History
History of the USS Casa Grande
The Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Coolidge, Arizona 56 miles southeast of Phoenix. It was named Casa Grande by the Jesuit Padre Eusebio Francesco Kino in November 1694. It was designated a national monument by President Woodrow Wilson on 3 August 1918.
Initially named HMS Portway F-144 and then renamed HMS Spear BAPM-5 on assignment to the United Kingdom, LSD-13 was assigned back to the United States and named Casa Grande and is the lead ship of the class. The keel was laid down on 22 November 1943 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA and she was launched on 11 April 1944 sponsored by Mrs. G. Delapalme and commissioned on 5 June 1944.
Sailing form Hampton Roads 19 July 1944, Casa Grande was delayed at Balboa, Canal Zone for repairs en route to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 21 August. Here she offloaded landing craft brought from the East Coast, and loaded men and equipment for the invasion of Yap. However, upon her arrival at Eniwetok on 25 September, she was ordered to Manus to prepare for the Leyte operation. Assigned to the Southern Attack Force, she entered Leyte Gulf uneventfully, and took part in the initial assault on 20 October and withdrew to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea on 22 October. During the next month, she made two voyages from New Guinea to Leyte, ferrying reinforcements and evacuating casualties.December 1944 found Casa Grande preparing for the second of the massive operations in the Philippines and on 31 December she sailed in Task Group 79.2 for Lingayen Gulf.
1945 began with Casa Grande and other ships of her group carried out their landing assignments on 9 January. She continued to operate in support of the invasion, plying between Lingayen, Leyte and Morotai until 30 January. Casa Grande next cruised among the Solomons to load Marines, landing craft and tanks for the invasion of Okinawa. She departed for Ulithi on 26 March and arrived off Okinawa on 1 April. After landing equipment and troops she moved to Kerama Retto on 4 April to operate a small boat repair shop until 3 June, when she sailed for Leyte and underwent a tender availability from 8 June to 26 June. On 26 June she departed Leyte enroute to Guam to load LCVP's and troops for transportation to Samar and proceeded back to Leyte, arriving on 6 July. On 8 July she departed Leyte enroute for Eniwetok with 3 LCT's and their crews. After arriving in Eniwetok on 15 July, she sailed for Pearl Harbor and arrived on 22 July. On 23 July she sailed for San Francisco, CA and anchored in the San Francisco Bay on 30 July. On 1 August 1945 she was ordered to Moore's Drydock Company, Oakland, CA for voyage repairs and remained there until 1 September. On 12 September Casa Grande returned to Pearl Harbor and remained there until 25 September when she departed for Eniwetok. She arrived in Eniwetok on 3 October and departed for Guam on 13 October. She arrived in Apia Harbor, Guam on 17 October and departed for Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 18 October. From 23 October through 8 December she made four round trips between Okinawa and Samar transporting 6 PT Boats each trip. On 8 December she departed for Manila Bay and arrived on 11 December. On 16 December she departed for Yokosuka, Japan and arrived on 22 December. She departed for Yokhama, Japan on 23 December and remained there until 26 December. On 26 December she departed Yokohama enroute Taku, China and arrived on 31 December.
1946 began with Casa Grande in Taku, China where she remained until 9 January when she made two trips to Jinsen (Inchon), Korea carrying 3 LCT's each time before returning to Taku on 18 January. On 16 February she departed for Buckner Bay, Okinawa and arrived on 19 February. On 1 March she departed for Kwajalein, Marshall Islands and arrived on 9 March and departed for Guam the same day. She arrived in Apia Harbor, Guam on 14 March and departed for Pearl Harbor the same day. Enroute to pearl Harbor her orders were changed on 21 March and she returned to Guam on 27 March. On 28 March she departed for Attu, Aleutian Islands and arrived in Massacre Bay, Attu on 5 April. From 9 April to 15 April she made stops in Adak, Alaska and Kodiak,Alaska before departing for San Francisco, CA. Casa Grande anchored in San Francisco Bay on 20 April and entered Kaiser Shipyard Richmond,CA on 27 April. On14 May she left San Francisco for Norfolk, VA, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 23 October 1946. In 1949 she was towed to Bayonne, NJ.
