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USS St. Louis (LKA 116)

Initially laid down as AKA 116 but redesignated LKA 116 on January 1, 1969, the USS ST. LOUIS was the fourth CHARLESTON - class amphibious cargo ship and the sixth vessel in the Navy named after the largest city in the state of Missouri. Decommissioned after more than 22 years of service on November 2, 1992, the ST. LOUIS spent the following years laid up at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor, Hi. On September 23, 2018, the ship was sunk as a target during Exercise Valiant Shield near Guam.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS ST. LOUIS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

• Click here to view the list.

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• Click here to see which USS ST. LOUIS memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS ST. LOUIS Cruise Books:

• Maiden Cruise Book 1970-71
• WestPac Cruise Book 1980-81

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USS ST. LOUIS History:

USS ST. LOUIS was laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Newport News, Virginia, on April 3, 1968. She was originally designated AKA 116, reflecting the Navy's attack cargo ship classification. As part of a general redesignation of amphibious ships, her classification was changed from AKA 116 to LKA 116 on January 1, 1969, before she entered service. The ship was launched on January 4, 1969, sponsored by Representative Leonor K. Sullivan of Missouri, and was commissioned on November 22, 1969. Captain John W. Klinefelter became her first commanding officer. Following commissioning, USS ST. LOUIS remained in the Norfolk area for fitting out, testing, training, and preparation for transfer to the Pacific Fleet.

On February 3, 1970, USS ST. LOUIS began trials, and by February 6 she was ready to leave the East Coast for her assigned home port at Long Beach, California. The voyage also provided an opportunity to train the newly assembled crew under sustained underway conditions. During the passage, she called at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and subsequently passed through the Panama Canal before entering the Pacific. USS ST. LOUIS arrived at Long Beach on February 28. During March and April, her crew concentrated on battle organization, amphibious warfare procedures, cargo handling, communications, landing-craft operations, and the numerous other skills required of a ship expected to support embarked Marine units. May and June were largely devoted to post-shakedown work intended to correct deficiencies revealed during trials and the initial transit. July was spent preparing and provisioning the ship for her first western Pacific deployment, and late in the month she conducted her first dependents' cruise.

USS ST. LOUIS departed Long Beach on August 1, 1970, for her first deployment to the western Pacific. She sailed as part of Amphibious Squadron 11 in company with USS JUNEAU (LPD 10), USS ALAMO (LSD 33), and USS FRESNO (LST 1182). The ships reached Pearl Harbor on August 6, refueled, and continued westward on August 8. The deployment took USS ST. LOUIS into a western Pacific environment still dominated by the Vietnam War, although United States policy was increasingly centered on Vietnamization and the gradual reduction of American ground forces in South Vietnam. Amphibious ships consequently had an important logistical role in moving Marines, vehicles, equipment, and supplies as units were redeployed or withdrawn.

On August 16, USS ST. LOUIS was detached from the formation and ordered to Subic Bay in the Philippines. She subsequently rejoined the amphibious force at Da Nang, South Vietnam, on August 21. There she discharged Marines and equipment before proceeding to Buckner Bay, Okinawa. Her early operational employment already demonstrated the shuttle function that would characterize much of her Vietnam service: movement among Okinawa, the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, and staging points farther east as personnel and equipment were redistributed.

During this first deployment, USS ST. LOUIS also returned as far east as Long Beach and transported a preserved Japanese midget submarine dating from World War II from California to Pearl Harbor. She then returned to the western Pacific and was again at Da Nang by October 11. On October 12, USS ST. LOUIS and USS JUNEAU went alongside the Deep Water Pier at Da Nang and began loading Embarkation Unit XIV. Loading was completed on October 13, after which the two ships departed for the United States by way of Okinawa. The movement formed part of the continuing reduction of American forces in South Vietnam and involved the withdrawal of Marines and substantial quantities of equipment from Quang Nam Province. USS ST. LOUIS reached Long Beach on November 2. Her first deployment was not yet over. USS ST. LOUIS subsequently returned to the western Pacific, including operations from Subic Bay and participation in large-scale amphibious training during November and December. The deployment therefore combined operational logistics connected with the reduction of American forces in Vietnam with the more conventional amphibious training cycle maintained by the Seventh Fleet.

