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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Hermitage (LSD-34)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Romeo - Victor - Foxtrot NRVF

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba, 2-Lebanon)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic) - Vietnam Service Medal (1)
Fourth Row - Humanitarian Service Medal (Guatemalan Earthquake, Beirut Lebanon Evacuation) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Hermitage (LSD-34) was sold to Brazil, renamed NDD Ceará (G-30)

Thomaston Class Dock Landing Ship:

Laid down, 4 November 1955, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 21 June 1956

Commissioned USS Hermitage (LSD-34), 14 December 1956, CAPT. Leonard A. Parker in command

During the Vietnam War USS Hermitage participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaign
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 3 to 14 June 1967 30 June to 17 August 1967 30 August to 10 September 1967 9 October to 10 November 1967

Decommissioned, 2 October 1989

USS Hermitage (LSD-34) earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service

Transferred (on loan) to Brazil, renamed Ceara (G-30)

Sold outright to Brazil and struck from the Naval Register, 24 January 2001, named NDD Ceará (G-30)

Ceara decommissioned, 31 March 2016

Final Disposition, sunk as a target, date unknown

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	Source/Contributed By
USS Hermitage (LSD-34)
10123420	404k	*Namesake* Hermitage the home of Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1776 - June 8, 1845), 7th President of the United States. Nashville, TN.	Photo by Dale Hargrave
10123419	355k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** launching, 21 June 1956, at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.	Dale Hargrave
	31k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway in Hampton Roads off NAB Little Creek, date unknown. Note the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in the background.	Contributed by Mark Slebodnik Courtesy Eric Keller USS Hermitage web site
	79k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway, circa 1957-1960, location unknown.	CDR. Louis D. Chirillo USN Ret
	329k	Overhead view of *USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway, 27 January 1961, probably in San Francisco Bay. US Navy photo from the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	48k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** pierside, Naval Station Rota Spain, date unknown.	Photo by Manolo Budińo
	70k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway, date and location unknown.	Eric Keller USS Hermitage web site
	104k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway in Valletta Harbor, Malta, 1964. Note UH-34D Seahorse helicopter aboard. Photo courtesy A. & J, Pavia..	Robert Hurst
	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
10123421	209k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** outbound to se from San Diego, CA., in 1967. © George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	249k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway at Genoa, Italy, 31 December 1970	Photo by Carol Martinelli
	277k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** departing Genoa, Italy, 6 January 1971.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
	439k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34) at anchor, 30 September 1975, in the Kithira Strait, Eastern Mediterranean with other ships of the US Navy Amphibious Ready Group after finishing exercise Deep Express - 75. Photos from the Soviet Kashin class DDG Krasny Krim**.	Eugene Ivkin
	788k		Eugene Ivkin
10123405	254k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway off Norfolk, VA. date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio and Diana Gabler to honor her brother Raymond Aaron Horney Jr.USS Hermitage 1979-81
	210k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** moored at Genoa, Italy, 25 August 1984.	Photos by Carlo Martinelli
	304k
	315k
	268k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** departing Genoa, Italy, 20 February 1986.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
10123422	598k	*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34)** underway off Norfolk, VA. date unknown. ©Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
NDD Ceará (G-30)
10123423	98k	*NDD Ceará* (G-30) underway, 1998, location unknown. This is a photo of Brizalian navy sailor Luiz Carlos dos Santos Córdova Jr. in the foreground with Ceará** in the background. Photo by Raphael Andre	Luiz Cordova
	78k	Ex-*USS Hermitage* (LSD-34) in Brazilian Naval service as NDD Ceará (G-30)** arriving in Rio De Janeiro, 2004. Brazilian Navy Photo.	Robert Hurst
10123424	149k	A few months after being struck from the Brazil navy records ex-*NDD Ceará* (G-30)** caught fire and burned. A few months after the fire she was sunk as a target. Brazil Navy photos	Luiz Cordova
10123425	133k		Luiz Cordova
10123426	35k	Ex-*NDD Ceará* (G-30)** being expended as a target and sinking, date and location unknown. < Brazil Navy photos	Luiz Cordova
10123427	99k		Luiz Cordova

Plaque and Additional Ships Patches
Contributed by Mike Smolinski	Contributed by USS Hermitage web site	Contributed by Mike Smolinski

For more photos and information about USS Hermitage, see:
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
USS Hermitage (LSD-34)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Parker, Lannis A.	14 December 1956 - November 1957
02	CAPT. Alexander, Joe McNitt	November 1957 - 1 November 1958
03	CDR. Soballe, Verner Jensen	1 November 1958 - 7 November 1959
04	CAPT. Kaufman, Robert Kenneth	7 November 1959 - 6 August 1960
05	CAPT. Rood, George H.	6 August 1960 - 19 August 1961
06	CDR. Tyler, William Perkins	19 August 1961 - 15 September 1962
07	CAPT. Wier Jr., John Paul	15 September 1962 - September 1963
08	CAPT. Warren, Harry Sanford	September 1963 - May 1964
09	CAPT. Donaldson Jr., James Carmichael (Jim) :RADM	May 1964 - October 1965
10	CAPT. McCauley, James Edward, USN (USNA 1944)	October 1965 - 14 April 1967
11	CAPT. Matthews Jr., Herbert Spencer :RADM	14 April 1967 - 22 May 1968
12	CAPT. Jex, Donald Robert, USN (USNA 1947)	22 May 1968 - 19 September 1969
13	CAPT. McDonald, Wesley Lee :ADM	19 September 1969 - 14 September 1970
14	CAPT. Ryder, Donald Fred	14 September 1970 - 7 September 1971
15	CDR. Walsh Jr., Harvey Thomas, USN (USNA 1954)	7 September 1971 - 3 April 1973
16	CDR. Laurance, James Douglas	3 April 1973 - 29 January 1975
17	CDR. Deegan, Robert Francis	29 January 1975 - 7 January 1977
18	CDR. Thomas, James P. L.	7 January 1977 - 25 January 1979
19	CDR. Dekshenieks, Vidvuds	25 January 1979 - 5 March 1981
20	CDR. Stoufer, Donald Andrew	5 March 1981 - 11 February 1983
21	CDR. Beckett, Robert Sampson	11 February 1983 - 16 July 1985
22	CDR. Condon, John Kenneth, USN (USNA 1971)	16 July 1985 - 15 September 1987
23	CDR. Wilson, Charles Henry	15 September 1987 - 2 October 1989


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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Last Updated 19 January 2024