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Commander George M. Hayes
Commanding Officer

Commander Hayes took command of the
Tortuga on 24 February 1962.

OPERATION DOMINIC

The Tortuga participated in Operation Dominic in 1962 which was a 36-detonation atmospheric nuclear test series. The first phase occurred from 25 April through 11 July 1962, the second phase from 2 October through 3 November 1962. During the first phase, 24 nuclear weapons were dropped from aircraft for air bursts in the vicinity of Christmas Island. One warhead was sent aloft by rocket from Johnston Island for high altitude detonation, but three attempted launches of nuclear tipped rockets from that island were failures. Shot Swordfish was an underwater detonation of a stock nuclear anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) weapon approximately 370 nautical miles west-southwest of San Diego. Shot Frigate Bird was the detonation of a Polaris missile warhead over the Christmas Island Danger Area. During the second phase, four nuclear warheads were rocketed from Johnston Island for high altitude detonation, and one rocket launch was a failure. Five weapons were dropped from aircraft for air bursts in the vicinity of Johnston Island. This thermonuclear frenzy of superpower saber-rattling was the end of US and Soviet atmospheric detonations.

Operation Dominic Summary

Legend:WD=Weapons Development, WE=Weapons Effects, ST=Safety Test, TN= Thermonuclear, LASL=Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, UCRL=University of California Radiation Laboratory (later Lawrence Livermore), DOD = Department of Defense.

Viet Nam

 During the 14 years from 1955 to 1969, Tortuga would remain employed in a regular schedule of deployments to WestPac. She was based at San Diego until 30 June 1966, when her home port was changed to Long Beach. In between deployments—which included exercises and equipment lifts and labors to help maintain the 7th Fleet's readiness—Tortuga conducted local operations put of west coast ports and underwent progressive modifications during regular availabilities.

To the best of my recollection we left San Diego on July 6, 1964 headed for Hawaii and Hong Kong as part of a normal West Pac deployment. We had barbequed six way beef steaks and passed the International dateline, had the King Rex initiation culminating in kissing the Chief Storekeeper's belly with jension violet in our mouth and having been dosed with flour. Of course we had to run through the well deck to get cleaned off by the fire hoses. We arrived in Okinawa, were there two days and the Bay of Tonkin incident with the Turner Joy happened. I returned to the ship about 2 AM and was advised to go to the Wardroom. The mustangs and Korean veterans were white faced. They knew what was about to happen.

The next day the Captain, Wolf Heinberg, confined all to the ship and I was ordered to "top-off" and prepare to sail as soon as we had supplies and had loaded 5000 marines from Division 3-1. We got underway the next day. We proceeded to the South China Sea and for the next 3 months we cruised up and down the coast waiting for orders to land. Supposedly the US Government had to pay the South Vietnam Government $3 million before they would give us permission. We finally got orders and decided that we should have a practice "landing" in the middle of the South China Sea to make sure we were ready. We ballasted down launched the LCMs and the mike boats to the imaginary line and then discovered that the Marines were out of condition.

They were to climb up the Jacob ladders and they could not make it, so we took them back to Okinawa and exchanged them for Division 1-3. We returned and sometime in October 1964 we made the first landing in DaNang. It was unopposed. We positioned sentries to shoot underwater swimmers and we went on watch for 4 hours on, 4 hours off. We had launched at 0400 and nothing happened until nightfall. I remember sleeping on deck because it was so hot and being wakened by the red light and thinking that it should not have been day yet. It was not--the Cong had fired mortars in the airbase and the war had started. That night 17 Seabee's were shelled and killed.

The events leading up to the landing were interesting also interesting. The Captain's gig was to lead the launch but at 0200 we could not find the coxswain. He had gotten into the Marine alcohol supplies and was hiding and when the Executive Officer found him he was chased in his skivvies and climbed up the mast. Needless to say he was court marshaled and sentenced to 6 months at hard labor. From October 1964 to September 1965 we continued to go back and forth between Okinawa and DeNang landing more troops waiting for the 8th Army to relieve the Marines. The ship moved to the Saigon River and captured a junk full of weapons and made the first boarding of an enemy vessel since the revolutionary war days. The only other event I was told about was when Walter Cronkite visited after I left. Supposedly he wanted a tour out in the river. He went out on a Mike boat and it got caught on a sandbar and for the next 48 hours the war stopped while everyone flew cover and tried to get them off the sandbar. I have many other stories but this is what I remember about the start of the war. I would be interested if others can add any additional detail or correct my 40-year-old memory. (Dan Worden)

