By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ty C. Connors, USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs
SASEBO, JAPAN – USS Denver (LPD 9), formerly of forward-deployed Amphibious Squadron 11, embarked on its final voyage as a United States Navy ship. Denver, an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, pulled away from the Sasebo pier Wednesday morning, for the last time, to begin its trip across the Pacific to Hawaii, where it will be decommissioned.
Denver is the third ship to be named after the “Mile-High City” and is currently the oldest commissioned warship in the United States Navy, second only to the USS Constitution.
Denver has served with distinction since it was commissioned Oct. 26, 1968. Denver served in support of operations in the Vietnam War, including the evacuation of Saigon. Denver also rendered humanitarian assistance all over the Pacific basin, after Typhoon Morakot in Taiwan and the Sumatran earthquakes in 2009, and after Typhoon Megi in the Philippines in 2010.
“I am very fortunate to be the last commanding officer of Denver after [the ship’s] 46 years of service to the country,” said Capt. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly, commanding officer of the USS Denver. “She has gone through an extensive array of operations and portion of the nation’s history. To have a ship of this age … finish its extensive, extended operational service life as a forward-deployed asset … really underscores the professionalism of the current crew and past crew in maintaining the ship, and I am very proud of that fact.”
Date Taken: | 07.23.2014 |
Date Posted: | 07.23.2014 19:52 |
Story ID: | 137063 |
Location: | SASEBO, JP |
Web Views: | 4,582 |
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