The Korean War brought the Casa Grande back to the active fleet. Activation was started at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard on 13 September and she was placed back in commission on 1 November 1950. She then conducted a shakedown cruise that lasted until 15 March 1951. Casa Grande then participated in PHIBEX 1-51 in March and PHIBTRAEX ABLE in April, both conducted in the Caribbean area. Commencing in May 1951 and continuing through June of 1951 she participated in OPERATION CONVEX 2 in Newfoundland and returned to Norfolk, VA to be winterized. After the completion of winterization she participated in OPERATION BLUEJAY in Thule, Greenland from June through August 1951.
From September 1951 through July 1952, Casa Grande conducted Caribbean maneuvers and operations around Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, participating in LANTFLEX II-52, LEX I-52, TRAEX I - Phase 1 and LEX II-52. From July until October 1952 she underwent an overhaul in Baltimore, MD. Underway refresher training was held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and she returned to Little Creek, VA on 15 December for upkeep through the end of 1952.
From January through February 1953 Casa Grande made two short voyages to the Caribbean participating in LANTPHIBEX II-53. She commenced preparations for overseas deployment from March to April 1953. Casa Grande departed Little Creek in April of 1953 for her first deployment to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet. It was during this deployment, in August, that Casa Grande along with Battery E, 2nd Battalion 10th Marines assisted in providing humanitarian assistance to earthquake victims in Southern Cephalonia, Greek Ionian Islands. She returned to Little Creek on 28 October 1953.
During the early part of 1954 Casa Grande participated in two amphibious operations in the Caribbean, RONEX II-54 and TRAEX II-54. She then entered the Naval Shipyard at Charleston, SC for a month overhaul followed by refresher training in Narragansett Bay, RI. In June 1954 she joined SUNEC 1954, loading small craft at Charleston and then proceeding north to deliver her cargo to ports in Newfoundland and Laborador before returning to Norfolk in July. She made a cruise to New York City in August before reporting back to SUNEC in September 1954. Casa Grande loaded heavy equipment at Port Newark, NJ and then proceeded to Thule, Greenland, arriving in October. During the rest of October and continuing into early November she delivered small craft and personnel between various ports in Newfoundland and Laborador before returning to Little Creek, VA for the remainder of the year.
January 1955 saw Casa Grande participate in TRAEX 2-55 and OPERATION SPRINGBOARD. In February she participated in LANTTRAEX 3-55 in the Caribbean before returning to Little Creek, VA in March. The next two months she conducted local operations along the Eastern seaboard, which included testing of the Army's new amphibius vehicle, the BARC. July found the her in Boston, MA moored next to the USS Constitutiom, the rest of July and August was spent in Little Creek, VA. During September she participated in RONEX 1-55, which included an experimental assault in Maine. In October she participated in LANTPHIBEX-56 returning to Little Creek in November. She remained in homeport for the remainder of the year.
January 1956 saw her particpating in the advance lift phase of TRAEX 56 in the Caribbean. In February 1956 she participated in the main lift phase of TRAEX 56 in the Caribbean returning to Little Creek, VA in June. While attached to the Military Sealift Command, Casa Grande conducted Artic resupply operations from May through June 1956. From June through September 1956 she underwent an overhaul at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and then conducted refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba before returning to Little Creek, VA in November.
After a tender availability, Casa Grande got underway on 4 February 1957 for a short cruise to Florida returning to Little Creek, VA on 14 February. On 27 February she got underway for PHIBEX 1-57 in the Caribbean. On 9 April she again got underway for the Caribbean as part of Task Force 44.1, taking part in landing operations in the Canal Zone before returning to Little Creek, VA on 12 May. Another Caribbean cruise began on 3 June and the ship returned to Little Creek, VA on 22 June. In July she made a cruise to Wilmington, DE before she again left for the Caribbean, returning to Little Creek, VA in August. The ship participated in squadron exercises in the Virginia Capes in November and entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in December.
In January 1958 Casa Grande departed with a large segment of amphibious ships for PHIBEX 1958, conducted in the Caribbean, before returning to Little Creek, VA on 28 March. In April she underwent a shipyard availability at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in preparations for upcoming Artic operations. CASA Grande departed on 12 May for yet another cruise to the Caribbean. On 18 June she sailed for Thule, Greenland delivering her cargo on 4 July and returned to Little Creek, VA on 15 July. On 17 July she departed to load Marines at Morehead City, NC as part of a back-up force for the Lebanon crisis but instead of heading to the Mediterranean she again sailed to the Caribbean returning to Little Creek, VA on 8 August. After a brief yard period she departed on 17 September for Thule, Greenland to evacuate the Army BARC unit and returned to Little Creek, VA on 12 October. A week later she sailed to Greenland to provide assistance to the USS Lindenwald (LSD 6), which had been damaged by a storm and to return her cargo to Norfolk, VA. In November she sailed for New York to load civilian cars bound for Goose Bay, Labrador and to retrograde the Army detachment that had spent the summer there. Casa Grande entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 17 December.