The exercise period continued into January 1971. After its completion, USS ST. LOUIS spent approximately two weeks in upkeep at Subic Bay before returning to active operations. During the following months, she transported personnel, supplies, and equipment among Vietnam, Okinawa, and Japan. Her activity included troop and cargo movements by landing craft at Da Nang, Vung Tau, and locations in Quang Nam Province.

USS ST. LOUIS entered Ganh Rai Bay on March 9, 1971. The following day, she arrived at the Deep Water Pier at Da Nang and began loading another redeploying unit. Loading was completed on March 11, after which she departed and proceeded by way of Iwakuni and Okinawa. She departed Yokosuka on March 20 and arrived back at Long Beach on March 31. Following the deployment, the ship received approximately six weeks of stand-down time, after which she resumed local operations and upkeep.

USS ST. LOUIS returned to the Vietnam theater during the summer of 1971. She arrived at Da Nang on June 24 and subsequently visited Hong Kong from June 28 through July 3. She returned to Long Beach on July 19. The remainder of 1971 was spent primarily on the West Coast, where the ship underwent maintenance, conducted local operations, participated in amphibious training, and prepared for future deployment. This cycle continued into the opening months of 1972.

The strategic situation changed abruptly in late March 1972 when North Vietnamese forces launched the large-scale Easter Offensive against South Vietnam. The offensive caused the United States to reinforce naval and air forces in Southeast Asia and increased the operational tempo of the Seventh Fleet. USS ST. LOUIS departed the San Francisco Bay area on March 31, 1972, for another western Pacific deployment. During approximately seven months overseas, she transported Marines, South Vietnamese personnel, vehicles, ammunition, and other cargo between ports, staging areas, and operating zones.

By late April, USS ST. LOUIS was operating in the Vietnam theater. On April 30, 1972, a Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter experienced a loss of power and settled onto the stern area of USS ST. LOUIS. The helicopter was damaged but the incident caused no personnel injuries. An engine change was subsequently carried out aboard the cargo ship before the aircraft was able to return to USS TRIPOLI (LPH 10).

During May 1972, the naval situation off Vietnam became increasingly active. American naval forces supported South Vietnamese operations ashore, while carrier aviation and surface combatants intensified operations against North Vietnam. Amphibious units remained positioned to move troops and equipment along the coast and to support South Vietnamese counteroffensive operations. USS ST. LOUIS was involved directly enough in combat operations to qualify for the Combat Action Ribbon for May 24, 1972. Her documented Vietnam service periods during the deployment included April 27 through May 28, June 9 through July 2, July 10 through August 24, September 16 through September 20, September 29 through October 1, and October 6 through October 20. The interrupted nature of these periods reflected the normal employment of an amphibious cargo ship, which repeatedly moved into and out of the combat zone as it transported forces among Vietnamese ports, Okinawa, the Philippines, and other western Pacific bases.

USS ST. LOUIS completed her 1972 deployment after approximately seven months and arrived at Long Beach on November 11. Her service during the Vietnam War ultimately resulted in two battle stars in addition to other campaign and service recognition associated with her operations in Southeast Asia.

The end of direct American combat operations in Vietnam transformed the ship's employment. During 1973, USS ST. LOUIS operated largely along the West Coast. In February, she visited Acapulco, Mexico. In May, she was involved in operations associated with deep-submergence rescue vehicles, part of the Navy's developing capability for the rescue of crews from disabled submarines. In June she traveled to Portland, Oregon, in connection with the city's annual Rose Festival. The remainder of the year was devoted to local operations, amphibious training, maintenance, availability periods, and readiness exercises.

USS ST. LOUIS departed Long Beach again in mid-January 1974 for the western Pacific. By February 22, she was operating as part of the Seventh Fleet amphibious organization supporting the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit. The deployment occurred during a period of increasing instability in Cambodia and South Vietnam. Although American combat forces had largely left Indochina, Seventh Fleet amphibious forces remained prepared for possible evacuation and contingency missions as the military position of the governments in Phnom Penh and Saigon deteriorated.

