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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Patches contributed by Jerry Patterson ENCS USN Ret.

Landing Craft Utility
LCU-1624

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Oscar - Quebec - Uniform NOQU

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2 September 1967, 30 April 1968) - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (8 March to 14 May 1965 Assault Craft Div. 11&13, Vietnam) - National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (12)
Third Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation - Vietnam Campaign Medal
Personnel Awards

Silver Star - Craft Master Luther Hall BMC USN
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with Combat V) - Gerald E.Patterson EN1
Purple Heart (five 28 August 67 to 14 March 68 - Charles D. Brookey, RM2, William H. Starkweather,CS1, Donald G. Cruz EM2, John J. Cranmer BM3, Michael J. Burke SN)

LCU-1610 Landing Craft Utility:

Laid down, date unknown, at Gunderson Marine, Portland, OR

Launched, date unknown

Delivered and placed in service as LCU-1624 in 1960

During the Vietnam War LCU-1624 was attached to the Lighterage Branch, Operations division, Naval Support Activity, DaNang, Republic of Vietnam and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 1 July 1966 to 31 May 1967	Tet/69 Counteroffensive 23 February to 8 June 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 June to 31 October 1969
Tet Counteroffensive 30 January to 1 April 1968	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 2 April to 30 June 1968	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 1 May to 30 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 July to 1 November 1968	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969	Consolidation I 1 July to 30 September 1971

Placed out of service, date unknown

Final Disposition, sunk, 4 May 2002, 150 nm SW Los Angeles, CA., in approx. 10,194 ft of water

LCU-1624 earned at least twelve campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 200 t.(lt), 375 t.(fl)
Length 134' 9"
Beam 29'
Draft 6' 1"
Speed 11 kts.
Complement 12 to 14 Enlisted
Armament two .50 cal machine guns
Propulsion four Detroit Diesel engines 1,000 bhp, (250 bhp each engine), two shafts
Fuel Capacity 3220 gals
Range 1,200 nm at eight knots

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	81k	*LCU-1624* underway in 1962, location unknown. US Navy photo from "Jane's Fighting Ships" 1966-67 Edition.	Robert Hurst
10090986	160k	*USS Denver* (LPD-9) off Coronado Beach, CA. Note LCT-1624 entering/departing Denver's** well deck, date unknown. ©George Barber	Nicholas Tiberio
	142k	*LCU-1624* crew filling sandbags for the conn. QM2 Mel Johnson, GMG3 Carpenter, QM3 Mike Flaharty, circa 1966-69.	(EN1) Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	118k	QM3 Mike Flaharty wouldn't mind having on of these installed in *LCU-1624*.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	64k	*LCU-1624* Craftmaster BMC Luther Hall and BM3 MIke Bigelow checking holes on port side after first firelight, circa 1966-69.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	147k
	108k
	263k	*LCU-1624* crew in action during the Tet Counteroffensive, circa 23 February to 8 June 1969.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	161k	*LCU-1624* Snipes, left to right; MR3 David Roffers, EN3 Virgil Mayrand, FN Robert Pontzius, EN1 Jerry Patterson, EM3 Donald Cruz, circa 1968-69.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	66k	*LCU-1624* steams past *USS Mars* (AFS-1) while on an emergency run to Dak To with salvage pumps to help refloat USS Clark County (LST-601)**. circa 1968-69.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	73k	*LCU-1624* delivering ammunition to the Navy Support Base at Sa Huynh south of Chu Lai on the Batangan Peninsula, South Vietnam in 1969.	Tom Lanagan YFU-79
	81k	*LCU-1624* loading Marine Corps amphibious vehicles, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Global Security web site
	134k	*LCU-1624* moored at Naval Station San Diego, date unknown. US Navy photo.	Global Security web site
	189k	*LCU-1624* entering the well deck of an unknown amphibious ship, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
	154k	First reunion, 2000, for crew of *LCU-1624* at San Diego. Left to right; BMCM Luther Hall USN Ret., QM2 Mike Flaharty, ENCS Jerry Patterson USN Ret., 19 September 2000.	Gerald (Jerry) Patterson ENCS USN Ret. LCU-1624
1018162426	43k	*LCU-1624* entering the well deck of *USS Oak Hill* (LSD-7)** in 1967 off the coast of Vietnam . Photo by LT. George B Luce USN.	George A. Luce for his father LT George B. Luce USS Oak Hill
1018162427	127k
1018162428	183k	*LCU-1624* loading a bulldozer in the well deck of *USS Oak Hill* (LSD-7)** in 1967 off the coast of Vietnam . Photo by LT. George B Luce USN.	George A. Luce for his father LT George B. Luce USS Oak Hill