USS Guam (LPH-9), an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship, was laid down by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 15 November 1962; launched on 22 August 1964, sponsored by Mrs. Vaughn H. Emory Green, and commissioned on 16 January 1965, Captain N. E. Thurmon in command. She was the third US Navy ship to carry the name, after the Battle of Guam.
Decommissioned in 1998, she was the last of the Iwo Jima class in service.
General characteristics
Class and type:
Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship
Displacement:
19,217 tons
Length:
603 ft (184 m)
Beam:
84 ft (26 m)
Draught:
30 ft (9.1 m)
Propulsion:
2 × 600 psi (4 MPa) boilers, one geared steam turbines, one shaft, 22,000 shaft horse power
Best Friends SM2 Ron Hannig, SM3 Bob Monroe, SM2 Wayne Lewis, SM3 Larry Sheppard, SMC Edwards, SMC Mercer, SM1 Gary Gauthier, SM1 Bob Woodford.
Best Moment Going through the Panama Canal and becoming a Shellback. I loved doing DIVTACs by flaghoist all day and then by yardarm blinker until midnight then we would have flashing light drills until daylight and then start all over again.
Other Memories I made 4 Carib and 2 Med cruises in the nearly 5 years I was on her.