1968 31 August to 5 October 1968 1 November 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive 25 December 1965 27 January to 1 March 1966 11 to 12 March 1966	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI 2 November to 8 December 1968 29 December to 18 February 1969
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 25 February to 1 March 1967 17 March to 7 April 1967 19 April to 28 May 1967	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 25 February to 4 March 1970 26 to 30 April 1970
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 9 June to 4 August 1967 19 August to 8 September 1967	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1 to 5 May 1970
Tet Counteroffensive 15 to 17 March 1968	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII 21 to 29 July 1970 5 to 6 August 1970 17 to 19 August 1970 24 August 1970 4 to 7 September 1970 28 to 31 March 1971 17 to 21 November 1971
	Vietnam Ceasefire 28 October to 12 November 1972 8 to 20 December 1972 8 to 28 January 1973

Decommissioned, 1 October 1985

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet

Title transferred to the MARAD

Struck from the Naval Register, 24 February 1992

Sold 29 September 1995 to Pegasus Inc.

Repossessed by the Navy 1 July 1997

Transferred to MARAD, 18 December 1998

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

Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 14 July 2010, 70 miles off Kauai, HI. by aircraft from VP-4 and VP-40

USS Monticello earned eleven campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 6,880 t.(lt), 11,270 t.(fl)
Length 510'
Beam 84'
Draft 19' to 34'
Speed 22.5 kts.
Range 5,300 miles at 22.5 kts. and 13.000 miles at 10 kts.
Ships Boats 4
Aircraft 4 helicopters
Radar

one SPS-10 surface search set

one SPS-6 air search set
Complement

18 officers

293 to 332 enlisted (depending on cargo mix)
Troop Accommodations 340
Armament 6 twin 3"/50 cal. three MK27/33 gun mounts
Well Deck Dimensions 391' long by 48' wide
Well Deck Capacity - Landing Craft or Vehicles

three LCUs or

three LCACs or

nine LCM(8)s or

fifty LVPT-7s or

ninety 2½ trucks
Aircraft up to 8 helicopters
Propulsion

two GE double reduction geared steam turbines

two Babcock & Wilcox 600 psi. 850 degree boilers

two shafts, 24,000 SHP

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
148k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** by John Robert Barrett. With permission from the artist.	©John Robert Barrett
101k	*PCU Monticello* (LSD-35)** underway off her builder's yard, 13 March 1957, soon after completion. Compared to wartime LSDs, she is more heavily armed with eight twin 3"/50 guns as well as a pair of twin 20mms in the bows and another atop the bridge. The battery was cut to six twin 3"/50 mounts during the 1960s and to only three in the 1970s (forward of the bridge, one abaft the bridge). Photos Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation.	Robert Hurst
12k
21k
84k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35) and LCU-1476** during amphibious operations, circa 1967, location unknown.	Bob Behm and Tommy tramp
29k		Bob Behm and Tommy tramp
57k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** moored in Victoria Harbor, date unknown.	Bob Behm
121k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** underway, date and location unknown.	Bob Behm
50k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Bob Behm
28k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** underway, date and location unknown.	Bob Behm
46k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** underway, date and location unknown.	Bob Behm
18k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Bob Behm
74k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35)** moored in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, off Benecia, CA. 2003.	Photo by Bob Behm
46k	*USS Monticello* (LSD-35) plaque mounted in the memorial ship USS Turner Joy (DD-951)** at Bremerton, WA.	Photo by Robert Hall
155k	Ex-*USS Monticello* (LSD-35) at anchor, 14 July 2010, 70 miles off Kauai, HI. Monticello was the target for a SINKEX during RIMPAC 2010. She was towed to the site from Pearl Harbor by USNS Navajo (T-ATF-169) on 12 July 2010 and sunk by Maverick missiles fired by aircraft from VP-4 and VP-40*. US Navy photo 100714-N-6855K-271* by MC2 Meagan E. Klein.	Ron Reeves

For more photos and information about USS Monticello, see:
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Welcome Aboard Brochure

Commanding Officers

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Monticello LSD-35

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index

Back To The Dock Landing Ship Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 21 September 2012