As American involvement in Southeast Asia deepened during the latter half of the 1960's, Tortuga's deployment schedule accordingly reflected her role in the buildup of Allied strength to attempt to check communist domination of Southeast Asia. On 4 August 1964, North Vietnamese torpedo boats attacked Maddox (DD-731) and Turner Joy (DD-951) in the Gulf of Tonkin. As a direct result, the United States took ever-increasing steps to aid the South Vietnamese government in its attempt to combat Viet Cong insurgent activity within its borders. Within a few years, American involvement had been broadened from one of advising Vietnamese troops to the actual commitment of massive land, sea, and air forces. Soon after receiving word of the Tonkin Gulf incident, Tortuga—combat-loaded—got underway from Buckner Bay. She remained underway in the South China Sea from 6 August to 19 September before returning to Subic Bay.

For the remainder of the year 1964, Tortuga operated out of Yokosuka and conducted troop and equipment lifts between Japan and Okinawa until she headed home and arrived back at San Diego on 18 December. In February 1965, the landing ship proceeded to Camp Pendleton, Calif., to participate in Exercise "Silver Lance," the largest peacetime landing exercise ever held (from February 23, 1965 to March 12, 1965). In June, she commenced a WestPac deployment. She proceeded to Buckner Bay, Okinawa (loaded Marine Combat Unit - I Corps with the 3rd Shore Party Battalion, 3rd Marine Division),  and sailed for Vietnam (landed at Red Beach just north of Da Nang). And, after operating in the Orient through the early summer, returned to Long Beach in late August 1965. She subsequently conducted a lift to Okinawa before she returned to San Diego for refresher training.

“On July 8 and 9 July 1965, USS Tortuga engaged in administrative off loading operations at DaNang Bay, Republic of Vietnam.  The ship entered the bay fully load with embarked Marine Corps personnel and equipment destined for action in defending the Republic of Vietnam from further Viet Cong terrorist, subversion, and aggression.  DaNang is one of the most important bases of operation in Vietnam.  The area surrounding DaNang is heavily infiltrated with Viet Cong guerrillas.  Even while offloading in the bay, the Viet Cong were waging battle with defending United States and Vietnamese Republican Forces.”

Wolf Heinberg

Commander USN

Captain of the Tortuga LSD-26

October 10, 1964 to November 28 1966

Tortuga sailed for Vietnamese waters on 1 March 1966, arrived at Vung Tau on 18 April, and relieved Belle Grove (LSD-2) as support ship for "Game Warden"—the Navy's operation designed to interdict the flow of communist supplies along the coastlines of South Vietnam. Initially, Tortuga operated in the Rung Sat special zone between Saigon and Vung Tau, helping to guard the entrance to the shipping channels snaking through Viet Cong territory to the capital city.

USS Tortuga sailed for Vietnamese waters on 1 March 1966, arrived at Vung Tau on 17 April 1966, and relieved Belle Grove (LSD-2) as support ship for "Game Warden"—the Navy's operation designed to interdict the flow of communist supplies along the coastlines of South Vietnam. Initially, Tortuga operated in the Rung Sat special zone between Saigon and Vung Tau helping to guard the entrance to the shipping channels snaking through Viet Cong territory to the capital city.

From March to June 1966, the USS BELLE GROVE (LSD-2) and the USS TORTUGA (LSD-26) brought the first PBRs into Vietnam with the deployment to Cat Lo of River Division 53 and River Division 54 elements. 

On 26 March 1966, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine, and South Vietnamese forces kicked off Operation Jackstay, the war's first major action in the Rung Sat. PBR units (including one section from Tortuga), minesweeping boats from Nha Be, SEALs, and helicopters operated together to sweep the area. At the end of the 12-day effort, the allies had killed or captured 69 of the enemy; destroyed Viet Cong supply bases, training sites, and other logistical facilities; and, at least for a time, restricted enemy movement in the zone.

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