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2009-09-18 20:18 |
USS PORTLAND is a landing ship dock of the new ANCHORAGE CLASS AND IS THE FIRST OF BEING BUILT AT THE QUINCY SHIPBUILDING DIVISION OF GENERAL DYNAMICS AT QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS. SHE WILL OPERATE AS PART OF AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT FORCE AND WILL TRANSPORT COMBAT TROOPS AND VEHICLES AS WELL AS PRELOADED, HEAVY LAND- ING CRAFT TO AN ASSAULT AREA, RAPIDLY DISCHARGING THE MEN AND EQUIPMENT. HER KEEL WAS LAID ON SEP. 21, 1967 AND HER CHRISTENING ON DEC. 20, 1969, WAS SPONSORED BY MRS. LEONARD F. CHAPMAN, JR. WIFE OF GENERAL CHAPMAN, USMC, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINED CORPS.
THE FIRST SHIP OF THE NAME, THE HEAVY CRUISER CA33, WAS BUILT AT QUINCY FORTY YEARS AGO AND WAS AWARDED THE NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION IN THE NAVY BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL ON NOV. 12 AND 13, 1942 AND RECEIVED A TOTAL SIXTEEN BATTLE STARS FOR WORLD WAR II OPERATIONS. SHE WAS SCRAPPED IN 1959 AND HER MAST, OPEN BRIDGE AND BELL ARE PRESERVED IN FORT ALLEN PARK, PORTLAND, MAINE. THE NEW SHIP IS NAMED FOR BOTH PORTLAND, MAINE AND PORTLAND, OREGON.
CAPTAIN MARTIN "M" Zenni, USN, IS THE FIRST COMMANDING OFFICER OF USS PORTLAND. HE IS A NATIVE OF DAYTON, OHIO AND IS A GRADUATE OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY |
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