Viet Nam

Viet Nam

Tortuga was deployed to the Western Pacific (West-Pac) again in 1954. The signing of the Geneva accords which ended the fighting between the French and Viet Minh resulted in the creation of two Vietnams—north and south. The former was to be in communist hands; the latter was to be governed by non-communist leaders. Diverted to Haiphong from Yokosuka, Tortuga arrived at her destination on 21 August 1954 to take part in the massive evacuation of French nationals, in Operation "Passage to Freedom," as well as the moving of Vietnamese refugees who chose not to live in the north under communist domination. The landing ship conducted four round trips from Haiphong in the north to Tourane (now Danang), Saigon, and Nha Trang in the south (ended 27 September 1954), before she returned to Yokosuka on 4 October. For the remainder of the year, she conducted minesweeper support operations in Korean waters.

We were part of a contingent of U.S. ships that pulled the French Foreign Legion out of the North after their defeat at Dien Bien Phu. We picked them up at Haiphong and took them down south.

On our cruise of 54-55, prior to the start of our involvement in the shooting aspect, we were part of a contingent of ships pulling the Foreign Legion and all their girlfriends, any South Vietnamese that wanted to go south, and anybody else that could get aboard out of Haiphong to Nha Trang and Saigon. Was something to see. We were anchored in the roads off Haiphong when we loaded them. Here are some pictures of the ship and what it looked like in the well deck transporting these people.

19 February. 1957: The steaming watch is set; underway from Pier 5, U.S. Naval Base, San Diego, California for Yokosuka, Japan .

Joined formation with U.S.S George Clymer, Renville, Bayfield, Seminole, Whetstone, Colonial, Balduck, Begor . The men on the decks of the USS Tortuga watched the shores of Point Loma Coronado drop below the misty Pacific horizon. Ahead lay seven months of operation in a part of the world that has mystified the travelers from the Western civilization since the time of Marco Polo. Some of the men aboard the ship had visited the Far East on previous Naval tours; to many, however, it was to be a new experience and one which, judging by the advice of the old timers, would be unforgettable.

From the beginning of the voyage the Tortuga encountered high winds and rough seas in which she took rolls from "38 to 40" degrees. The ship suffered casualties such as split seams and torn away life rafts. Messing became each man's problem; many meals ended up on the deck or in the laps of the crew. For many this was the first cruise and sea sickness was not rare.

28 Feb; Tortuga is steaming in merchant convoy formation approaching Hawaii; suddenly "Right Full Rudder" and the ship swings around just in time to avoid an actual "exercise torpedo" fired during a submarine exercise. This training created a realistic situation that went far in making the Tortuga "battle wise."

3 March: crossed the International Date Line (4 March the day that never was)...

Finally, after three weeks of plowing through mountainous seas, the ships were ordered by the Squadron Commodore to build up steam and "run for the shelter of Yokosuka with all possible haste." The three LSD's remained together and steamed up Tokyo Bay .

14 March, 0415; Land Ho . . . 0830; Steaming up Tokyo Bay - all engines ahead full . . . 1548 ; Moored starboard side, Berth 5, Yokosuka Naval Base, Yokosuka Japan. Liberty commences immediately.