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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS El Paso (LKA-117)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Xray - Xray NHXX

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Joint Meritorious Unit Award
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3) - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Iran/Indian Ocean, 1-Lebanon)
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Lebanon, 2-Op. Restore Hope, Somalia) - Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon (2)

Charleston Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 22 October 1968, as Attack Cargo Ship (AKA-117), at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA.

Redesignated Amphibious Cargo Ship (LKA-117), 1 January 1969

Launched, 17 May 1969

Commissioned USS El Paso (LKA-117), 17 January 1970

Decommissioned, 21 April 1994

Assigned to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) in 1995

Moved to Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Sparrows Pt., MD. for conversion to mixed civilian/Naval Reservist manning

Conversion canceled, moved to Philadelphia and placed out of service 23 October 1996

Laid up at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF) Philadelphia PA., in maintenance category B

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 2015

Final Disposition, arrived at All-Star Metals, Brownsville, TX., for scrapping, 17 October 2023

Specifications:
Displacement 10,216.(lt) 18,589 t.(fl)
Length 575' 6"
Beam 82'
Draft 26'
Speed 20 kts.

Armament

As Built - four twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

Updated - two 20mm Phalanx CIWS

Complement

Officers 34

Enlisted 375

Troop Accommodations

Officers 15

Enlisted 211

Boats

four LCM-8s

five LCM-6s

two LCVPs

two LCPLs

Aircraft landing platform

Propulsion

one geared turbine

two boilers

one propeller, 22,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source/Contributed By
1018151901	269k	*Namesake* El Paso - Named after the city in Texas, population 425,259. Spanish missionaries founded El Paso in 1598. The city lies on the border between the United States and Mexico and serves as a main gateway for travel between the two countries. El Paso also ranks as an important distributing and manufacturing center of the Southwest. It stands on the north bank of the Rio Grande, in the far western corner of Texas. It lies on a pass between the Franklin Mountains to the north and the Sierra Madre mountains to the south. Photo - Post Card image; General Pershing's punitive expedition camp near the border, El Paso, Texas (postcard, c. 1916): Franklin Mountains, left-to-right (i.e., south-to-north) are: Ranger Peak, Sugarloaf Mountain, and part of South Franklin Mountain. (University of Houston Digital Library)	Tommy Trampp
100211726	783k	The ship's sponsor, Mrs. John Tower, wife of the senator from Texas, breaking the traditional bottle of champagne over the ships bow during the launching ceremony of El Paso (LKA-117) at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA. on 17 May 1969. Photo from Newport News Shipbuilding	Dale Hargrave
100211727	471k	El Paso (LKA-117) sliding down the builders ways during her launching at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 17 May 1969. Photo from Newport News Shipbuilding	Dale Hargrave
USN 1141926	219k	The newly completed El Paso (LKA-117) under way, 25 November 1969, off Hampton Roads. US National Archives Photo #'s USN 1141926 and USN 1141920 now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command	Robert Hurst US Naval History and Heritage Command
USN 1141920	203k		Robert Hurst US Naval History and Heritage Command
	252k	El Paso (LKA-117) under way off Hampton Roads during sea trials in December 1969.	S. Dale Hargrave
	245k	*USS Guadalcanal* (LPH-7) and USS El Paso (LKA-117) refueling from USS Pawcatuck (AO-108)*, during operation "Snowy Beach", in January 1972. US National Archives Photo # USN 115089* now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	95k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117) moored outboard of USS Charleston (LKA-113)** at Naval Station Norfolk, 5 June 1974.	Photos by S. Dale Hargrave
	504k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** anchored off Fort Story at Virginia Beach, VA., 10 January 1976, while conducting amphibious training.	Photo by ©Richard Leonhardt
	63k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** Med-moored at Barcelona, Spain, 6 April 1977.	Photo by Fabio Peña
	248k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** under way at sea, circa the 1970s or 1980s. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 107724 by Kenneth H. Brewer of USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20)	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	37k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	42k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** under way, circa late 1980s or early 1990s (after the addition of Phalanx CIWS) location unknown. US Navy photo	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	656k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** moored at Marseille, France, date unknown.	Photo by Philippe Gonzales
	292k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** under way at Genoa, IT., 3 July 1991.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
	27k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117) moored pierside at Naval Operating Base Norfolk, VA., summer 1992. Just visible at lower left is the bow of USS Emory S. Land (AS-39)**.	Photo by Adam Robison
	44k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** moored pierside at Naval Station Rota Spain, date unknown.	Photo by Manolo Budiño
	103k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Federation of American Scientists web site
	103k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Federation of American Scientists web site
	53k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Federation of American Scientists
	78k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Wendell Royce McLaughlin Jr.
100211723	193k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. Photo@copy Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
100211724	263k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** underway off San Diego, CA., date unknown. Photo@copy Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
100211725	189k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117)** underway, off San Diego, CA., date unknown. Photo@copy Nobe Smith	Nicholas Tiberio
1016119017	188k	Ex-*USS Newport* (LST-1179) Ex-USS Manitowoc (LST-1180) Ex-USS Sumter (LST-1181) Ex-USS Boulder (LST-1190) and Ex-USS El Paso (LKA-117), Ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113)*, laid up in reserve in the Norfolk Naval Ship, 8 October 1994. U.S. DefenseImagery photo # DN-SC-95-01401* a U.S. Navy photo by Don S. Montgomery	Robert Hurst
	77k	*USS El Paso* (LKA-117), USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) and USS John Hancock (DD 981) in the background with USS Butte (AE-27)** in the foreground, all laid up at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., September 2004	Photo by Jon White STG-3, USS Luce, 1985-87
	209k	*USS Mobile* (LKA-115) (outboard), USS El Paso (LKA-117) (center) and USS Charleston (LKA-113)** (inboard closest to the pier) laid up at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), 29 October 29, 2007. Photo by ©Marc Piché Vercheres, Quebec, Canada.	TJ Tropea, Courtesy Marc Piché
	194k	From outboard to inboard; ex-*USS Yorktown* (CG-47), ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115), ex-USS El Paso (LKA-117) and ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113)** moored at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, date unknown.	Ron Reeves
1016119016	183k	Ex-*USS Boulder* (LST-1190) Ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115), Ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113) and Ex-USS El Paso (LKA-117)** laid up in reserve at the Philadelphia Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, PA., 21 October 2017. Photo courtesy of Chuck Homler	Robert Hurst
	286k	From inboard to outboard; ex-*USS El Paso* (LKA-117), ex-USS Charleston (LKA-113) and ex-USS Mobile (LKA-115)** moored at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Philadelphia, 20 April 2018	Joseph J. LaPenna Jr.