By July 1974, USS ST. LOUIS was part of Amphibious Ready Group Alpha together with USS NEW ORLEANS (LPH 11), USS MONTICELLO (LSD 35), USS CAYUGA (LST 1186), and, within the broader task organization, USS OGDEN (LPD 5). On July 17, the force was placed under a 168-hour response requirement associated with planning for a possible evacuation from Kampong Som, Cambodia. This contingency planning formed part of preparations connected with what would eventually become Operation Eagle Pull.

USS ST. LOUIS's presence in this 1974 contingency organization should not be confused with participation in the actual evacuation of Phnom Penh on April 12, 1975. The amphibious force that executed Operation Eagle Pull in 1975 had a different composition, and USS ST. LOUIS was not a participant in either Operation Eagle Pull or the subsequent Operation Frequent Wind evacuation of South Vietnam. Her documented role was in the earlier 1974 readiness posture for a possible Cambodian evacuation.

USS ST. LOUIS continued regular Seventh Fleet operations during 1975 and 1976. By October 29, 1975, she was at Subic Bay as part of an Amphibious Ready Group that also included USS NEW ORLEANS, USS FORT FISHER (LSD 40), and USS BRISTOL COUNTY (LST 1198). The amphibious force supported the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit and maintained the routine readiness cycle of embarked Marine training, maintenance periods, port visits, and movement among Okinawa, the Philippines, Japan, and other western Pacific locations. The same general group remained active into early 1976. On February 25, USS ST. LOUIS, USS FORT FISHER, and USS BRISTOL COUNTY were at Subic Bay while USS NEW ORLEANS was beginning her movement back to the United States. By early May, USS ST. LOUIS was operating around Okinawa as part of the amphibious-force rotation. On May 5, USS ST. LOUIS, USS FORT FISHER, and USS BRISTOL COUNTY were at Okinawa and preparing to be relieved by a group that included USS OGDEN, USS POINT DEFIANCE (LSD 31), and USS FRESNO. USS ST. LOUIS subsequently returned eastward. She was documented underway off Southern California on August 19, 1976.

Another western Pacific deployment followed in 1977. During May, USS ST. LOUIS operated with Amphibious Ready Group Alpha, which included USS NEW ORLEANS, USS ANCHORAGE (LSD 36), and USS CAYUGA. The group supported the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit. During a series of Taiwan port visits, USS ST. LOUIS and USS CAYUGA were scheduled to arrive at Kaohsiung on May 12, while USS NEW ORLEANS and USS ANCHORAGE went to Keelung. The port calls were scheduled to continue through May 16.

By June 1, USS ST. LOUIS was at Subic Bay with the amphibious group. Operations during the deployment included work from Subic Bay and Okinawa and amphibious activity in Philippine operating areas. In October the group took part in Exercise Fortress Lightning. The ships proceeded toward Okinawa while supporting the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit, and the exercise was conducted in the Mindoro area during October.

USS ST. LOUIS remained an active Pacific Fleet amphibious ship during 1978. For the competitive period extending from July 1, 1977, through December 31, 1978, the ship received a Battle Efficiency award. She was again operating in the western Pacific during 1979. USS ST. LOUIS was documented at White Beach, Okinawa, in April, placing her at one of the principal staging locations for Seventh Fleet amphibious forces. White Beach served as an important embarkation and training facility for Marines based on Okinawa, and USS ST. LOUIS continued to perform the cargo-transport and amphibious-support duties for which the Charleston class had been designed.

Another deployment began on October 14, 1980, when USS ST. LOUIS departed for the western Pacific with Amphibious Squadron 7. The squadron included USS TARAWA (LHA 1), USS BARBOUR COUNTY (LST 1195), USS PEORIA (LST 1183), USS POINT DEFIANCE, and USS OGDEN. After reaching Hawaii, elements of the squadron conducted amphibious training around Kahoolawe. On November 6, USS ST. LOUIS, USS TARAWA, and USS BARBOUR COUNTY became Amphibious Ready Group Alpha under Seventh Fleet operational control. They reached Subic Bay on November 15 but departed again on November 17 to participate in amphibious training in the Mindoro area. The exercise continued from November 19 through November 24. The ships then returned to Subic Bay for approximately three weeks of upkeep.

USS ST. LOUIS departed Subic Bay again on December 15. Following naval gunfire-support training near Leon Creek, she continued with USS TARAWA and USS BARBOUR COUNTY to Pattaya, Thailand. The ships remained there from December 22 through December 27 before proceeding to Singapore, where they arrived on December 30.

The deployment continued into 1981 against a considerably more tense strategic background. The Iran-Iraq War had begun in September 1980, threatening the security of maritime traffic around the Persian Gulf, while the Iran hostage crisis remained unresolved. The United States maintained substantial naval forces in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea both as a demonstration of presence and as a contingency force. On January 5, 1981, the ships passed through the Strait of Malacca into the Indian Ocean. Approximately 1,800 Marines were embarked in the three-ship amphibious group. USNS NIAGARA FALLS (AFS 3) also entered the Indian Ocean that day. USS ST. LOUIS remained associated with the Iranian contingency mission during the period from January 5 through February 19, service for which the ship qualified for the Navy Expeditionary Medal. The American hostages held in Tehran were released on January 20, but the continuing Iran-Iraq War and wider security situation ensured that U.S. naval forces remained active in the region.

After leaving the Indian Ocean operating area, USS ST. LOUIS returned to the normal western Pacific amphibious cycle. During March, she participated in Team Spirit 81 and the related amphibious exercise Valiant Flex 81-2 in South Korea. On March 9, she moved from the Okinawa area toward Korea with a large amphibious formation that included USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19), USS TARAWA, USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3), USS THOMASTON (LSD 28), USS JUNEAU, USS PEORIA, USS BARBOUR COUNTY, USS POINT DEFIANCE, USS TUSCALOOSA (LST 1187), USS CAYUGA, and USS OGDEN.

The force anchored at Pohang on March 11. Rehearsals were conducted on March 12, followed by movement to sea on March 13 for additional phases of the exercise. Surface escorts included USS JOHN YOUNG (DD 973), USS RAMSEY (FFG 2), and Republic of Korea Navy vessels. Poor visibility and thick fog interfered with the exercise schedule and caused postponement of the planned amphibious landing. Soviet naval surveillance of the exercise was also recorded by participating U.S. forces, reflecting the Cold War environment in which large American-South Korean exercises were conducted.

During 1982, USS ST. LOUIS remained assigned to the Pacific amphibious force. In 1983, USS ST. LOUIS entered an important new phase of her career. During the summer, she exercised off Southern California with ships of Amphibious Squadron 7. USS CLEVELAND (LPD 7), USS ANCHORAGE, USS PEORIA, and USS ST. LOUIS departed San Diego together on September 12 for the western Pacific. The ships reached Pearl Harbor on September 19 and continued westward.

On October 1, 1983, USS ST. LOUIS was officially assigned Sasebo, Japan, as her new home port. The change was operationally significant. Instead of repeatedly crossing the Pacific from California for Seventh Fleet deployments, she became permanently forward deployed in Japan. Sasebo gave the ship rapid access to Okinawa, the Korean Peninsula, the Philippines, and the western Pacific sea lanes and enabled her to support embarked Marine units on a more continuous basis. By 1984 USS ST. LOUIS was firmly established as one of the American ships homeported at Sasebo. Forward deployment resulted in an intensive operating pattern centered on exercises and Marine Corps movements throughout the region. From May 21 through May 31, she participated in a major combined U.S.-Philippine exercise. Amphibious operations took place around Bolotan in Zambales Province northwest of Subic Bay, with additional command-post, field-training, maritime, aviation, and civil-military phases elsewhere in the Philippines. The exercise took place while Subic Bay and Clark Air Base remained major elements of the American military presence in the Philippines. USS ST. LOUIS subsequently received a Battle Efficiency award covering the competitive period from July 1, 1983, through December 31, 1984.

The demanding Sasebo operating cycle continued through 1985. During the February-April period, USS ST. LOUIS supported Marine operations associated with Battalion Landing Team 1/6 in Korea. In that phase, she operated with USS JUNEAU and USS MOUNT VERNON (LSD 39), and the force was documented at Pohang.

The composition of the amphibious groups changed as Marine battalions rotated. During the May-June period, USS ST. LOUIS operated with USS MONTICELLO (LSD 35) and USS ANCHORAGE in support of Battalion Landing Team 2/4, with Subic Bay serving as an important operating and maintenance base. Later in the deployment cycle, USS ST. LOUIS and USS ANCHORAGE operated together as a smaller task group. Training and transportation duties also took the amphibious force to Japanese operating areas, including support for Marine activity associated with Camp Fuji.

Later in 1985, USS ST. LOUIS supported Battalion Landing Team 2/5 in another cycle of Korean operations. USS DUBUQUE (LPD 8) was among the amphibious ships participating in this period, with forces again operating around Pohang. USS ST. LOUIS remained highly active during 1986. She continued operating from Sasebo within the Seventh Fleet amphibious organization, combining maintenance periods with Marine transportation missions, amphibious training, and contingency readiness. Her performance during this period was reflected in further Battle Efficiency recognition covering January 1, 1985, through June 30, 1986, followed by another competitive period extending from July 1, 1986, through December 31, 1987.

In 1987, USS ST. LOUIS returned to the vicinity of the Persian Gulf, where the Iran-Iraq War had increasingly threatened commercial shipping. Both Iran and Iraq had attacked merchant traffic, and mines had become a serious danger in Gulf waters. The United States responded to Kuwaiti requests for protection by reflagging selected Kuwaiti tankers and escorting them under Operation Earnest Will. At the same time, the Navy had to reinforce mine-countermeasure and special-warfare capabilities in the region.

USS ST. LOUIS arrived in the Gulf area on August 27, 1987, carrying two MSB-5 minesweeping boats and two Seafox special-warfare craft. USS RALEIGH (LPD 1) subsequently transported four additional MSB-5 minesweeping boats and four Seafox craft into the theater. Other American amphibious ships also supported the mine-countermeasure build-up, including USS GUADALCANAL (LPH 7), which was used in connection with the deployment of airborne mine-countermeasure helicopters.

Early in 1988, USS ST. LOUIS returned to the Korean exercise cycle. From February 11 through April 11, she formed part of the naval organization supporting Battalion Landing Team 2/2. During March, the amphibious group operating around Pohang included USS ST. LOUIS, USS DUBUQUE, USS SAN BERNARDINO (LST 1189), and USS SCHENECTADY (LST 1185). The wider spring exercise involved substantial American and South Korean forces. During the March 17-22 period, amphibious units moved from Okinawa toward Pusan and Pohang. Associated operations included mine-warfare and explosive-ordnance-disposal training near Chinhae, anti-submarine warfare activities in the Korea Strait, and amphibious-force operations around Pohang.

USS ST. LOUIS returned to Korean waters later in the year for Valiant Blitz 88. On October 30, 1988, Marines were documented disembarking from the ship at Pohang during the exercise. As throughout her Sasebo years, the ship's principal contribution was the movement and delivery of the heavy equipment and supplies needed by embarked Marine forces.

The Korean exercise cycle continued in 1989. USS DUBUQUE departed Sasebo on February 25 in company with USS ST. LOUIS, and the two ships proceeded to Buckner Bay, Okinawa, arriving on February 27. Loading and preparations for Team Spirit 89 followed. The exercise participants subsequently moved toward South Korea for Team Spirit. The exercise again combined large-scale amphibious movement with Marine Corps operations ashore, naval maneuver, and extensive cooperation with Republic of Korea forces. Throughout 1989, USS ST. LOUIS remained part of the forward-deployed amphibious structure operating among Japan, Okinawa, South Korea, and the Philippines.

