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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS San Marcos (LSD-25)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Kilo - Yankee
NZKY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon)



USS San Marcos (LSD-25) was sold to Spain, renamed SPS Galicia (TA-31)(L-31)
Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 1 September 1944, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Launched, 10 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS San Marcos (LSD-25), 15 April 1945, CDR. L, E. Ellis in command
  • During World War II USS San Marcos was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Marcos was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 13 February 1946
  • USS San Marco was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.8.3 (Service Group - Dispatch Boat and Boat Pool for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 19 December 1947, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 26 January 1951
  • USS Marcos was assigned to Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    3 May to 8 October 1952
    18 January to 11 March 1955

  • Decommissioned, 1 July 1971, at US Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA. and simultaneously turned over to Spain, renamed SPS Galicia (TA-31), renumbered (L 31) circa 1980
  • Sold outright to Spain and struck from the Naval Register, 1 August 1974
  • Decommissioned by the Spanish Navy in 1987
  • Struck from the Spanish Navy list in early 1988
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1989
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
    Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
    Length 457' 9" o.a.
    Beam 72"
    Draft
    8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft)
    15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
    Speed 17 kts (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Complement
    Officers 17
    Enlisted 237
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 218
    Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)
    three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
    two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
    fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
    forty-seven DUKW or
    forty-one LVT or
    Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
    Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch one helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters consisted of enough space to store eight USMC Sikorsky UH-34 helicopters in the well deck forward of the "water barrier". Aircraft were lifted to the flight deck with 35 ton truck cranes. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing Ship Dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) in their well decks.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 11,720 Bbls
    Diesel 160 Bbls
    Gasoline 5,085 Gals
    Propulsion
    two Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines
    two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
    single Newport News Shipbuilding Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators
    twin propellers, 7,000shp

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    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS San Marcos (LSD-25)
    San Marcos
    10122522
    137k Launching of San Marcos (LSD-25), 10 January 1945, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.
    Temple University On-Line Archives
    John Chiquoine
    San Marcos
    10122523
    99k San Marcos (LSD-25) at the fitting-out pier, Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA., circa January-April 1945.
    Temple University On-Line Archives
    John Chiquoine
    San Marcos 841k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret), Main Propulsion Assistant USS Oak Hill
    San Marcos 47k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) underway, 24 April 1945, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Robert Hurst
    Oak Hill 81k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7), USS San Marcos (LSD-25), and USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) all recommissioned, 26 January 1951, at the Destroyer Repair Base (Naval Station) San Diego, CA. Photo by Bob Allport, RD2 USNUSS Carter Hall, 26 January 1951
    San Marcos 70k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) during Arctic resupply operations, under MSTS, to bases in Canada and Greenland to re-supply DEW Line stations, summer 1957 Ron Roller USS San Marcos
    San Marcos 65k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) during Arctic resupply operations, to bases in Canada and Greenland, summer 1957 Ron Roller USS San Marcos
    San Marcos 65k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) crew members returning to the ship during Arctic resupply operations, summer 1957 Ron Roller USS San Marcos
    Megara
    09350613
    169k On 29 January 1955, USS Megara (ARVA-6) broached on the beaches of La Pineda, off the Mediterranean Coast of Spain during an exercise with Spain known as ADVEX 1-55. Over the next three days, several ships came to her aid. Among them were USS LST-32, the Spanish destroyer Almirante Antequera, and USS San Marcos (LSD-25). Pictured here are the salvage efforts of those ships that pulled Megara free on 1 Feb 1955. Brian Miller
    San Marcos 41k An Arctic sunset photo taken from USS San Marcos (LSD-25) during Arctic resupply operations, summer 1957. Ron Roller USS San Marcos
    San Marcos 745k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) underway in December 1959, location unknown.
    US Navy photo # 1045132.
    Chris Stanley, from the collection of CDR Thomas B. Ray USS Essex.
    San Marcos
    10122524
    250k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) underway at sea during the 1960s.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 81832
    Robert Hurst
    San Marcos 97k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) underway in the Chesapeake Bay, August 1964. © Richard Leonhardt
    San Marcos 97k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) and USS Donner LSD-20) at anchor in Grand Harbor, Valletta, Malta in 1967. Warren Polensky USS San Marcos
    Donner 300k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) and USS Donner at anchor in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, 31 December 1967. Photos by Carlo Martinelli
    Donner 851k
    Donner 1058k USS San Marcos (LSD-25) alongside USS Donner while at anchor in the harbor at Genoa, Italy, 31 December 1967. Photos by Carlo Martinelli
    SPS Galicia (L-31)
    Terrebonne Parish 48k On May 30, 1981 ("Dia de las Fuerzas Armadas", Armed Forces Day) the Spanish Navy performed a simulated amphibious assault for the citizens of Barcelona. This view shows the Tank Landing SPS Velasco (L 11), center and the Dock Landing Ship SPS Galicia (L 31), left background --ex-USS Terrebonne Parish (LST 1156) and ex-USS San Marcos (LSD 25), respectively--; landing craft are headed to the beach and a support helicopter overflies the ships. Photo by Fabio Peņa
    San Marcos 100k The Spanish LSD SPS Galicia (L 31) at Barcelona, Spain, 31 May 1981. The amphibious transport SPS Castilla (L 21), ex-USS Paul Revere (LPA 248) is partially visible in the background. Photo by Fabio Peņa
    San Marcos 88k SPS Galicia (L 31), at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 25 May 1986 Photo by Ignacio Lopez
    ex member Armada Espanola
    San Marcos 51k SPS Galicia (L 31), at Cadiz, Spain, 1984 Photo by Ignacio Lopez
    ex member Armada Espanola

    USS San Marcos (LSD-25)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Ellis, Lysle Elbert, USN (USNA 1922)15 April 1945 - 15 March 1946
    02CDR. Blanche Jr., John Goodman, USN (USNA 1925)15 March 1946 - 25 August 1946
    03CDR. Crawford, George Alvin, USN (USNA 1935)25 August 1946 - ?
     Decommissioned19 December 1947 - 26 January 1951
    04CDR. Price, George Marvin, USN (USNA 1933)26 January 1951 - 21 January 1952
    05CAPT. Campbell Jr., Harold William, USN (USNA 1934)21 January 1952 - 14 November 1953
    06CDR. Berrey, Julius Max, USN14 November 1953 - August 1955
    07LCDR. McCall. Charles DeWitt, USN (USNA 1939)August 1955 - 15 August 1956
    08CDR. Steen, Egil Thornton, USN (USNA 1939)15 August 1956 - 25 January 1958
    09CDR. Coulter, Frank John, USN (USNA 1939)25 January 1958 - 1959
    10CDR. May Jr., James Joseph, USN1959 16 September 1960
    11CDR. Cousins, Romolo, USN16 September 1960 - 15 January 1962
    12CDR. Bracken, Eugene Eason, USNR15 January 1962 - 15 April 1963
    13CDR. Davidson, Alan Norman, USN (USNA 1947)15 April 1963 - August 1964
    14CDR. Kuegler Jr., Alexander Charles, USNAugust 1964 - 28 December 1965
    15CAPT. Spielman, James Samuel, USN28 December 1965 - 12 January 1967
    16CDR. Colee, Cecil Stewart, USN (USMMA 1948)12 January 1967 - October 1968
    17CDR. Quartararo, Michael Anthony, USN (USNA 1952)October 1968 - 13 May 1970
    18CDR. Boschen Jr., Henry Chrisholm, USN13 May 1970 - 1 July 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Postal Covers related to the ship
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    Last Updated 17 May 2024