1970[edit]
Anchorage participated in numerous military operations. At the end of the Vietnam War, the ship carried Marines back to the United States as a part of the US withdrawal from Vietnam.
Anchorage returned to San Diego on 9 January 1970. She set sail on the 31st for the western Pacific (WestPac) to transport Marine Corps personnel back to the United States as part of Operation Keystone Bluejay, a planned withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam. On 19 February, the ship arrived at Danang, Republic of Vietnam; took on board the personnel and equipment of the 7th Motor Battalion; and sailed for the United States. She reached Delmar, California, on 12 March and debarked her passengers.[1]
Following a month and one-half in port at San Diego for training and upkeep, Anchorage got underway on 1 May with other units of Amphibious Squadron (PhibRon) 5 for the Far East. She stopped at Pearl Harbor and then sailed to Johnston Atoll to deliver several landing craft. The ship next proceeded to Yokosuka, Japan, and arrived there on 19 May for voyage repairs. Her next port call was at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, where Marines came on board for transportation to Subic Bay, Philippines. Upon the completion of that embarkation, PhibRon 5 units assumed duty as Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) Alfa.[1]
From 6 to 18 June, Anchorage carried small craft between ports along the coast of Vietnam. Her ports of call included Vung Tau, Camranh Bay, Qui Nhon, Danang, and An Thoi, near Phú Qu�?c. She anchored near An Thoi from 11 to 14 June to provide dry dock services for the ships at the naval activity there.[1]
On 22 June, the ship participated in the first of several amphibious exercises conducted by ARG Alfa at Green Beach, near Subic Bay. During these operations, she acted as a primary control ship for the direction and control of landing craft while they moved to the beach.[1]
The ship pulled into Sasebo, Japan, early in July for a period of rest and relaxation for the crew. She got underway again on 16 July for amphibious exercises off Green Beach. On the 31st, she arrived at Okinawa to take Battalion Landing Team 2/9 on board for transportation to Subic Bay. Anchorage arrived at Subic Bay on 18 August for upkeep. Her next port of call was Hong Kong, which she visited from 10 until 18 September and then returned to the Subic Bay operating area.[1]
From 24 September through 8 October, Anchorage traveled among Subic Bay and Vung Tau, Camranh Bay, and Danang, Vietnam, carrying various small craft. Late in October, she carried out relief operations in the Lagonoy Gulf on the eastern coast of the Philippines for victims of Typhoons Joan and Kate. After touching at Keelung, Taiwan, on 29 October, the ship proceeded to Okinawa to pick up a landing craft for transportation to Subic Bay. She took part in amphibious exercises at Green Beach on 7 November, then put into port at Subic Bay. From the 20th to the 23d, Anchorage was at Okinawa to disembark Marines and to unload their equipment. During this time, PhibRon 5 was relieved of duties as ARG Alfa. The ship then paid a short visit to Yokosuka, Japan, for liberty and the loading of equipment for transportation to the United States. Sailing from Japan on 30 November, the vessel arrived in San Diego on 10 December.[1]
1971[edit]
Anchorage remained in availability until 20 February 1971, when she got underway for Port Hueneme, California. There, she loaded construction materials for a communications center on the island in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia, to be built as a part of Operation Reindeer Station. She left the California coast on 22 February bound for Australia. The vessel made port calls at Sydney and Perth, Australia, late in March and then pushed on into the Indian Ocean. Upon arriving at Diego Garcia on 4 April, she unloaded the construction materials and sailed the next day for Subic Bay to obtain minor repairs and replenishment. Following a visit to Hong Kong from 17 to 22 April, the ship sailed to Danang where she embarked Marine Corps personnel and equipment for return to the United States as part of Operation Keystone Robin. On 23 April, she shaped a course for San Diego.[1]
Anchorage arrived in her home port on 11 May and, on 28 June, resumed operations as a training ship for landing exercises off Seal Beach, California. This study was followed by refresher training and a period inport at San Diego. From 2 to 6 August, the vessel was again involved in exercises off Seal Beach. She left San Diego on 16 August to sail to her namesake city, Anchorage, Alaska, where she remained from 22 to 26 August. After pausing at Alameda, California, to unload aircraft, she arrived back at San Diego on 1 September and entered upkeep.[1]
The ship sailed for Hawaii on 1 October and, en route, participated in Convoy Exercise 3-71. She spent two days at Pearl Harbor before continuing on to Buckner Bay, Okinawa. There, she rejoined ARG Alfa and embarked Marines for transportation to Subic Bay. Early in November, the ship visited Kaohsiung, Taiwan. From 13 to 20 November, she shuttled landing craft between Vung Tau and Subic Bay. During the last few weeks of 1971, the ship visited Sasebo, Japan, and Hong Kong for liberty calls and also carried Marines and equipment from Okinawa to Subic Bay.[1]
1972[edit]
After a period of repair work, Anchorage sailed for Buckner Bay on 17 January 1972 to embark Marines for transportation back to Subic Bay. Late in January, she carried out wet-well operations at Danang, Qui Nhon, and Vung Tau and, in mid-February, traveled to Singapore for a visit before returning to Subic Bay. After a brief trip to Kure, Japan, in early March, the ship was involved in amphibious exercises. On 31 March, she got underway to rendezvous with Task Group 76.5 which she met on 2 April for operations off the coast of Vietnam through 6 May.[1]
The ship was at Subic Bay from 9 to 18 May and then sailed back to Vietnamese waters for wet-well lifts to Vung Tau, Hoi An, and Danang. On 24 May, she took part in Exercise "Song Thanh 6-72". She reached Okinawa on 14 June to embark troops bound for the Philippines and arrived at Subic Bay on the 20th. After a series of amphibious landing exercises, Anchorage resumed wet-well operations between Vung Tau and Subic Bay.[1]
The vessel visited Kaohsiung in early July, then arrived back at Subic Bay on the 8th. She left the Philippines, bound for home, on 9 July and made San Diego on 24 July. She remained in port through 4 December, when the vessel got underway for independent type exercises off the southern California coast. She returned to San Diego on the 7th and entered a holiday leave and upkeep status.[1]
