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SHIP SPECIFIC INFORMATION

TYPE	DOCK LANDING SHIPS (LSD)
CLASS	HARPERS FERRY
OFFICIAL NAME	USS PEARL HARBOR
PENNANT NUMBER	52
NICKNAME	N/A
MOTTO	NATION'S BATTLE CRY
BUILDER	AVONDALE INDUSTRIES
CONTRACT AWARD DATE	10/12/1993
KEEL LAYING DATE	01/27/1995
LAUNCH DATE	02/24/1996
DELIVERY DATE	02/27/1998
COMMISSION DATE	05/30/1998
PLANNING YARD	PUGET SOUND DETACHMENT BOSTON
NAVSEA PMS	470
CUSTODIAN	US NAVY
STATUS	ACTIVE DUTY
HOMEPORT	SAN DIEGO, CA
MAILING ADDRESS	FPO, AP, 96667-1740
UIC (UNIT IDENT. CODE)	21959
TYPE COMMANDER	SURFPAC
FLEET COMMAND	N/A
GROUP COMMAND	PHIBGRU 3
SQUADRON COMMAND	N/A

DOCK LANDING SHIPS

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LSD 52
USS PEARL HARBOR

Namesake:

Pearl Harbor, HI

Not yet available

Historical Notes:

USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52), the last of the HARPERS FERRY dock landing ship class, was christened on February 24, 1996, at Avondale Industries, New Orleans, Louisiana.

On May 30, 1998 the commissioning pennant was broken on USS PEARL HARBOR (LSD 52). It is at this point when the Commanding Officer, together with the ship's officers and crew, accept the duties and responsibilities of making and keeping the ship ready for any service required by our nation, whether at peace or at war.

PEARL HARBOR honors the naval base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and the men and women who fought so valiantly in response to the surprise attack by Japanese forces December 7, 1941. "Remember Pearl Harbor" became a rallying cry for the nation during World War II.

Ships of this class are vital to the U.S. Navy's strategic doctrine of forward presence and rapid deployment of troops and heavy equipment to remote and distant shores, "Forward...From the Sea." PEARL HARBOR's mission is to transport Marines with their associated combat equipment, and launch pre-loaded assault landing craft and helicopters during amphibious operations against hostile shores.

PEARL HARBOR carries Landing Craft Air Cushion vehicles (LCACs), which are assault landing craft capable of exceeding 40 knots while carrying a 60-ton payload.

PEARL HARBOR is the Navy's 12th Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, and the fourth to be built with a "cargo variant" configuration, which provides additional space for Marine Corps equipment. The ship is 609 feet in length, has a beam of 84 feet and displaces approximately 17,000 tons. It has a crew of 23 Officers and 323 Sailors and is equipped to carry 403 Marine troops.

Ship's Crest:

Supporters: A United States Navy and a United States Marine Officer's swords saltirewise.

The Shield: Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally used by the Navy and symbolize the sea and excellence. The ship is named for Pearl Harbor, the site of the Japanese attack from which our Nation's battle cry "Remember Pearl Harbor" originated. The ship commemorates the heroic actions of both the armed forces and citizens of Oahu on December 7, 1941. The border plates, which suggest pearls, horizontal division of the shield, and the USS ARIZONA Memorial symbolize Pearl Harbor. The white stars on the light blue field (adapted from the Medal of Honor) honor the sixteen Medal of Honor awards. The gold cross on the dark blue commemorates the fifty-two Cross awards, the largest number of awards for any single engagement in US history. The polynesian spears suggest ready defense and attack capabilities and recall the heritage of Hawaii.

The Crest: The Phoenix, the mythical bird that rose renewed from its own ashes, symbolizes the United States' response to the Japanese surprise attack, raising the nation to arms and victory.

Motto: A scroll Argent Fimbriated Rules inscribed "NATION'S BATTLE CRY" Azure.