Name USS Denver Awarded 23 May 1963 Commissioned 26 October 1968 Launched 23 January 1965 Weight 17,700 tons Beam 25 m | Laid down 7 July 1964 Construction started 7 July 1964 Tonnage 8.788 million kg Displacement 15.81 million kg | |
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Namesake City of Denver, Colorado Builder Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company | ||
USS Denver (LPD-9), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, is the third ship of United States Navy to bear this name. Denver’s keel was laid 7 July 1964 at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, Seattle, Washington. She was launched 23 January 1965, christened by Mrs. John A. Love, wife of the Governor of Colorado, and commissioned 26 October 1968. After 46 years of service, the Denver was decommissioned at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on 14 August 2014. At the time of her decommissioning, Denver was the oldest deployable warship in the U.S. Navy, and the last active warship commissioned in the 1960s.
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Role in the SS Columbia Eagle mutiny
In 1970, USS Denver played a key role in the SS Columbia Eagle incident. When the SS Columbia Eagle was commandeered by two mutinous crew members on 14 March 1970, Denver was immediately dispatched to intercept and recapture Columbia Eagle.
Vietnam War, 1975
In April 1975, Denver participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam.
1984
Denver took part in Westpac 84 and took part in several operations including Operation Beach Guard, Operation Cobra Gold, & Operation Valiant Usher. On her return trip in December 1984, Denver participated in a tiger cruise. It was during this time that she collided with USS New Orleans in a refueling exercise, New Orleans who had her elevator out and smashed into the Denver several times.
Collision with USNS Yukon
On 13 July 2000, the ship was participating in a refueling exercise near the end of a deployment. Denver, off the coast of Oahu, collided with its refueling vessel, USNS Yukon. Denver's bow was seriously damaged. It remained in port at Pearl Harbor undergoing repairs for two weeks.
Typhoon Morakot
Beginning on 17 August 2009 Denver started rendering humanitarian assistance to Taiwan due to the destruction caused by Typhoon Morakot. Denver was tasked independently to render aid, along with two embarked squadrons, HM-14 and HSC-25. They were supporting efforts by airlifting food, medical supplies, and providing heavy lift support for earth moving equipment to assist with recovery efforts. Due to the sensitive nature surrounding Taiwan, especially with the One China policy, the Department of Defense did not publicly announce relief efforts. Denver was planned to be in the vicinity of Taiwan until 22 August 2009 to render aid to the people of Taiwan. Denver had just completed Talisman Saber 2009 and was on her way to her homeport when she was directly tasked with this humanitarian mission.
2008 Hull Swap
In 2008 Denver replaced USS Juneau. The crew from USS Juneau took all relevant gear and documents from the Juneau and transferred them to Denver. Denver was then home-ported at Sasebo Naval Base, Japan, where it would remain until being decommissioned.
2009 Sumatra earthquakes
The Denver was sent to Sumatra to assist in the recovery efforts following the earthquakes there in September 2009.
2010
During the 2010 Fall Patrol, from 1 September to 25 November 2010, Denver accompanied USS Essex and USS Harpers Ferry on a tour of Southeast Asia. During the patrol, Denver took part in the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Incheon, Korea and assisted the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Megi. On 17 November, Denver, Essex and Harpers Ferry became the first U.S. warships to visit Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour in more than two years.
2011
The ship departed Sasebo in September 2011 for a patrol of the western Pacific. Accompanying the ship were USS Germantown and USS Essex.
Decommissioning
Denver was decommissioned on 14 August 2014 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. She had been the oldest active duty ship in the US Navy behind USS Constitution. Upon Denver's decommissioning, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) became the Navy's second oldest ship. The US government has offered to sell the ship to Malaysia to replace KD Sri Inderapura which was destroyed by fire in an accident in 2009.
The Navy has announced that USS Green Bay (LPD-20) will replace Denver in Sasebo in summer 2015.