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USS San Bernardino (LST 1189)

- decommissioned -

USS SAN BERNARDINO was the eleventh NEWPORT - class Tank Landing Ship and the third ship in the Navy to bear the name. Decommissioned on September 30, 1995, the SAN BERNARDINO was transfered to Chile on June 23, 1999. There she was recommissioned as VALDIVIA.

General Characteristics:Awarded: July 15, 1966
Keel laid: July 12, 1969
Launched: March 28, 1970
Commissioned: March 27, 1971
Decommissioned: September 30, 1995
Builder: National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, Calif.
Propulsion system: 6 diesels; 16,000 horsepower; bow thruster
Propellers: two and one bow thruster screw
Length: 522 feet (159 meters)
Length over derrick arms: 561 feet (171 meters)
Beam: 70 feet (21.2 meters)
Draft: 17,4 feet (5.3 meters)
Displacement: approx. 8500 tons
Speed: 20 knots
Aircraft: helicopter platform only
Armament: one 20mm Phalanx CIWS, 4 3-inch/.50-caliber guns
Crew: 14 officers, 210 enlisted and approx. 350 embarked troops


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Crew List:

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


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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The insignia of USS SAN BERNARDINO contains symbols that accentuate the nature of her mission, the ship's most dramatic design feature, and the heritage of the city and county for which she is named.

The arrowhead represents the historical landmark emblazoned in the San Bernardino Mountains and which is also the emblem for the city and county of San Bernardino, California.

The anchor depicts the Danforth stern anchor which is used by all LST's in beaching operations.

The bow-on view of the LST represents Amphibious Warfare beaching operations. It also calls attention to the up-and-down bow ramp feature of this class ship.

The Marine emblem is included to represent the role of the Marine Corps as part of the team in Amphibious operations.

The two stars honor the two previous ships to bear the name SAN BERNARDINO (PG 59 and LST 1110).

The motto "ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE" has been adopted to indicate the capability of this class LST to transport men and equipment on any assigned mission to or from any place.



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USS SAN BERNARDINO History:

USS SAN BERNARDINO was the eleventh ship of its kind to be built and was commissioned on 27 March 1971.

As one of the NEWPORT - class Tank Landing Ships, SAN BERNARDINO was capable of transporting tremendous amounts of Navy and U. S. Marine Corps equipment and supporting in excess of 500 men carrying out her primary mission of amphibious assault.

On her bridge wings, SAN BERNARDINO displayed six campaign ribbons. The National Defense and Vietnam Campaign Medals were awarded in 1972 when SAN BERNARDINO served as a member of the last Amphibious Ready Group to depart Da Nang Harbor prior to the official end of the Vietnam Conflict. She was also awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with one gold star.

In 1980, SAN BERNARDINO earned the Navy Expeditionary Medal for operations on the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea. SAN BERNARDINO has the distinction of being the first modern LST to operate in these waters. She also distinguished herself during cold weather operations in KERNEL POTLACH 83 by entering Constantine Harbor on Kamchitka Island, Alaska, the first U. S. Navy ship since WWII to operate in that harbor. Her other decorations include the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

In 1986, SAN BERNARDINO moved from her San Diego homeport to Sasebo, Japan as part of the U. S. Navy's Overseas Family Residency Program (OFRP). As an OFRP ship, SAN BERNARDINO operated as a unit of the U. S. Seventh Fleet in support of amphibious commitments in Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. She has also operated with the Indonesian, Thai and Malaysian Navies during cruises to the Southern Pacific region. SAN BERNARDINO has been an active member of the local community in her Sasebo homeport.


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