On February 27, 1990, USS ST. LOUIS was documented at anchor off Okinawa while equipment was being loaded in preparation for Team Spirit 90. The deployment to Korea continued a mission that had become routine during the ship's Sasebo years: moving the vehicles, ammunition, engineering equipment, supplies, and other heavy material required by Marine units participating in large bilateral exercises.

The year 1991 became one of the most varied and operationally demanding periods of USS ST. LOUIS's career. Early in the year, she took part in Valiant Usher 91-1 in the Philippines. On January 26 and January 27, planning conferences at Subic Bay involved the commanding officers of USS DUBUQUE, USS ST. LOUIS, and USS SAN BERNARDINO. The exercise began in the vicinity of San Miguel on January 28. On January 29, the three amphibious ships rendezvoused and began the principal landing phase. Landing craft, safety boats, and amphibious assault vehicles were launched in support of the exercise. Gunnery training followed in the Tabones area, and on January 30 the force carried out reinforcement and tactical-withdrawal phases before returning toward Subic Bay.

USS ST. LOUIS then participated in Team Spirit 91 in South Korea. During March, she operated within a larger naval formation that included USS MAHLON S. TISDALE (FFG 27), USS COPELAND (FFG 25), USS RODNEY M. DAVIS (FFG 60), USS STERETT (CG 31), USS HEWITT (DD 966), and Republic of Korea Navy units. Amphibious assault operations were conducted in Korean waters, and on March 11 USS ST. LOUIS and USS DUBUQUE carried out a ship-to-ship transfer exercise.

Only weeks after these conventional training operations, USS ST. LOUIS was assigned to an entirely different mission. On April 29, 1991, a severe tropical cyclone struck Bangladesh. The storm and accompanying surge devastated low-lying coastal areas, killed large numbers of people, displaced many others, contaminated freshwater sources, and badly damaged local infrastructure. The United States organized a humanitarian relief effort under Operation Sea Angel. After the first American amphibious force had begun relief operations, Seventh Fleet planners prepared a follow-on contingent that could continue the mission after the larger initial force departed. USS ST. LOUIS was selected to transport and support that follow-on element. She embarked Contingency Marine Air-Ground Task Force 2-91 under Lieutenant Colonel Larry A. Johnson together with 28 reverse-osmosis water-purification units and associated equipment.

During the approximately ten-day voyage toward Bangladesh, Marines and Navy personnel prepared for the relief mission. Training included field sanitation, heat-injury treatment, first aid, operation and maintenance of water-purification equipment, and shipboard emergency procedures. USS ST. LOUIS rendezvoused with the departing amphibious task force off Bangladesh on May 29. Initial plans called for operations from an anchorage off Cox's Bazar. The location, however, proved unsuitable for sustained landing-craft operations because of the shallow coastal gradient and surf conditions. USS ST. LOUIS therefore moved north toward Chittagong, where circumstances allowed the ship to operate considerably closer to the port.

The approaches to Chittagong presented their own difficulties. Shoals and numerous wrecks complicated navigation. Two of the ship's LCM-8 landing craft were used with improvised anchor buoys and drag lines to establish a usable route through a line of ten wrecks. This work allowed USS ST. LOUIS to anchor less than two kilometers from the port rather than remaining much farther offshore. The shorter distance significantly improved the movement of personnel, supplies, and equipment between ship and shore. The ship's landing craft and embarked Marines then supported relief operations around Chittagong and on Sandwip and Kutubdia Islands. The 28 water-purification units were landed and distributed to sites where local freshwater supplies had been disrupted or contaminated. USS ST. LOUIS served as the principal afloat support base after the larger initial amphibious force departed.

Landing craft from USS ST. LOUIS also moved humanitarian supplies upriver. Among the documented cargo were more than 600 cases of intravenous fluid and approximately 200 hot meals. Navy and Marine personnel supported communications, medical activity, movement of relief supplies, equipment maintenance, and the water-production mission. After the larger amphibious force left the area, the commanding officer of USS ST. LOUIS, Captain John W. Peterson, became the naval component commander of the remaining Joint Task Force organization, while Lieutenant Colonel Johnson remained responsible for its Marine component.

