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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Mount McKinley (LCC-7)
ex
 USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) (1944 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Xray - Charlie
 NTXC
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 - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
Fourth Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (8) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Lebanon, 1-Cuba, 6-Vietnam)
Fifth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (3) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (6) - United Nations Service Medal
Sixth Row - Philippine Liberation Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Mount McKinley Class Amphibious Force Flagship:
  • Laid down, 31 July 1943, as Cyclone, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1347) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 27 September 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 27 December 1943
  • Converted at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA., to an Amphibious Force Command Ship (AGC)
  • Commissioned, USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), 1 May 1944, CAPT. Roy W. M. Graham in command.
  • During World War II USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Western Caroline Islands operation;
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, Peleliu, 6 September to 14 October 1944    		 Manila Bay - Bicol operations
    Zambales Subic Bay, 29 to 31 January 1945
    Luzon operation;
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945    		 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 22 May 1945
    Leyte operation;
    Ormoc Bay landings, 9 to 29 November 1944    		  

  • Following World War II USS Mount McKinley was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    10 September to 18 November 1945
    8 January to 1 February 1946
    6 to 27 June 1950

  • USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) participated in Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946 Joint Task Force 1 as Joint Task Group Flagship
  • During the Korean War USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    17 to 24 July 1950
    18 September to 2 November 1950    		 Communist China Spring Offensive
    29 April to 1 May 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    3 November 1950 to 24 January 1951    		 Second Korean Winter
    9 to 13 April 1952
    Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950    		 Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    2 to 5 May 1952
    8 to 14 June 1952
    19 June to 23 July 1952
    1 to 2 September 1952
    25 to 30 November 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive
    25 January to 17 March 1951    		 Third Korean Winter
    1 to 2 December 1952
    5 to 7 January 1953

  • During the Vietnam War USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    29 to 30 June 1966    		 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    28 July to 4 August 1967
    17 August to 4 September 1967
    9 September to 12 October 1967
    26 October to 16 November 1967
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 to 6 July 1966    		  

