Military Wiki
USS Durham (LKA-114) underway 1989
USS Durham off San Diego in 1989
Career (United States)
Name: Durham
Namesake: Durham
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.
Laid down: 10 July 1967
Launched: 29 March 1968
Commissioned: 24 May 1969
Decommissioned: 25 February 1994
Struck: 31 August 2015
Identification: Pennant number: LKA-114
Fate: Sunk as target, 30 August 2020
Badge: NH 69473-KN Insignia- USS DURHAM (LKA-114)
General characteristics
Class & type: Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship
Displacement:
  • 9,937 tons (light)
  • 18,322 tons (full load)
Length: 575 ft 6 in (175.41 m)
Beam: 82 ft (25 m)
Draft: 25 ft 5 in (7.75 m)
Boats & landing
craft carried:
18 × LCM-8 and LCM-6 landing craft
Complement: 50 officers, 592 men
Armament: 4 × twin 3"/50 caliber guns
Service record
Operations:

USS Durham (LKA-114) was a Charleston-class amphibious cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1969 to 1994. She was sunk as a target in August 2020.

History[]

USS Durham was named after Durham, North Carolina. She served as a commissioned ship for 24 years and 9 months, and earned a total of 15 awards and campaign ribbons for her service. She was laid down as AKA-114 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA, and redesignated LKA-114 on 1 January 1969. She was commissioned on 24 May 1969.[1]

Durham evacuates refugees from Phan Rang.

Durham evacuates refugees from Phan Rang.

In April 1975, Durham participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War.[2]

In the Gulf War, she was part of an 18-ship amphibious task force that was the largest such force since the Korean War. The task force arrived on station in the North Arabian Sea on 12 January 1991.

Durham being sunk, 30 August 2020.

Durham being sunk, 30 August 2020.

The ship was decommissioned on 25 February 1994. She was sunk by HMAS Stuart and her embarked MH-60R Seahawk on 30 August 2020 as part of a live fire exercise during Exercise RIMPAC 2020.[3]

Awards[]

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star

Durham earned 3 service stars and during the Vietnam War USS Durham participated in the following campaigns:

Vietnam Service Medal ribbon
Vietnam War Campaigns
Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970, 20 to 21 March 1970 Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII

20 to 21 March, 20 to 21 July, 18 to 19 August, 6 to 7 September 1970, 22 to 24 April, 8 to 11 June 1971

Sanctuary Counteroffensive, 11 June 1970 *Vietnam Evacuation (Operation Frequent Wind)

29 to 30 April 1975

See also[]

References[]

There is no Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS) entry for the ship.

External links[]


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The original article can be found at USS Durham and the edit history here.