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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS San Bernardino (LST-1189)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Papa - Uniform NPPU

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (2) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean)
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Southwest Asia Service Medal

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USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) was transferred to Chile and renamed Valdivia (L-93)

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During the Vietnam War USS San Bernardino participated in the following campaign:

Vietnam War Campaign
Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Ceasefire 14 to 17 December 1972 8 to 21 January 1973 5 to 15 February 1973

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in Sierra Leone

San Bernardino is the eleventh ship of the twenty ship Newport tank landing ship class, which replaced the traditional bow door design LST. Two derrick arms support a thirty-ton, 112-foot bow ramp for the unloading of tanks and other vehicles ashore, additionally, amphibious vehicles can be launched from the tank deck via the ship's stern gate and the ship's flight deck can accommodate most Navy helicopter types.

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Specifications:
Displacement 5,190 t.(lt), 8,550 t.(fl)
Length 522' 3" (ovl)
Beam 69' 9 1/2" (max)
Draft max forward (fl) 13' 6", max aft (fl) 16' 3" 15'
Speed 27 kts. max.

Complement

14 Officers

15 CPO

226 Other Enlisted

Troop Accommodations

18 Officers

21 SNCO

268 Other Enlisted

Boats

three 36' LCVPs

one 36' LCPL

Aircraft

flight deck one spot

Armament
As Built
two twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
Upgraded
two 25mm chain guns
six .50 cal machine guns
one 20mm Phalanx (CIWS)

Propulsion

six 16 cylinder ALCO 16-251E main propulsion Diesel engines

two shafts, three engines per shaft, shaft horsepower 15,000

two controllable reversible pitch propellers, twin rudders

three ALCO 251-C, 8 cylinder generator sets, 750KW

one 800 hp variable thrust bowthruster

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
USS San Bernardino (LST-1189)
	884k	Crewmen stand at the end of a causeway as USS San Bernardino (LST-1189), with bow open, prepares to lower her ramp at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, CA., 1 August 1979. Defense Imagery photos # DN-ST-88-07381 CORONADO, Calif. (1 August 1979) DN-ST-88-07382 CORONADO, Calif. (1 August 1979)> DN-ST-88-07383 CORONADO, Calif. (1 August 1979) US Navy photos by Bertram Miller, now in the collections of Defense Imagery.mil.		Robert M. Cieri
	1284k
	1408k
	45k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) underway with water breaking over her bow. Outbound from her homeport at Sasebo, Japan in 1986 or 1987. She had just come through a Typhoon. Photo was taken from inside of the bridge looking forward towards the bow		John Viel USS San Bernardino
	70k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) departs San Diego CA., enroute to the Middle East to take part in Operation DESERT SHIELD, 23 January 1991. DVIC photo # DD-ST-91-07748 from the collections of the Defense Visual Information Center		Bill Gonyo
	35k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) at Hong Kong, 16 February 1992		William Chiu
	83k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) under way off San Diego, CA, date unknown.		Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	90k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) under way off the coast of San Diego, date unknown. US Navy photo.		Robert M. Cieri
	75k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) outbound to sea from San Diego, CA., date unknown. Veramar Arts Canvas print.		Tommy Trampp
1016118912	244k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. © George Barber.		Nicholas Tiberio
1016118913	204k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) underway, date and location unknown.		Nicholas Tiberio
1016118914	562k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) underway, date and location unknown.		Nicholas Tiberio
1016118918	220k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) underway as she deploys to the Middle East to take part in Operation Desert Shield, 23 January 1991. U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DD-ST-91-07746 a U.S Navy photo.		Robert Hurst
1016118916	214k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189), as seen from the heights of Mount Suribachi. 14 March 1995, approaches the Iwo Jima landing beach where U.S. Marines fought a fierce battle in 1945 to gain control of this small island. U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SC-95-2002, a U.S. Navy photo by PHCS Terry A. Cosgrove, USN.		Robert Hurst
1016118917	175k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) beached on the landing site at Iwo Jima where U.S. Marines fought a fierce battle in 1945 to gain control of this small island. San Bernardino was demonstrating an amphibious landing for attendees of the memorial service commemorating the 50th anniversary of the battle for Iwo Jima. U.S. DefenseImagery photo VIRIN: DN-SC-95-1999, a U.S. Navy photo by PHCS Terry A. Cosgrove, USN.		Robert Hurst
	104k	USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) plaque		Tommy Trampp
Valdivia (L-93)
	46k	Long distance view of Valdivia (L-93) (ex-USS San Bernardino [LST 1189] and USS La Moure County (LST-1194) at Caleta Cifuncho Bay, Chile after La Moure County ran a ground there on 12 September 2000.		Pete Skoutas
1016118919	130k	Valdivia (LST-93) underway, 1 January 2008, location unknown. Photo by SSBN (real name unknown)		Robert Hurst

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For more photos and information about USS San Bernardino, see; Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) The USS LST Ship Memorial Mobile Riverine Force Association LST Home Port State LST Chapters United States LST Association

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

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Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Roach, Francis Leroy	27 March 1971 - 1 September 1972
02	CDR. Riedemann, Walter Joseph (Mick)	1 September 1972 - 31 May 1974
03	CDR. Nelson, James Robert	31 May 1974 - 9 July 1976
04	CDR. Bower Jr., Johns Hollis	9 July 1976 - 12 August 1978
05	CDR. Tahaney Jr., Hubert Francis	12 August 1978 - 19 September 1980
06	CDR. Harken, Jerry Lynn, USN (USNA 1963)	19 September 1980 - 6 November 1982
07	CAPT. Van Winkle, Pieter Kingsland	6 November 1982 - 4 October 1984
08	CDR. Sommers, Thomas Andrew, USN (USNA 1967)	4 October 1984 - 23 December 1986
09	CDR. Carter, John Michael	23 December 1986 - 23 February 1989
10	CDR. Jenkins, William Frost, USN (USNA 1970)	23 February 1989 - 13 April 1991
11	CAPT. Benn, Charles Michael	13 April 1991 - 28 June 1993
12	CAPT. Silvers, Richard Allan	28 June 1993 - 31 July 1993
13	CDR. Etter, Randy Lane	31 July 1993 - 30 September 1995

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 25 August 2023