There is no DANFS history available for USS El Paso (LKA-117) at NavSource

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Tiderman, Otto Darby	17 January 1970 - 23 July 1971
02	CAPT. Compton Jr., Bryan Whitfield, :RADM	23 July 1971 - 16 December 1971
03	CAPT. Cole, Kenneth Johnson, USN (USNA 1947)	16 December 1971 - 22 June 1973
04	CDR. Kearns Jr., William Anselm USN (NYMMA-1954) :RADM	22 June 1973 - 25 October 1974
05	CAPT. Hunter, Charles Bryan :RADM	25 October 1974 - 7 January 1976
06	CAPT. Greiwe, William Harry	7 January 1976 - 4 August 1977
07	CAPT. Foote, Everette William	4 August 1977 - 30 March 1979
08	CAPT. Clexton Jr., Edward William :VADM	30 March 1979 - 8 August 1980
09	CAPT. France, Morgan Michael	8 August 1980 - 9 February 1982
10	CAPT. Conklin, Andrew Janke	9 February 1982 - 3 February 1984
11	CAPT. Lind Jr., Carl V.	3 February 1984 - 30 August 1985
12	CAPT. Cash Jr., Roy	30 August 1985 - 19 March 1987
13	CAPT. Kemple Jr., Morris M.	19 March 1987 - 26 January 1989
14	CAPT. Quigley, Michael Dennis	26 January 1989 - 15 September 1989
15	CAPT. Roper, Daniel Clark	15 September 1989 - 1 March 1991
16	CAPT. Pernini, James K.	1 March 1991 - 13 November 1992
17	CAPT. Cole, Christopher Warren :RADM	13 November 1992 - 21 April 1994


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

For more photos and information about USS El Paso, see;
LKA-113 Charleston Class Specifications
USS El Paso (LKA-117)
El Paso (LKA-117) Launch Program

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 3 November 2023