Casa Grande departed the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 17 March 1959 and proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for three weeks of refresher training. She underwent a tender availability before departing on 28 July for her second deployment to Sixth Fleet.
Casa Grande returned to Little Creek, VA on 10 February 1960. In June 1960 she was assigned duties as one of the recovery vessels to assist in Project Mercury. A subsequent cruise was made to the Caribbean later in the summer to participate in the recovery of a Mercury Atlas rocket nose cone but unfortunately the firing was aborted. She returned to Little Creek, Va for additional upkeep, preparations for overseas deployment and local operations around Little Creek, VA. On 31 October Casa Grande commenced her third deployent to the Mediterranean.
Casa Grande returned to Little Creek, VA from her deployement on 17 May 1961 and commenced a period of leave and upkeep. On 14 July she commenced a four month FRAM II overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard which was completed on 16 November. On 7 December 1961 she received secret orders to deploy to Venezuela with eight helicopters to support Presidents Kennedy's South American visit. The ship returned to Little Creek, VA on 23 December and commenced a holiday leave period. This marked the first time in three years Casa Grande had been in homeport for Christmas.
On 15 January 1962 Casa Grande got underway for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to conduct refresher training and returned to Little Creek, VA on 13 February. She spent the remainder of the month undergoing amphibious training in the local area.. She departed for Hamilton, Bermuda on 19 March to pick up a Martin P5M “Marlin". After loading the seapalne on her flight deck she returned to Norfolk Naval Base. The month of April was spent preparing for overseas deployment. On 14 May Casa Grande departed Little Creek, VA for her fourth Mediterranean deployment. After being delayed on her return by Hurricane Ella, she finally arrived in Little Creek, Va on 19 October. On 21 October she departed homeport to participate in the Cuban Missile Crisis Blockade. She returned to Little Creek, VA on 5 December and commenced a holiday leave and upkeep period.
From January 1963 until she entered a civilian shipyard in Newport News, Va for a routine overhaul, Casa Grande conducted local amphibious operations around Little Creek, VA. She departed for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on 12 June. During the refresher training she proceeded to Port au Prince, Haiti to evacuate a helicopter, several small boats and other equipment assigned to the U.S. Military Mission to Haiti. From July to August she completed local refresher training under the control of Amphibious Operations Training Unit. On 20 September 1963 Casa Grande commenced her fifth deployment to the Mediterranean in company with Amphibious Squadron Six.
Casa Grande's return to Little Creek, VA was delayed due to the crisis on the island of Cyprus, finally returning to Little Creek, VA on 20 March 1964. During April she participated in Operation Quick Kick. For the next two months she conducted local operations around Little Creek, Va in preparation for her upcoming deployment. On 20 July she sailed with Amphibious Squadron Six for New York City for a weeks visit to the World's Fair. On 31 August she sailed to Vieques Island, Puerto Rico to onload personnel and equipment and return them to Moreead City. NC. Hurricanes forced her to return to Little Creek, VA, however on 14 September she departed for Morehead City, NC to disembark personnel and equipment. She deployed to the Mediterranean for her sixth deployment on 5 October and participated in Operation Steelpike off the coast of Spain enroute.
Casa Grande returned to Little Creek, VA in March 1965. On 28 April 1965 she deployed to the Dominican Republic and returned to Little Creek, VA on 11 June 1965. From June until December she operated locally off the Virginia Capes with time out for a tender availabilty at Norfolk Naval Base in July. During participation in MEBLEX 2-65 Casa Grande was called upon to make repairs to the USS Perry (DD 883) which had collided with the USS York County (LST 1175). She commenced a holiday leave period on 17 December which continued until the end of the year.
