USS Juneau LPD-10
The USS Juneau LPD-10 is the third Navy ship to be named after Alaska’s capital. Built at Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company in Seattle, Washington and completed January 23, 1965, the vessel was sponsored by the wife of former Alaska Governor, William A. Egan, and was commissioned July 12, 1969.
The Juneau LPD-10 was an amphibious transport dock ship that completed five tours in the western Pacific. Included in her tour were eight trips into enemy Vietnamese waters. The Juneau LPD-1O earned five battle stars for her Vietnam War duties, including the very first landing of an AV-BA Harrier on a Pacific Fleet vessel in February of 1976. The Juneau LPD-1O participated in the 1976 Bicentennial celebration where she proudly carried members of the U.S. Marines to Juneau, Alaska for the festivities.
The Juneau LPD-10 was instrumental during the cleanup following the Exxon Valdez oil spill near Prince William Sound. The very first vessel to arrive on the scene, the Juneau LPD-10 assumed command duties and provided communications, docking, transportation and food and medical services for well over four hundred civilians who assisted in the cleanup. She also served during Operation Desert Shield following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. She subsequently provided her service during Operation Desert Storm beginning in 1990, and was a member of the largest amphibious task group since the earlier UN assault in South Korea.
The Juneau LPD-10 was a part of the relief efforts after the 2008 Cyclone Nargis crisis in Myanmar, although the officials representing Myanmar never permitted the U.S. to administered relief aid to their citizens. The Juneau LPD-10 left the area in June of 2008 and is slated to be decommissioned in San Diego, California.
The USS Juneau LPD-10 was built prior to the institution of asbestos-usage regulations, and the vessel is therefore laden with asbestos in the form of piping insulation. Those aboard the Juneau LPD-10 should monitor their health for the next several years, as asbestos exposure is connected to the eventual development of mesothelioma, a fatal type of cancer which has a latent period of as many as 50 years. Individuals who serve aboard this ship may not experience mesothelioma symptoms for many years, and it is advisable to be aware of any respiratory problems that may arise, as they may be an indication of mesothelioma.
Last modified: December 09 2009.
