Rape, Roger, Cpl

Iwo Jima Class Amphibious Assault Ship (Helicopter):

• Laid down, 15 November 1962, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.
• Launched, 22 August 1964
• Commissioned USS Guam (LPH-9), 16 January 1965, CAPT. N. E. Thurmon in command
• Decommissioned, 25 August 1998, at Norfolk Naval Station, Norfolk, VA.
• Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1998
• Laid up in the James River Reserve Fleet, Fort Eustis, VA.
• Final Disposition, sunk as a target, 16 October 2001, Location - 031° 14' 22.0" North, 071° 16' 35.0" West: Depth - 1166 fathoms

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  Specifications:
  Displacement 11,000 tons (lt.), 18,474 t.(fl)
  Length 592'
  Beam 84'; Flight Deck 105'
  Draft 27'
  Speed 22 kts.
  Complement 667
  Troop Accommodations 2,157
  Aircraft 25 helicopters
  Armament
  (as built) 4 3"/50 AA guns,
  (modifications) two 3"/50s removed and replaced with 8 cell Sea Sparrow BPDMS launchers, two Phalanx CIWS added, Sparrows later replace with two 25mm chain guns
  Propulsion two 600 psi boilers, one geared steam turbine, one shaft, 22,000 shaft horsepower

Best Friends
steve hurt
donald manning

Best Moment
i was a machinegunner who was on the shake down cruise of the guam. aboad ship for a week before flying off.we were some of the first marines aboard.

went ao caribbean cruise with 3/8 in oct 1965 aboard the guam. ship dropped us off at gitmo where we manned the guard posts on the leeward side of the base. i manned post #3-radio hill most of the time since it was a mg bunker.left gitmo in jan 1966 aboard the guam & stayed off coast of santo damingountil we recieved orders to vn.