The year of 1966 opened with Casa Grande preparing for deployment to the Meditteranean. On 25 January got underway for her seventh deployment, however on 29 January she and the the rest of Amphibious Squadron Six were ordered to return to their homeports. She sailed for Morehead City, NC on 4 February to unload all troops and equipment and returned to Little Creek, VA on 6 February. On 7 February she departed for the Meditteranean to take the place of the USS Fort Snelling (LSD 30) which was engaged in the recovery of a lost nuclear weapon off the east coast of Spain. She returned to Little Creek, VA on 2 August and underwent a post deployment leave and upkeep period until 29 August followed by a three week overhaul preparation period. On 23 September she sailed for Bethlehem Steel Company, Baltimore, MD for a regular overhaul. On 23 December she returned to Little Creek, VA and spent the rest of the year preparing for refresher training.
On 6 January 1967 Casa Grande got underway for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to conduct refresher training and returned to Little Creek, VA on 9 February. From 20 February to 24 February she conducted loacl amphibious training under the control of Amphibious Operations Training Unit. From 6 March to 10 March she conducted squadron training under the command Commander Amphibious Squadron Six. On 30 March she commenced her eighth deployment to the Mediterranean as a member of Amphibious Squadron Six and returned to Little Creek, VA on 15 September. On 5 October she got underway for Norfolk Naval Base for a two week tender availabilty and returned to Little Creek, VA on 25 October. She remained in Little Creek, VA until the end of the year except for a two day underway period in December.
January and February 1968 saw Casa Grande particpate in Operation Springboard in the Caribbean. In March 1968 she deployed to the Mediterranean for her ninth deployment as a member of Amphibious Squadron Six returning to Little Creek, VA in August 1968.
Casa Grande made her tenth and last Mediterranean deployment in March 1969 and returned to Little Creek, VA in August 1969. It was during this deployment she celebrated the 25th anniversary of her initial commissioning on 5 June. On 15 September she was transferred from Amphibious Squadron Six to the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA in preparation for decommissioning on 6 October 1969.
On 21 October 1970 she was transferred to the National Defense Reserve Force located in the James River. Casa Grande was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 November 1976, after her long life and three Battle Stars. She underwent a status change on 1 February 1983 and arrived at the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA on 26 March 1983 for stripping and ultimate disposal. On 6 April 1992 she was sold for scrap to Baxter Shipping Inc, Burbank, CA for $270,000.
Article Written by the Association's own Historian Emeritus, Larry Guthrie.
Initially named HMS Portway F-144 and then renamed HMS Spear BAPM-5 on assignment to the United Kingdom, LSD-13 was assigned back to the United States and named Casa Grande and is the lead ship of the class. The keel was laid down on 22 November 1943 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA and she was launched on 11 April 1944 sponsored by Mrs. G. Delapalme and commissioned on 5 June 1944.
Sailing form Hampton Roads 19 July 1944, Casa Grande was delayed at Balboa, Canal Zone for repairs en route to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived 21 August. Here she offloaded landing craft brought from the East Coast, and loaded men and equipment for the invasion of Yap. However, upon her arrival at Eniwetok on 25 September, she was ordered to Manus to prepare for the Leyte operation. Assigned to the Southern Attack Force, she entered Leyte Gulf uneventfully, and took part in the initial assault on 20 October and withdrew to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea on 22 October. During the next month, she made two voyages from New Guinea to Leyte, ferrying reinforcements and evacuating casualties.December 1944 found Casa Grande preparing for the second of the massive operations in the Philippines and on 31 December she sailed in Task Group 79.2 for Lingayen Gulf.
1945 began with Casa Grande and other ships of her group carried out their landing assignments on 9 January. She continued to operate in support of the invasion, plying between Lingayen, Leyte and Morotai until 30 January. Casa Grande next cruised among the Solomons to load Marines, landing craft and tanks for the invasion of Okinawa. She departed for Ulithi on 26 March and arrived off Okinawa on 1 April. After landing equipment and troops she moved to Kerama Retto on 4 April to operate a small boat repair shop until 3 June, when she sailed for Leyte and underwent a tender availability from 8 June to 26 June. On 26 June she departed Leyte enroute to Guam to load LCVP's and troops for transportation to Samar and proceeded back to Leyte, arriving on 6 July. On 8 July she departed Leyte enroute for Eniwetok with 3 LCT's and their crews. After arriving in Eniwetok on 15 July, she sailed for Pearl Harbor and arrived on 22 July. On 23 July she sailed for San Francisco, CA and anchored in the San Francisco Bay on 30 July. On 1 August 1945 she was ordered to Moore's Drydock Company, Oakland, CA for voyage repairs and remained there until 1 September. On 12 September Casa Grande returned to Pearl Harbor and remained there until 25 September when she departed for Eniwetok. She arrived in Eniwetok on 3 October and departed for Guam on 13 October. She arrived in Apia Harbor, Guam on 17 October and departed for Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 18 October. From 23 October through 8 December she made four round trips between Okinawa and Samar transporting 6 PT Boats each trip. On 8 December she departed for Manila Bay and arrived on 11 December. On 16 December she departed for Yokosuka, Japan and arrived on 22 December. She departed for Yokhama, Japan on 23 December and remained there until 26 December. On 26 December she departed Yokohama enroute Taku, China and arrived on 31 December.
1946 began with Casa Grande in Taku, China where she remained until 9 January when she made two trips to Jinsen (Inchon), Korea carrying 3 LCT's each time before returning to Taku on 18 January. On 16 February she departed for Buckner Bay, Okinawa and arrived on 19 February. On 1 March she departed for Kwajalein, Marshall Islands and arrived on 9 March and departed for Guam the same day. She arrived in Apia Harbor, Guam on 14 March and departed for Pearl Harbor the same day. Enroute to pearl Harbor her orders were changed on 21 March and she returned to Guam on 27 March. On 28 March she departed for Attu, Aleutian Islands and arrived in Massacre Bay, Attu on 5 April. From 9 April to 15 April she made stops in Adak, Alaska and Kodiak,Alaska before departing for San Francisco, CA. Casa Grande anchored in San Francisco Bay on 20 April and entered Kaiser Shipyard Richmond,CA on 27 April. On14 May she left San Francisco for Norfolk, VA, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 23 October 1946. In 1949 she was towed to Bayonne, NJ.
The Korean War brought the Casa Grande back to the active fleet. Activation was started at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard on 13 September and she was placed back in commission on 1 November 1950. She then conducted a shakedown cruise that lasted until 15 March 1951. Casa Grande then participated in PHIBEX 1-51 in March and PHIBTRAEX ABLE in April, both conducted in the Caribbean area. Commencing in May 1951 and continuing through June of 1951 she participated in OPERATION CONVEX 2 in Newfoundland and returned to Norfolk, VA to be winterized. After the completion of winterization she participated in OPERATION BLUEJAY in Thule, Greenland from June through August 1951.
From September 1951 through July 1952, Casa Grande conducted Caribbean maneuvers and operations around Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, participating in LANTFLEX II-52, LEX I-52, TRAEX I - Phase 1 and LEX II-52. From July until October 1952 she underwent an overhaul in Baltimore, MD. Underway refresher training was held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and she returned to Little Creek, VA on 15 December for upkeep through the end of 1952.
From January through February 1953 Casa Grande made two short voyages to the Caribbean participating in LANTPHIBEX II-53. She commenced preparations for overseas deployment from March to April 1953. Casa Grande departed Little Creek in April of 1953 for her first deployment to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet. It was during this deployment, in August, that Casa Grande along with Battery E, 2nd Battalion 10th Marines assisted in providing humanitarian assistance to earthquake victims in Southern Cephalonia, Greek Ionian Islands. She returned to Little Creek on 28 October 1953.
During the early part of 1954 Casa Grande participated in two amphibious operations in the Caribbean, RONEX II-54 and TRAEX II-54. She then entered the Naval Shipyard at Charleston, SC for a month overhaul followed by refresher training in Narragansett Bay, RI. In June 1954 she joined SUNEC 1954, loading small craft at Charleston and then proceeding north to deliver her cargo to ports in Newfoundland and Laborador before returning to Norfolk in July. She made a cruise to New York City in August before reporting back to SUNEC in September 1954. Casa Grande loaded heavy equipment at Port Newark, NJ and then proceeded to Thule, Greenland, arriving in October. During the rest of October and continuing into early November she delivered small craft and personnel between various ports in Newfoundland and Laborador before returning to Little Creek, VA for the remainder of the year.
January 1955 saw Casa Grande participate in TRAEX 2-55 and OPERATION SPRINGBOARD. In February she participated in LANTTRAEX 3-55 in the Caribbean before returning to Little Creek, VA in March. The next two months she conducted local operations along the Eastern seaboard, which included testing of the Army's new amphibius vehicle, the BARC. July found the her in Boston, MA moored next to the USS Constitutiom, the rest of July and August was spent in Little Creek, VA. During September she participated in RONEX 1-55, which included an experimental assault in Maine. In October she participated in LANTPHIBEX-56 returning to Little Creek in November. She remained in homeport for the remainder of the year.
January 1956 saw her particpating in the advance lift phase of TRAEX 56 in the Caribbean. In February 1956 she participated in the main lift phase of TRAEX 56 in the Caribbean returning to Little Creek, VA in June. While attached to the Military Sealift Command, Casa Grande conducted Artic resupply operations from May through June 1956. From June through September 1956 she underwent an overhaul at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and then conducted refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba before returning to Little Creek, VA in November.
After a tender availability, Casa Grande got underway on 4 February 1957 for a short cruise to Florida returning to Little Creek, VA on 14 February. On 27 February she got underway for PHIBEX 1-57 in the Caribbean. On 9 April she again got underway for the Caribbean as part of Task Force 44.1, taking part in landing operations in the Canal Zone before returning to Little Creek, VA on 12 May. Another Caribbean cruise began on 3 June and the ship returned to Little Creek, VA on 22 June. In July she made a cruise to Wilmington, DE before she again left for the Caribbean, returning to Little Creek, VA in August. The ship participated in squadron exercises in the Virginia Capes in November and entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in December.
In January 1958 Casa Grande departed with a large segment of amphibious ships for PHIBEX 1958, conducted in the Caribbean, before returning to Little Creek, VA on 28 March. In April she underwent a shipyard availability at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in preparations for upcoming Artic operations. CASA Grande departed on 12 May for yet another cruise to the Caribbean. On 18 June she sailed for Thule, Greenland delivering her cargo on 4 July and returned to Little Creek, VA on 15 July. On 17 July she departed to load Marines at Morehead City, NC as part of a back-up force for the Lebanon crisis but instead of heading to the Mediterranean she again sailed to the Caribbean returning to Little Creek, VA on 8 August. After a brief yard period she departed on 17 September for Thule, Greenland to evacuate the Army BARC unit and returned to Little Creek, VA on 12 October. A week later she sailed to Greenland to provide assistance to the USS Lindenwald (LSD 6), which had been damaged by a storm and to return her cargo to Norfolk, VA. In November she sailed for New York to load civilian cars bound for Goose Bay, Labrador and to retrograde the Army detachment that had spent the summer there. Casa Grande entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 17 December.
Casa Grande departed the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 17 March 1959 and proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for three weeks of refresher training. She underwent a tender availability before departing on 28 July for her second deployment to Sixth Fleet.
Casa Grande returned to Little Creek, VA on 10 February 1960. In June 1960 she was assigned duties as one of the recovery vessels to assist in Project Mercury. A subsequent cruise was made to the Caribbean later in the summer to participate in the recovery of a Mercury Atlas rocket nose cone but unfortunately the firing was aborted. She returned to Little Creek, Va for additional upkeep, preparations for overseas deployment and local operations around Little Creek, VA. On 31 October Casa Grande commenced her third deployent to the Mediterranean.
Casa Grande returned to Little Creek, VA from her deployement on 17 May 1961 and commenced a period of leave and upkeep. On 14 July she commenced a four month FRAM II overhaul at the Charleston Naval Shipyard which was completed on 16 November. On 7 December 1961 she received secret orders to deploy to Venezuela with eight helicopters to support Presidents Kennedy's South American visit. The ship returned to Little Creek, VA on 23 December and commenced a holiday leave period. This marked the first time in three years Casa Grande had been in homeport for Christmas.
On 15 January 1962 Casa Grande got underway for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to conduct refresher training and returned to Little Creek, VA on 13 February. She spent the remainder of the month undergoing amphibious training in the local area.. She departed for Hamilton, Bermuda on 19 March to pick up a Martin P5M “Marlin". After loading the seapalne on her flight deck she returned to Norfolk Naval Base. The month of April was spent preparing for overseas deployment. On 14 May Casa Grande departed Little Creek, VA for her fourth Mediterranean deployment. After being delayed on her return by Hurricane Ella, she finally arrived in Little Creek, Va on 19 October. On 21 October she departed homeport to participate in the Cuban Missile Crisis Blockade. She returned to Little Creek, VA on 5 December and commenced a holiday leave and upkeep period.
From January 1963 until she entered a civilian shipyard in Newport News, Va for a routine overhaul, Casa Grande conducted local amphibious operations around Little Creek, VA. She departed for refresher training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on 12 June. During the refresher training she proceeded to Port au Prince, Haiti to evacuate a helicopter, several small boats and other equipment assigned to the U.S. Military Mission to Haiti. From July to August she completed local refresher training under the control of Amphibious Operations Training Unit. On 20 September 1963 Casa Grande commenced her fifth deployment to the Mediterranean in company with Amphibious Squadron Six.
Casa Grande's return to Little Creek, VA was delayed due to the crisis on the island of Cyprus, finally returning to Little Creek, VA on 20 March 1964. During April she participated in Operation Quick Kick. For the next two months she conducted local operations around Little Creek, Va in preparation for her upcoming deployment. On 20 July she sailed with Amphibious Squadron Six for New York City for a weeks visit to the World's Fair. On 31 August she sailed to Vieques Island, Puerto Rico to onload personnel and equipment and return them to Moreead City. NC. Hurricanes forced her to return to Little Creek, VA, however on 14 September she departed for Morehead City, NC to disembark personnel and equipment. She deployed to the Mediterranean for her sixth deployment on 5 October and participated in Operation Steelpike off the coast of Spain enroute.
Casa Grande returned to Little Creek, VA in March 1965. On 28 April 1965 she deployed to the Dominican Republic and returned to Little Creek, VA on 11 June 1965. From June until December she operated locally off the Virginia Capes with time out for a tender availabilty at Norfolk Naval Base in July. During participation in MEBLEX 2-65 Casa Grande was called upon to make repairs to the USS Perry (DD 883) which had collided with the USS York County (LST 1175). She commenced a holiday leave period on 17 December which continued until the end of the year.
The year of 1966 opened with Casa Grande preparing for deployment to the Meditteranean. On 25 January got underway for her seventh deployment, however on 29 January she and the the rest of Amphibious Squadron Six were ordered to return to their homeports. She sailed for Morehead City, NC on 4 February to unload all troops and equipment and returned to Little Creek, VA on 6 February. On 7 February she departed for the Meditteranean to take the place of the USS Fort Snelling (LSD 30) which was engaged in the recovery of a lost nuclear weapon off the east coast of Spain. She returned to Little Creek, VA on 2 August and underwent a post deployment leave and upkeep period until 29 August followed by a three week overhaul preparation period. On 23 September she sailed for Bethlehem Steel Company, Baltimore, MD for a regular overhaul. On 23 December she returned to Little Creek, VA and spent the rest of the year preparing for refresher training.
On 6 January 1967 Casa Grande got underway for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to conduct refresher training and returned to Little Creek, VA on 9 February. From 20 February to 24 February she conducted loacl amphibious training under the control of Amphibious Operations Training Unit. From 6 March to 10 March she conducted squadron training under the command Commander Amphibious Squadron Six. On 30 March she commenced her eighth deployment to the Mediterranean as a member of Amphibious Squadron Six and returned to Little Creek, VA on 15 September. On 5 October she got underway for Norfolk Naval Base for a two week tender availabilty and returned to Little Creek, VA on 25 October. She remained in Little Creek, VA until the end of the year except for a two day underway period in December.
January and February 1968 saw Casa Grande particpate in Operation Springboard in the Caribbean. In March 1968 she deployed to the Mediterranean for her ninth deployment as a member of Amphibious Squadron Six returning to Little Creek, VA in August 1968.
Casa Grande made her tenth and last Mediterranean deployment in March 1969 and returned to Little Creek, VA in August 1969. It was during this deployment she celebrated the 25th anniversary of her initial commissioning on 5 June. On 15 September she was transferred from Amphibious Squadron Six to the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA in preparation for decommissioning on 6 October 1969.
On 21 October 1970 she was transferred to the National Defense Reserve Force located in the James River. Casa Grande was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 November 1976, after her long life and three Battle Stars. She underwent a status change on 1 February 1983 and arrived at the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA on 26 March 1983 for stripping and ultimate disposal. On 6 April 1992 she was sold for scrap to Baxter Shipping Inc, Burbank, CA for $270,000.
Article Written by the Association's own Historian Emeritus, Larry Guthrie.
posted by Philip Forrest at 1:59 AM
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