  • Redesignated Amphibious Command Ship (LCC-7) 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned 26 March 1970 and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 23 November 1970
  • USS Mount McKinley earned five battle stars for World War II, eight battle stars for Korean War service and three campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 22 September 1977, to National Steel and Metals Corp. (PD-X-1021 dated 15 August 1977) for $565,183.92 as one of a four ship sale, withdrawn 19 October 1977
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,500 t.(lt), 12,580 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24' (lim)
    Speed 16.4 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 54
    Enlisted 568
    Staff Accommodations
    Officers103
    Enlisted 338
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten twin 20mm AA gum mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 22,650 Bbls
    Diesel 700 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric Geared turbine
    two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
     three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Mount McKinley 118k
    Namesake
    Mount McKinley (Denali) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet above sea level. With a topographic prominence of 20,156 feet and a topographic isolation of 4,629 miles, Mount McKinley (Denali) is the third most prominent and third most isolated peak on Earth, after Mount Everest and Aconcagua. Located in the Alaska Range in the interior of the U.S. state of Alaska, Mount McKinley (Denali) is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.
    alaskatours.com    		 Tommy Trampp
    Mount McKinley 19k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Mt McKinley (AGC-7) Veteran.Net Web Site
    Quapaw 82k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), distant right, rides at anchor in San Pedro Bay, Philippines, 11 December 1944 as USS Quapaw (ATF-110), center left, is starting salvage work alongside USS Hughes (DD-410). Quapaw successfully managed heavy steel welding and fabrication without the aid of a repair ship for one week.
    Photo by LTjg. Edwin Klump, USS Russell (DD-414) when returning from her own mission.    		 Dave Schroeder and John Chiquoine
    Mount McKinley 99k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Russ Padden
    Mount McKinley 128k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    Photo from USS Lanier (APA-125) Cruise Book, 1944-46.    		 Russ Padden
    Mount McKinley 48k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored to a buoy at Sasebo, Japan, circa 1945.
    Photo by LTjg, Joseph A. Fernandez, Jr. USS Schmitt (APD-76)    		 Peter Fernandez
    Vincennes 495k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored to the pier opposite USS Vincennes (CL-64) at Navy Yard Mare Island, 7 August 1945, circa 7 July to 29 August 1945.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5830-45    		 Darryl Baker
    Mount McKinley
    AGC 7 6181-45, Navy Photo, 8/24/45    		 286k File name: AGC 7 6181-45, Navy Photo, 8/24/45
    Stern view of USS Mount McKinley (AGC 7) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 24 August 1945.
    File name: AGC 7 6184-45, Navy Photo, 8/24/45
    View of the bow area of USS Mount McKinley (AGC 7) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 24 August 1945. White circles show modification made during her overhaul at the yard.    		 Darryl Baker
    Mount McKinley
    AGC 7 6184-45, Navy Photo, 8/24/45    		 325k
    Mount McKinley 206k Amidships view of USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 24 August 1945. The big dish on her lattice mainmast is a long-range SK-2 air search radar; the smaller dish forward is an SP for height finding and fighter control. Note the HF whip antenna newly installed abaft her deckhouse. In the second photo note atop the bridge is a navigational range finder.
    US Navy photos from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mount McKinley 158k
    Mount McKinley 107k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) emerging from a Mare Island refit, 25 August 1945. The two small radomes on the crossyard of her after goalposts are radar direction finders, which were used both as sensors and to support jamming.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-89212, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mount McKinley
    10010741    		 188k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) anchored off San Francisco in the springs of 1946. Facts of note in the photo to help in dating:
    1. South portion of San Francisco visible to the far left of photo.
    2. Suspension section of Oakland San Francisco Bay Bridge to the far right of the photo with either USS Comfort (AH-6) or USS Hope (AH-7) almost under the bridge to the far right.
    3.USS McKinley (AGC-7) overhauled at Mare Island 26 February 1946 to 9 April 1946.
    4.USS Hope (AH 7) – decommissioned at San Francisco on 22 March 1946
    5.USS Comfort (AH-6) – decommissioned at San Francisco on 15 April 1946
    U.S. Navy photo from the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    Mount McKinley 238k A "Short Snorter" issued by USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), the control ship for Army/Navy Joint Task Force one (JTF-1), Operation Crossroads in 1946. There were 90 ships which participated in the atom bomb test. The Operation Crossroads Short Snorters were part of Joint Operations Task Force One in which 37,000 sailors and 5,000 airmen participated in "watching" the world's 4th and 5th. nuclear explosions at Bikini Atoll on July 1, 1946 and July 25, 1946. See the The Short Snorters Project Tommy Trampp
    Mount McKinley 245k
    Mount McKinley 28k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) issued certification of participation in Joint Task Force One Atomic Bomb Test at Bikini Atoll on July 1, 1946 and July 25, 1946. Tommy Trampp
    Mount McKinley 84k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 21 August 1947
    Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo NY8-1135 now in the collections of the US National Archives Seattle Branch.    		 Tracy White
    Mount McKinley 77k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway in Sinclair Inlet off Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA., 21 August 1947
    Puget Sound Naval Shipyard photo NY8-1136 now in the collections of the US National Archives Seattle Branch.    		 Tracy White
    Mount McKinley 83k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Mount McKinley (AGC-7) Veteran.Net web site
    Mount McKinley 67k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Mount McKinley 41k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Mt McKinley Association
    Mount McKinley
    10010739    		 111k General of the Army Douglas MacArthur (seated, center), Commander-in-Chief, Far East Command, on board USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) during the Inchon landings, 15 September 1950. The others present are (from left to right): RADM. James H. Doyle, USN, CDR., TF90; BGen. Edwin K. Wright, US Army, MacArthur's Ops Officer, and MGen Edward M. Almond, US Army, CDR Tenth Corps.
    US National Archives, US Army Signal Corps Corps Collection photo # SC 348448.    		 Tommy Trampp
    Mount McKinley 105k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) anchored off Hungnam on 19 December 1950. LSU-637 is alongside Mount McKinley. USS Askari (ARL-30) is partially visible beyond Mount McKinley's bow.
    US National Archives photo 80-G-424523, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Mount McKinley 44k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) at anchor, date and location unknown. Bill Tennison
    Mount McKinley 302k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) helicopter deck being installed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., in June 1953.
    Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum photo # AGC7 178 X1-6-53 TH, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum collections.    		 Darryl Baker
    Fremont 1551k USS Fremont (APA-44) and USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored at Genoa, Italy, 9 March 1954. Note the USS Telfair (APA-210) LCVP #1 in the foreground. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Mount McKinley 100k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored pierside at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, HI., date unknown. Russ Padden
    Mount McKinley 183k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) off Pearl Harbor in wash-down preparing for the nuclear detonation off Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific. Photograph released May 6, 1956.
    US Navy photo # USN 709596.    		 National Museum of the US Navy
    Mount McKinley 69k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored pierside at Patras Greece , April 1957. Walt Kuecks EN2 (A div.) USS Mount McKinley
    Mount McKinley 271k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored at Genoa, Italy, 21 April 1957. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Mount McKinley 60k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) at anchor date and location unknown. Note the Iowa class battleship at anchor in the background. Tommy Trampp
    Mount McKinley 76k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, circa 1957, location unknown.
    Official US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mount McKinley 70k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) approaching/departing her berth, circa 1950s, location unknown. Ron Reeves
    Mount McKinley 290k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) in the background of this post card image of the Gosport ferry in Portsmouth harbor, England, circa 1960. David MacDonald
    Mount McKinley 368k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) underway, circa 1961, location unknown. Note helipad aft.
    Official US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Mount McKinley 107k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) at anchor off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, in 1962 during Exercise PHIBLANTEX 1-62. Note the plethora of antennas on her masts. Each ship of this class developed over time a different configuration of antennas. The ship in the upper left is a MSTS Victory Class cargo ship.
    US Navy photo # USN 1060456 courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    Mount McKinley 249k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) under way in Hampton Roads inbound to Naval Station Norfolk, VA., date unknown Mike Smolinski
    Mount McKinley 302k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7), flagship of Rear Admiral John M. Lee, Commander, Amphibious Group ONE and Amphibious Forces, U.S. Seventh Fleet. Photographed circa 1964, when the ship's Commanding Officer was Captain Louis K. Tuttle Jr. This image was received by All Hands magazine on 3 December 1964.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107683    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Mount McKinley 105k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored pierside pier 6, Naval Station San Diego, 5 February 1966 © Richard Leonhardt
    Mount McKinley
    10010738    		 309k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) moored pierside pier 6, Naval Station San Diego, 6 February 1966. Note Mobile dental unit on the pier.
    US Navy BUMED photo # 14-2001-0099    		 Michael G Rhode CIV USN BUMED
    Mount McKinley
    10010740    		 238k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) outbound to sea from San Diego, CA., date unknown.
    Photo © George Barber    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Mount McKinley 91k USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7) at right with left to right;
    USS Intrepid (CVS-11),
    USS Agerholm (DD-826) and
    USS Porterfield (DD-682), at Hong Kong, BCC in 1967.    		 Photo by Larry Backus USS Bausell
    Mount McKinley
    10010742    		 84k A U.S. Navy Kaman UH-2A/B Seasprite of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC-4) "Invaders" approaches the amphibious command ship USS Mount McKinley (LCC-7) off Vietnam, circa 1969.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Mount McKinley (LCC-7) 1969 cruise book    		 Robert Hurst

