USS Guam (LPH-9)
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| Career | 
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|---|---|
| Ordered: | 21 Sep 1961 |
| Laid down: | 15 Nov 1962 |
| Launched: | 22 Aug 1964 |
| Commissioned: | 16 Jan 1965 |
| Decommissioned: | 25 Aug 1998 |
| Fate: | Disposed of as a target |
| Struck: | 25 Aug 1998 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 19217 tons |
| Length: | 598 ft |
| Beam: | 84 ft |
| Draught: | 30 ft |
| Propulsion: | Steam Turbine |
| Speed: | |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 77 Officers, 601 Enlisted |
| Armament: | 2x 3"/50 Caliber 2x Basic Point Defense Missile Systems (BPDMS) 2x MK 15 MOD 2 PHALANX CIWS |
| Aircraft: | |
| Motto: | Swift and bold. |
The third USS Guam (LPH-9), an Iwo Jima class amphibious assault ship, was laid down by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 15 November 1962; launched 22 August 1964; sponsored by Mrs. Vaughn H. Emory Green; and commissioned 16 January 1965, Captain N. E. Thurmon in command. She is the third US Navy ship to carry the name, after the island of Guam
After fitting out and builder's trials, the new amphibious assault ship joined the Atlantic Fleet 21 April 1965 and sailed for Norfolk, her homeport. Arriving Hampton Roads the next day for training off the Virginia Capes, she departed Hampton Roads for underway training out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Guam returned to Norfolk 5 July for intensive amphibious training. She sailed from Hampton Roads 29 November to participate in amphibious and anti-submarine warfare exercises en route to the Caribbean. On 10 December Guam joined the Amphibious Ready Squadron in the Caribbean as flagship for Amphibious Squadron 12. There she operated at peak readiness to protect the peace and security of the Caribbean and Central America.
From 16 to 28 February 1966, Guam patrolled south of the Dominican Republic ready to land forces on the volatile island of Hispanola if necessary. She conducted amphibious exercises until entering Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 1 June for post shakedown availability.
She departed Philadelphia 2 August and prepared for service as the primary recovery ship for the Gemini 11 space flight. On 18 September at 0959 EDT Guam recovered Astronauts Pete Conrad and Dick Gordon 710 miles east of Cape Kennedy. From 28 November to 12 December Guam participated in Exercise "Lantflex 66", and on the latter date became flagship of Amphibious Squadron 8 and Caribbean Amphibious Ready Group.
She departed from Norfolk in August of 1990 to deploy to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, with less than a months notice. When her crew received notice of the deployment the boilers were torn down for PMS (preventative maintenance).
In Janauary 1991, Guam was sent to the coast of Somalia for Operation Eastern Exit. She was originally set to take the rescued personnel from the Embassy to Kenya, but Kenya refused the Russian Ambassador. Instead, Guam took them to Muskat, Oman before returning to the Persian Gulf.
She was decommissioned in 1998 and sunk as a target on 16 October 2001.
See USS Guam for other US Navy ships of this name.
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
| Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship |
| Iwo Jima | Okinawa | Guadalcanal | Guam | Tripoli | New Orleans | Inchon |
| List of amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy |