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USS Cayuga (LST 1186)

USS CAYUGA was the eighth NEWPORT - class Tank Landing Ship and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. Decommissioned on August 26, 1994, the CAYUGA was subsequently transfered to Brazil where she was recommissioned as MATTOSO MAIA.

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Crew List:

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

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USS CAYUGA History:

USS CAYUGA was ordered on July 15, 1966, as part of the Fiscal Year 1966 NEWPORT-class construction program. Her keel was laid at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California, on September 28, 1968. She was launched on July 12, 1969, sponsored by Mrs. Luther C. Heinz, wife of Vice Admiral Luther C. Heinz, Commander Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. After fitting out and trials, CAYUGA was commissioned at Long Beach, California, on August 8, 1970, with Commander William T. Hollenbach as her first commanding officer. She was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, with Long Beach as her initial home port.

CAYUGA's first voyage after commissioning took her north along the Pacific coast to Vancouver, British Columbia, and then to Astoria, Oregon, where she participated in the city's fishing festival and was opened to the public. She subsequently returned to southern California and continued her acceptance and training program. Her sea trials were completed on October 31, 1970. The remainder of the year was devoted to developing the ship's amphibious capabilities and preparing the new crew for operations with the Pacific Fleet.

CAYUGA made her first Western Pacific deployment in 1971. During this cruise, she entered the Vietnam operating area and received campaign credit for service during the Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase VII from March 20 through March 23, 1971. Her contemporary ship history also records that during this deployment she became the first NEWPORT-class vessel to launch amphibious assault vehicles while proceeding at maximum speed. The deployment placed the recently commissioned ship into the regular Seventh Fleet cycle of amphibious readiness, transportation and Marine Corps support that would characterize much of her subsequent career.

Her second Western Pacific deployment in 1972 brought CAYUGA into direct combat operations. The strategic situation in South Vietnam deteriorated sharply after North Vietnam began its Easter Offensive at the end of March 1972. Large conventional forces crossed the Demilitarized Zone and attacked in several sectors, and the United States concentrated naval and air forces near the Vietnamese coast in support of South Vietnamese forces.

During May 1972, CAYUGA became involved in an amphibious operation intended to support South Vietnamese Marines north of Hue. On May 23, South Vietnamese Marines embarked aboard USS SCHENECTADY (LST 1185), USS MANITOWOC (LST 1180), USS DULUTH (LPD 6) and CAYUGA in preparation for Operation Song Than 6-72. The operation was intended to strike North Vietnamese forces north of the My Chanh defensive line and support South Vietnamese efforts to stabilize the area south of Quang Tri.

On May 24, 1972, Operation Song Than 6-72 began with supporting naval gunfire, artillery and air attacks, followed by surface and helicopter landings. USS OKINAWA (LPH 3) supported the helicopter phase, while CAYUGA and USS DULUTH moved South Vietnamese Marines and amphibious vehicles toward the landing area. During the operation, both ships came under North Vietnamese artillery fire. USS HANSON (DD 832) and other naval gunfire-support units engaged the hostile batteries while the amphibious ships maneuvered clear of the threatened area. CAYUGA successfully completed her assigned portion of the operation. Her combat participation on May 24 later qualified the ship for the Combat Action Ribbon. Her Vietnam Service Medal campaign credit for this deployment extended from May 3 through May 26, 1972.

On May 25, CAYUGA departed the Gulf of Tonkin area with USS DENVER (LPD 9), USS MOBILE (LKA 115) and USS TUSCALOOSA (LST 1187), proceeding toward Okinawa. The ships arrived at Buckner Bay on May 28 and discharged Marines and cargo. On May 29, USS DENVER, USS MOBILE and CAYUGA departed Okinawa for Sasebo, Japan, arriving the following day. CAYUGA and USS MOBILE remained there during an upkeep period extending into early June.

The two ships subsequently proceeded to Numazu, Japan, arriving on June 7 and embarking Marine Corps personnel and equipment. They reached White Beach, Okinawa, on June 9, discharged the embarked force and loaded another movement of personnel and equipment for Southeast Asia. CAYUGA and USS MOBILE departed Okinawa on June 11 and reached Sattahip, Thailand, on June 17, where the embarked personnel and equipment were unloaded. CAYUGA later proceeded to Subic Bay in the Philippines.

The ship's 1972 deployment soon changed from combat support to humanitarian relief. Prolonged monsoon rains produced catastrophic flooding across Luzon in July and August, with Pangasinan Province among the areas badly affected. The United States mounted Operation Saklolo in support of the Philippine government. CAYUGA and her embarked medical personnel participated in relief operations from July 21 through August 15. Other Seventh Fleet amphibious ships involved in the wider relief effort included USS TRIPOLI (LPH 10) and USS NEW ORLEANS (LPH 11). CAYUGA's contribution to the Philippine disaster-relief effort resulted in the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.

Commander Reginald C. Pye Jr. relieved Commander Hollenbach as commanding officer on May 29, 1972. After the intensive Vietnam and Philippine assignments, CAYUGA returned to the normal cycle of Pacific Fleet amphibious operations, maintenance and training.

Humanitarian assistance again formed part of the ship's work in 1973. Managua, Nicaragua, had been devastated by a major earthquake on December 23, 1972, and relief activity continued into the following year. On May 23, 1973, CAYUGA delivered assistance for the victims of the disaster. Her cargo included medical supplies and three fire trucks, equipment that could be transported efficiently because of the ship's large vehicle deck and amphibious loading arrangements.

Commander John O. Blackburn relieved Commander Pye on October 16, 1973. During 1974 and the first half of 1975, CAYUGA continued Pacific Fleet operations. Commander Paul E. Guay assumed command on June 9, 1975. On October 4, CAYUGA departed the United States with elements of Amphibious Squadron 7 for another Western Pacific deployment. The ships sailing with the deploying force included USS JUNEAU (LPD 10), USS STERETT (CG 31), USS ST. LOUIS (LKA 116), USS BRISTOL COUNTY (LST 1198), USS ALAMO (LSD 33) and USS SCHENECTADY. During the deployment, the amphibious forces operated throughout the normal Seventh Fleet areas in Japan, Okinawa and the Philippines, carrying Marine units and equipment and conducting amphibious-readiness training.

During February 1976, CAYUGA was at Subic Bay while other elements of the amphibious force conducted Exercise Quick Jab IV at Tinian. Contemporary Marine Corps operational reporting places CAYUGA at Subic Bay and scheduled to depart there on February 18. She continued Seventh Fleet transportation and readiness duties during the deployment.

One of the most unusual episodes in the ship's career occurred in September 1976, when CAYUGA was used during motion-picture production at sea. Action sequences for Airport '77 and Gray Lady Down were filmed aboard or in association with the ship. The work was unrelated to her military mission but later became a frequently noted part of CAYUGA's service history.

Following another cycle of maintenance and preparations, CAYUGA departed San Diego on March 29, 1977, for another Western Pacific deployment with Amphibious Squadron 7. The deploying organization included USS ST. LOUIS, USS JUNEAU, USS ALAMO, USS ANCHORAGE (LSD 36), USS SCHENECTADY and USS TUSCALOOSA. After crossing the Pacific, CAYUGA entered the normal rotation of Seventh Fleet amphibious ready groups.

By May 1977, CAYUGA was operating as part of Amphibious Ready Group Alfa with USS NEW ORLEANS, USS ANCHORAGE and USS ST. LOUIS. The group visited Keelung, Taiwan, between May 12 and May 16 and subsequently returned toward the Philippine operating area. Amphibious operations were conducted near Mindoro from May 21 through May 27. The ships continued to move Marine landing forces through the western Pacific as the deployment progressed.

Commander John E. Morris relieved Commander Guay on August 20, 1977. By October 5, CAYUGA was again listed with USS NEW ORLEANS, USS ANCHORAGE and USS ST. LOUIS as part of Amphibious Ready Group Alfa, with the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit embarked.

From October 10 through October 23, CAYUGA participated in Exercise Fortress Lightning at Mindoro. The exercise assembled substantial Navy and Marine Corps amphibious forces for surface and helicopter landing operations, providing an opportunity to practice the rapid concentration of forces that normally operated dispersed throughout the western Pacific. Following the exercise and completion of her remaining Seventh Fleet commitments, CAYUGA returned to the United States during November 1977.

The ship resumed maintenance, inspections and amphibious training before another Western Pacific deployment during 1978 and 1979. In January 1979, she conducted an unusual patrol through the Western Caroline Islands, then administered as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. CAYUGA visited Palau and the remote islands of Tobi, Pulo Anna and Sonsorol. The mission was intended to permit assessment of conditions among isolated island communities at a time when the United States remained responsible for administration of much of Micronesia under the United Nations trusteeship system. The LST's ability to operate in areas with limited harbor infrastructure made her useful for this type of assignment. On February 19, 1979, CAYUGA was photographed underway in Agana Bay, Guam, during the same general deployment period.

Commander John P. Kelly relieved Commander Morris on October 19, 1979. CAYUGA spent much of 1980 in the continuing sequence of maintenance, local training and amphibious-readiness work required of the Pacific Fleet's operational LSTs.

During the spring of 1981, CAYUGA became involved in the continuing refugee crisis in Southeast Asia. Between April 23 and May 8, the ship qualified for the Humanitarian Service Medal for operations connected with refugee assistance. Her contemporary history records that more than 80 refugees were rescued from boats encountered in waters off Thailand and in the approaches to Hong Kong. The episode reflected the broader humanitarian role performed by United States naval ships as refugees continued attempting hazardous sea passages from Southeast Asia.

Commander James E. Pafias relieved Commander Kelly on October 1, 1981. During the following year, CAYUGA prepared for a deployment extending from the Western Pacific into the Indian Ocean. On August 24, 1982, CAYUGA deployed with Amphibious Squadron 5. The squadron included USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3), USS OGDEN (LPD 5), USS THOMASTON (LSD 28), USS FORT FISHER (LSD 40), USS TUSCALOOSA and CAYUGA. The embarked Marine landing force was the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit. The ships did not always operate together; smaller amphibious ready groups were formed and reorganized as operational requirements changed. During part of the deployment, CAYUGA operated in Amphibious Ready Group Alfa with USS BELLEAU WOOD and USS OGDEN.

The deployment carried CAYUGA beyond East Asia into the Indian Ocean. During November 1982, she participated in combined training involving forces from Somalia and Oman. These activities took place during a period of substantial American naval attention to the Indian Ocean and the approaches to the Persian Gulf, where the continuing Iran-Iraq War and broader regional instability gave the area growing strategic importance.

From November 29 through December 8, CAYUGA participated in Exercise Jade Tiger, one of the major amphibious training events of the deployment. Amphibious Squadron 5 operated across a wide area and made visits throughout the western Pacific and Indian Ocean region during the cruise. CAYUGA returned to San Diego with the deploying force on February 24, 1983.

Commander Theodore C. W. Witt relieved Commander Pafias on December 17, 1983. During 1984, CAYUGA continued maintenance, training and amphibious-readiness operations in preparation for further Seventh Fleet service. During the summer of 1985, the ship participated in combined training with forces from South Korea and Thailand. These exercises reflected an increasing emphasis on interoperability between United States amphibious forces and regional allies during the post-Vietnam period. CAYUGA continued to provide the heavy vehicle transport, beaching and landing support for which the Newport class had been designed. Commander Melvin A. Coble relieved Commander Witt on June 26, 1986. CAYUGA then prepared for another extensive Pacific deployment.

The Western Pacific deployment completed in July 1987 became one of the most geographically extensive cruises of CAYUGA's career. During the deployment, the ship traveled nearly 37,000 miles. Her operating area extended from the California coast to the Gulf of Thailand and from waters near the Aleutian Islands to the Coral Sea. She participated in joint and combined exercises with forces from Thailand, South Korea and Australia while continuing the normal transportation of Marine personnel, vehicles and equipment.

After returning to the United States, CAYUGA entered another period of maintenance and training. On August 15, 1988, she began another Western Pacific deployment. Shortly after departing San Diego she rendezvoused with USS SCHENECTADY, and CAYUGA assumed tactical command of the two-ship formation during the initial transit. They reached Yokosuka, Japan, on September 6. Thereafter, the ships followed separate portions of their respective schedules. Commander David W. Hagstrom relieved Commander Coble on November 23, 1988. CAYUGA's deployment continued into 1989, after which she resumed the usual Pacific Fleet maintenance, inspection and amphibious-training cycle.

The strategic circumstances surrounding the ship changed dramatically during her 1990 deployment. CAYUGA sailed from California on June 20 as part of Amphibious Squadron 5. The amphibious ready group consisted of USS OKINAWA, USS OGDEN, USS FORT McHENRY (LSD 43), USS DURHAM (LKA 114) and CAYUGA. Embarked across the group was the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Special Operations Capable, whose principal ground combat element was Battalion Landing Team 1/4.

The deployment initially followed the pattern of a conventional Western Pacific cruise. While the force was in the Philippines, a major earthquake struck Luzon on July 16, 1990. Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit participated in disaster-relief work that continued through the end of July. The amphibious force subsequently made a scheduled visit to Hong Kong.

Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2 radically altered the deployment. Amphibious Squadron 5 was ordered toward Southwest Asia as the United States began Operation Desert Shield, the large-scale deployment intended to defend Saudi Arabia and deter further Iraqi advances. CAYUGA and the other ships crossed the Indian Ocean and arrived in the Gulf of Oman with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit on September 7. CAYUGA carried elements of Battalion Landing Team 1/4 and became part of the amphibious force available to United States Central Command. Its presence provided an afloat Marine force capable of raids, evacuations, demonstrations or amphibious landings while coalition ground and air forces continued to build in Saudi Arabia.

On October 30, Marines embarked aboard CAYUGA went ashore in the United Arab Emirates. Company B of Battalion Landing Team 1/4 conducted live-fire, maneuver and combined-arms training with forces of the United Arab Emirates. The activity gave the embarked Marines an opportunity to train ashore in regional conditions while the amphibious force continued its Desert Shield assignment. The crisis extended the deployment far beyond its originally planned duration. Commander Edward L. Hardeman relieved Commander Hagstrom on January 12, 1991, only days before the beginning of Operation Desert Storm on January 17. CAYUGA remained with Amphibious Ready Group Alfa as coalition forces prepared for possible operations along the Kuwaiti coast.

On January 29, 1991, the ships of Amphibious Ready Group Alfa, including USS OKINAWA, USS OGDEN, USS FORT McHENRY, USS DURHAM and CAYUGA, were operating in the vicinity of Umm al-Maradim, a Kuwaiti island in the northern Gulf. During Operation Desert Sting, Company C of Battalion Landing Team 1/4 conducted a helicopter-borne operation on the island. CAYUGA formed part of the supporting amphibious ready group.

During February, the amphibious forces remained an important part of coalition contingency and deception planning. A major landing on the Kuwaiti coast was repeatedly prepared and demonstrated but ultimately was not required. The amphibious task force as a whole maintained a credible seaborne landing capability while the coalition's principal ground offensive developed farther west. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit continued operations during the closing phase of the war, including activity associated with the Kuwaiti islands. After the cessation of major combat operations, the amphibious ready group began its long voyage home.

The return transit was not without difficulty. After reaching Subic Bay, four of the ships initially departed on March 28, while USS DURHAM remained behind because of engineering problems. Several days later, CAYUGA developed an engineering casualty of her own and fell behind the other ships. USS FORT McHENRY reduced speed and remained with her. USS DURHAM subsequently caught up, and the three ships continued the eastbound transit together on a more northerly Pacific route. CAYUGA finally reached the California coast on April 16, 1991, after a deployment of approximately ten months.

The remainder of 1991 and much of 1992 were occupied by the maintenance, inspections, training and amphibious exercises necessary to restore and maintain deployment readiness after the prolonged Gulf deployment. On November 20, 1992, Commander Weiss assumed command.

During 1993, CAYUGA prepared for what would become her last major overseas deployment in United States service. On September 3, she departed with an amphibious ready group centered on USS NEW ORLEANS, accompanied by USS DENVER and USS COMSTOCK (LSD 45). The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit was embarked, with Battalion Landing Team 1/9 serving as its ground combat element. The deployment initially included training in the western Pacific. Events in Somalia soon changed the schedule. On October 3 and October 4, 1993, United States forces fought the Battle of Mogadishu, producing significant American casualties and a major reassessment of the military situation. CAYUGA was not present during that battle. Afterward, the amphibious force was directed toward Somalia to provide additional rapid-response capability.

The amphibious ships arrived in the area later in October. CAYUGA's official Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal eligibility for Somalia began on October 18, 1993. Together with USS NEW ORLEANS, USS DENVER and USS COMSTOCK, she provided an afloat base from which the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit could support American and United Nations forces ashore during the phase generally associated with Operation Continue Hope and United Nations Operation in Somalia II.

After another Marine Expeditionary Unit left the area in November, the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit became the principal Marine rapid-response force remaining off Somalia. From November 11 through November 14, the unit carried out Operation Show Care at Marka and Qoryooley, providing medical and dental assistance to local civilians. From December 1 through December 3, it conducted Operation More Care at Mogadishu's Old Port. CAYUGA remained part of the amphibious force supporting the embarked Marine unit and its contingency, logistic and humanitarian missions.

The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit remained in the region through January 1994. Its activities included maintaining forces available for rapid reaction and supporting surveillance and security tasks around Mogadishu. On January 3, CAYUGA was en route to the Seychelles for a scheduled port visit from January 4 through January 8. She subsequently returned to the operating area as the deployment moved toward its concluding phase. On February 2, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit relieved the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The older unit and its amphibious ships then began the eastbound return across the Pacific. By March 17, 1994, the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit had returned to the United States, concluding CAYUGA's final major operational deployment with the United States Navy.

CAYUGA was by this time approaching retirement from American service. The Brazilian Navy had selected the ship for transfer, and a Brazilian receiving group began its training aboard CAYUGA on May 18, 1994. The personnel learned the ship's propulsion, engineering, navigation, communications and amphibious systems while she remained under United States control. During this training period, CAYUGA moved between the principal southern California naval facilities. She departed Naval Station Long Beach and arrived at Naval Station San Diego on July 14. A decommissioning ceremony was held on July 29, 1994. United States naval records list August 26, 1994, as the formal date on which USS CAYUGA was decommissioned, ending almost 24 years of commissioned service in the United States Navy.

The transfer to Brazil followed immediately. On August 30, 1994, the ship was transferred to the Brazilian Navy under a five-year lease arrangement that included an option to purchase. She entered Brazilian service as MATTOSO MAIA (G 28), named for Admiral Jorge do Paco Mattoso Maia, a former Brazilian Minister of the Navy. The Brazilian Navy finally removed MATTOSO MAIA from active service on December 7, 2023, after almost 30 years under the Brazilian flag and more than half a century since CAYUGA had first entered United States service. The former ship was subsequently retained as a target hull. In December 2025, Brazilian naval aviation used the former MATTOSO MAIA during live-weapons training, marking the final known operational use of the hull.

USS CAYUGA earned two battle stars for Vietnam service and additional recognition for combat, humanitarian and coalition operations.

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