USS Belle Grove LSD-2, steaming and operations 1960 to 64.

Zg285. (-05). 1962 Nov. Caribbean, Cuba Crisis, the Flight-Deck is loaded.

 

———————————————————–

This album with 14 pics is about steaming and operations of the USS Belle Grove LSD-2 1960 to 64.

These are my pictures shot during my tour on the USS Belle Grove LSD-2 1960-64. We made two WESTPAC Cruises, made a special deployment to Okinawa for the First Laos Crisis in 1961, and to the Caribbean for the 1962 Cuba Crisis and spend 6 months shipyard in Portland Oregon. This was my first ship and tour in the Navy, almost 4 years, advanced to BM2 (Boatswains Mate 2nd Class) and Diver 2nd Class. It made a Sailor out of me. I will remember it forever, Hooyah US Navy!

———————————————————

But it is also uploaded to Photobucket with 36 images into this album, click here:

 

 

When the album opens, click on the first picture or the one you would like to view, then click the icon “i” and that will open the title and description of the image or images.

The pictures are no longer in order, because Photobucket made the image titles disappear as the result of their constant reorganizations.

———————————————————

For this Karl’s web page presentation I chose only these 14 images.

 

Zg281. (-01). 1961 Christmas GQ, underway home to Long Beach from Portland.

Zg282. (-02). 1961 Okinawa Trip, 1st Laos Crisis, crossing the International Date line.

Zg283. (-03). 1962 Nov. Caribbean, Cuba Crisis. APA-33 USS Bayfield our Squadron Flagship.

Zg284. (-04). 1962 Nov. Caribbean, Cuba Crisis. I remember the skipper of the oiler, using his bull horn, said quote: “After some searching, they found a fitting, they had not used since the Civil War, to connect” unquote.

Zg285. (-05). 1962 Nov. Caribbean, Cuba Crisis, the Flight-Deck is loaded.

Zg286. (-06). 1962 Amphibious-Training off California, the Well-Deck is loaded.

Zg287. (-07). 1962 Amphibious-Training off California, the Well-Deck is being loaded. That is what a LSD is all about, ballast down, float them in and kick them out at target location.

Zg288. (-08). 1962 Amphibious-Training off California, running our LCVP boat was one of my jobs.

Zg289. (-09). 1962 Amphibious-Training off California, yes sometime we had time for that the cooks liked to included them at chow.

Zg290. (-10). Amphibious-Training was often long hours and we had to stay on station for anything that came up, we slept when we could. A little rest after launching floating crafts out of Well-Deck and, unloading Flight-Deck by crane etc.

Zg291. (-11). Refresher Training, stand by for the shot-line.

Zg292. (-12). 1963 WESTPAC, Weather, Yeap, that is part of it too.

Zg293. (-13). Another LSD job, nesting the assault boats from the other ships after initial landing, 1960 I believe.

Zg294. (-14). USS Cabildo LSD-16, on the way to Okinawa, 1st Laos Crisis.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.