Navy Ship Named for Portland

By Gary Piercy | Chairman, USS Portland Commissioning Committee

Portland, Ore., is now the namesake of a newly launched United States Navy ship: The USS Portland, a 684- foot, 25,000 ton San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship (LPD-27). The ship launched in February 2016 and was christened in May 2016 at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., where it was constructed.

San Antonio class ships are large and versatile players at sea, capable of supporting a variety of amphibious assault operations or expeditionary warfare missions, operating independently or as part of Amphibious Readiness Groups, Expeditionary Strike Groups or Joint Task Forces.

They are 45 percent larger than the Austin class ships they are replacing, and are designed to transport up to 800 Marines with a flight deck able to accommodate CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and a well deck that can launch and recover landing craft and amphibious vehicles. LPD ships also feature such facilities as two operating rooms, two dental rooms, and a 24- bed hospital ward. Additionally, their sizeable sea decks can be converted into a dry transport deck or emergency ward, as they have been during numerous non-combat, humanitarian missions.

Similar in size and design, the USS Somerset (LPD-25) is a sister ship to the USS Portland commissioned in March 2014. Also a San Antonio class ship, the USS Somerset was named after the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11 attacks of 2001, whose actions prevented the plane from reaching the hijackers' intended target, forcing it to crash instead in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Photo courtesy of the USS Portland Commissioning Committee

This ship is now the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name USS Portland. The first, named for Portland, Maine, was a famous 613-foot, 9,800-ton cruiser (CA-33) which saw extensive service in the Pacific theater of World War II, earning 16 battle stars and becoming one of the most decorated ships in the U.S. fleet. The second, named for both Portland, Maine, and Portland, Ore., was a smaller Anchorage class dock landing ship (LSD-37) based on the East Coast and serving from 1970 to 2003.

The current USS Portland holds the distinction of being the only U.S. Navy ship ever named exclusively for Portland, Ore.

Gary Piercy, chairman of the USS Portland Commissioning Committee and a Portland resident since 1997, called the ship “something we can be proud of.”

“This is a great honor to our city to have a major ship of the fleet bearing our name,” Piercy said. “The USS Portland and her dedicated crew of 371 sailors will not only carry our name, but our city’s pride and commitment to world service.”

The ship is currently undergoing system testing while the new crew is being appointed and trained. After sea trials, which can last from 12 to 18 months, the ship will come to dock in Portland for a week-long commissioning event and a formal ceremony — a journey that Piercy said should make for quite a spectacle.

“Imagine a ship longer than two football fields, rising 14 stories tall but drawing only 22 feet of water (in a river channel depth of 43 feet) cruising down the Columbia, and then the Willamette rivers, then docking just out from the Freemont Bridge,” he said, adding that a Navy survey has been conducted to ensure the ship can fit under the region's bridges.

Commissioning of a ship is the ceremony that places the ship and its crew into active service of the U.S. Navy and is based on naval tradition. This is when the formal transfer of the ship to its commanding officer takes place and the order is given to “Man our ship and bring her to life!” Once the orders are read, the crew runs aboard and mans the rails. The USS Portland then becomes part of the active Navy fleet.

Portland will see visits from senior-level military, government and civilian dignitaries to attend events though the week. Ship tours will be conducted, along with city tours, entertainment and social events for the ship’s 500-plus sailors and Marines. Up to 5,000 people will be able to attend the free, open-tothe-public commissioning ceremony itself.

The commissioning date has not yet been finalized by the U.S. Navy, but it is currently targeted for April 21, 2018. Free tickets to attend the event may be requested through the USS Portland’s website at http://www.usspdx. org. The public is also welcome to support the ship and crew through donations on the site. The Navy does not use public funds for anything except the commissioning ceremony itself. Any additional events or gifts for the crew are paid for by donations.

For more details, you can follow the progress of the USS Portland and its crew on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PORTLANDLPD27.