The U.S.S. Okinawa (LPH-3) was a 600-foot long U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship, with a ship's complement of 500 sailors, carrying 1,500 Marines and a couple of helicopter squadrons (CH-34, Sea Knights).
I was assigned to the 'Oki-boat,' homeported in Norfolk, VA, in June of 1965, and assigned to the ships Communications Center.
The next day, we sailed for a three-month cruise in the Caribbean.
Our job was to do amphibious landing training (Vieques Island) and check out the liberty ports on various islands to make sure they were secure.
Our Caribbean 'homeport' was San Juan, Puerto Rico--a cool place--playing volleyball on Army-Navy beach or renting scooters and riding around the island during the day and hitting the bars in Old San Juan and the hotel casinos in New San Juan--picture this: a lowly 3rd-class petty officer tentatively putting a $1 chip on a color or number while some old guy in a sharkskin suit with a pocketfull of $100 chips, reaches in to toss a half dozen haphazardly across the betting field.
During my almost two-year tour onboard, we made three Carib cruises, spent 6-months in drydock at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and even made a public relations stop at Miami where we allowed civilians onboard (married sailors were posted at the base of the ships ladders (stairs) to assist visitors, especially female visitors).
Out on liberty in Miami, we were struck by the number of senior citizens there.
There wasn't much we could do in Miami, most of us being underage, but, we did get to see a Dolphins football game.
Once, while tied up to our pier in Norfolk, VA, the President visited the aircraft carrier (Eisenhower? America? I forget which) tied up across the pier from us.
We were not allowed out on deck, but were required to wear our dress uniforms--go figure.
While in NORVA, lunch was best at the Acey-Deucy Club (1st and 2nd Class Petty Officer's Club): a great Steak with potatoes/veggies at an affordable price.
While in Philadelphia, I stayed at the home of a shipmate's parents and we lived like civilians, hanging out with his old school buddies, finding out where the parties were at the hoagie shop on 70th and Dicks, walking home through the snow at 3:00am after double dates and the trolleys closed down.
In very late 1966, the Oki-boat got orders to report to the U.S. west coast to ultimately go to Viet Nam.
Since my enlistment was about to end, I was asked if I would either re-up (sign on for another 4 years) or extend my enlistment 6 months in order to make the trip out west.
I told them I wanted to get out and see what civilian life was like, so they transferred me to the U.S.S. Pocono (AGC-16--I think), the flagship for the Commandant, Amphibious Forces Atlantic Fleet.
I worked as a Communications Center supervisor there for the three months before my enlistment was up and I went home.
A few years ago, I got curious about where the Oki-boat was.
On December 22, 1992, she was decommissioned (taken out of service). Ilearned early this year that, on June 6, 2002, she was disposed of as a target off the coast of California.
Her keel was laid in 1963, so, for a navy ship she had a pretty short life.
She was a good ship and I enjoyed the years I spent onboard her.
You can read more about her at this U.S.S. Okinawa, LPH-3, webpage.