    For more photos and information about USS Mount McKinley, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Graham, Roy William Montrose :RADM1 May 1944 - 21 May 1945
    02CAPT. Gamet, Wayne Neal, USN (USNA 1924) :RADM21 May 1945 - 9 August 1946
    03CAPT. Riddle, Frederick Leavenworth9 August1946 - 2 June 1947
    04CAPT. Ware, William Lynch, USN (USNA 1922)2 June 1947 - 16 October 1948
    05CAPT. Sugnet, Lee Ferrand16 October 1948 - 17 December 1949
    06CAPT. Printup, Carter Alston17 December 1949 - 18 July 1951
    07CAPT. Chappell, Lucius Henry, USN (USNA 1927) 18 July 1951 - 26 January 1952
    08CAPT. Beasley, Charles Black :RADM26 January 1952 - 25 July 1952
    09CAPT. Norgaard, Rollo Niel :RADM25 July 1952 - 7 April 1953
    10CAPT. Hardin, James Thomas, USN (USNA 1929)7 April 1953 - 1 April 1954
    11CAPT. Adams, Scarritt1 April 1954 - 25 November 1955
    12CAPT. Renken, Henry Algernon, USN (USNA 1931) :RADM25 November 1955 - 28 September 1956
    13CAPT. Fleck, Thomas Martin, USN (USNA 1932)28 September 1956 - 30 October 1957
    14CAPT. Blouin, Francis Joseph :VADM30 October 1957 - 30 December 1958
    15CAPT. Pittard, George Franklin :RADM30 December 1958 - 23 December 1959
    16CAPT. Kelly Jr., Monroe. USN23 December 1959 - 17 November 1960
    17CAPT. Lauerman, Henry Conrad, USN (USNA 1936)17 November 1960 - 18 January 1962
    18CAPT. Schwab Jr., Ernest Louis18 January 1962 - March 1963
    19CAPT. Flynn, Russell Francis, USN (USNA 1942)March 1963 - 24 March 1964
    20CAPT. Tuttle Jr., Louis "K", USN (USNA 1943)24 March 1964 - June 1965
    21CAPT. Thornhill Jr., Henry Ehrman (Tim), USN (USNA 1944)June 1965 - 17 August 1966
    22CAPT. Bowling, Roland Alfred17 August 1966 - 4 February 1968
    23CAPT. Poorman, Herbert "R", USN (USNA 1945)4 February 1968 - 7 June 1969
    24CAPT. Grause, Jerome Edward (USNA NG)7 June 1969 - 26 March 1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew contact and reunion information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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