A second tropical weather threat complicated the operation in early June. On June 2, 1991, Tropical Cyclone 03B threatened the operating area. Personnel at exposed water-purification sites were recovered, and USS ST. LOUIS moved to sea together with RFA FORT GRANGE (A 385). After the storm weakened and moved away, USS ST. LOUIS returned to the Chittagong area and anchored at 0630 on June 3. Relief and recovery operations resumed. By June 4, all but one of the remaining water-purification units on Sandwip and Kutubdia had been removed and returned to USS ST. LOUIS by helicopter or landing craft. During their deployment, the water-purification units had produced more than 266,000 gallons of potable water for the affected population. The forward headquarters at Chittagong closed on June 7, and USS ST. LOUIS and her embarked contingency Marine force were released from Operation Sea Angel duties. Severe monsoon rain, restricted visibility, and heavy maritime traffic prevented the ship from departing that evening. USS ST. LOUIS finally weighed anchor early on June 8 and sailed for Phuket, Thailand.

The visit to Phuket provided the crew and embarked Marines with their first substantial liberty period in several weeks. The respite was brief. Approximately four days later, as USS ST. LOUIS was departing Phuket, Seventh Fleet changed her orders and directed her to proceed at best speed to Subic Bay. The reason was the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. The eruption, earthquakes, volcanic ash, heavy rainfall, and associated damage were creating an emergency around the major American bases at Subic Bay and Cubi Point. USS ST. LOUIS and her embarked Marines were redirected to provide humanitarian assistance, extending an operational sequence that had already taken the ship from exercises in the Philippines and Korea to disaster relief in Bangladesh and then almost immediately to a second disaster-relief requirement in the Philippines.

USS ST. LOUIS continued operating actively later in 1991. On October 26, she was documented at White Beach, Okinawa, loading and preparing for Valiant Blitz 91. The year's combination of Valiant Usher, Team Spirit, Operation Sea Angel, the response to the Mount Pinatubo disaster, and Valiant Blitz demonstrated the wide range of tasks still being assigned to the aging amphibious cargo ship.

USS ST. LOUIS remained in active Seventh Fleet service into 1992. Although the Cold War had ended and the U.S. Navy had begun reducing older ships, she continued operating from Sasebo. Captain Jack L. Londot served as the ship's final commanding officer. With post-Cold War force reductions underway and newer amphibious ships entering service, the Navy progressively retired the remaining CHARLESTON-class vessels. USS ST. LOUIS was decommissioned on November 2, 1992, after almost 23 years of commissioned service.

After decommissioning, ST. LOUIS was placed in the inactive fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Unlike many ships retired during the rapid post-Cold War fleet reduction, she was not immediately scrapped or transferred. She remained in reserve for more than two decades. On August 31, 2015, USS ST. LOUIS was formally stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. She subsequently remained in Navy custody pending disposal and was eventually selected for use as a target during a fleet training exercise. Her final disposition came during Valiant Shield 2018 in the vicinity of the Mariana Islands. The large joint exercise took place from September 16 through September 23 and involved naval, air, surface, subsurface, and other forces operating around Guam and the surrounding training ranges. The former USS ST. LOUIS was used as the target of a sinking exercise conducted during Valiant Shield and was sunk in waters near Guam.

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USS ST. LOUIS SINKEX:

Ex-USS ST. LOUIS was sunk as a target off Guam during exercise Valiant Shield on September 23, 2018. Valiant Shield is a US only, biennial field training exercise (FTX) with a focus on integration of joint training in a blue-water environment among US forces. The video below is an official US Air Force video by Senior Airman Dhruv Gopinath and shows the SINKEX.

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USS ST. LOUIS Image Gallery:

The photo below was taken by me on July 29, 2006, and shows the ST. LOUIS berthed at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, HI. ST. LOUIS is located in the front, moored alongside behind her sistership DURHAM (LKA 114). The other ships are the ACADIA (AD 42) [behind the two amphibious cargo ships] and the DULUTH (LPD 6) [background].

The photos below were taken by me on March 20, 2010, and show the ST. LOUIS still laid-up at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, HI.

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