USS El Paso (LKA-117)

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USS El Paso (LKA-117) underway late 1980s.jpg
USS El Paso (LKA-117) after the addition of Phalanx CIWS
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameUSS El Paso
Namesake El Paso, Texas
Builder Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.
Laid downOct. 22, 1968
LaunchedMay 17, 1969
CommissionedJan. 17, 1970
DecommissionedApril 21, 1994
StrickenAug. 31, 2015
HomeportNorfolk, Virginia
Nickname(s)El Barco Magnifico
StatusUndergoing scrapping
General characteristics
Class and type Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship
Tonnage8,368  DWT
Displacement18,600 tons (full load)
Length575 ft 6 in (175.41 m)
Beam82 ft (25 m)
Draft25 ft 5 in (7.75 m)
Boats & landing
craft carried
9 × landing craft
Complement36 officers, 375 men
ArmamentAs built

4 × twin 3-inch/50-caliber guns

Later fitted

2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWS
Service record
Operations:

USS El Paso (AKA-117/LKA-117) is a Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship named after the city of El Paso, Texas. She served as a commissioned ship for 24 years and three months. [1]

Contents

History

She was laid down as AKA-117 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, on October 22, 1968. Redesignated LKA-117 on January 1, 1969, she was launched on May 17, 1969 and commissioned on January 17, 1970.

She was home-ported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Her operations included embarking a Marine Amphibious Ready Group and transporting the MARG to the Mediterranean Sea for a six month deployment. In 1979 she deployed to the Mediterranean and eventually redirected to the Indian Ocean and Diego Garcia during the Iran Hostage Crisis. For that she was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal. In 1993 she again deployed to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf to participate in Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. She was decommissioned on April 21, 1994, and moved to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it was laid up.

On 29 September 2023, El Paso was removed from the Philadelphia NIMSF and towed to Brownsville, Texas, where it will be scrapped. [2] It arrived in Brownsville on 12 October 2023. [3]

The ship earned several additional awards and campaign ribbons for her service.

She has had several noteworthy commanding officers.

Among them are CAPT Edward Clexton, Jr, from March 1979 thru August 1980. [4] During his command, the crew were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for the Iran Hostage Crisis. CAPT Clexton went to command USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN-69). VADM Clexton retired in 1993 as Deputy CINCUSNAVEUR.

CAPT Roy Cash, nephew of singer Johnny Cash and father of Miss America 1987 winner Kellye Cash, served as her commanding officer from August 1985 to March 1987. [5]

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References

  1. Long, Trish. "El Paso has had two Navy ships named for her, both now decommissioned". El Paso Times. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWXjQhAPUVo
  3. https://www.facebook.com/webuymetal/posts/826402289273008
  4. "Edward W. Clexton" (PDF). The Golden Eagles.
  5. "Roy Cash Biography" (PDF). Early and Pioneer Naval Aviators Association. Retrieved 14 January 2015.