USS Anchorage (LSD-36)

USS Anchorage (LSD-36) was a dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was lead ship of the Anchorage-class as well as the second ship (USS Juneau CL-52 being the first) in the navy to be named after the city in Alaska.

Anchorage was awarded to Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi on 29 June 1965 and her keel was laid down on 13 March 1967. She was launched on 5 May 1968 and commissioned on 15 March 1969.

Outfitted with a large floodable stern section accessed through an enormous operable stern gate, Anchorage served as a launch platform for large landing craft, such as the LCU, as well as a "boat haven" to shelter other small craft utilized in an amphibious landing. The ship was able to provide a minimal degree of naval gunfire support through the use of two sets of twin 3"/50 guns mounted on the 02-level fore and aft. In later years these guns were removed to be replaced with Mk-38 machine guns and two Phalanx CIWS for missile defense. In its final decade of service with the US Navy, it functioned primarily as a platform for two LCAC hovercraft landing vehicles and embarked Marines.

In the ship's 34 years of service, she completed 19 deployments in the western Pacific and became the most decorated dock landing ship on the west coast.

Anchorage participated in numerous military operations. At the end of the Vietnam War, the ship carried Marines back to the United States as a part of the US withdrawal from Vietnam.

In April 1975, Anchorage participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam.

In 1991, she served in Operation Desert Storm and later in 2000 she was used to assist the USS Cole (DDG-67) following her bombing in Yemen.

In 1994, she served in Operation Continue Hope in Mogadishu, Somalia. Also while there assisted in Operation Quick Draw and Distant Runner with the Hotel Rwanda incident and Burundi. In 1996, following completion of a deployment during which she supported Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf, Anchorage entered drydock for its final drydock planned maintenance availability during which it received numerous systems upgrades and modifications.

In July 2003, Anchorage returned to its home port at San Diego, California after supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was decommissioned on 1 October 2003.

Anchorage was approved for transfer to Taiwan by the United States Senate in November 2003. Anchorage was scheduled to replace the former USS Comstock (LSD-19), now Chung Cheng, however the transfer never took place and Anchorage remained at the Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility at Pearl Harbor.

On 17 July 2010, Anchorage was used as a target during RIMPAC for Maverick and Harpoon missiles fired from US Patrol Squadrons VP-5 and VP-40.