Iwo Jima-class Amphibious Assault Ships
LPH-3 USS Okinawa
Highlights of Ship's Service History
24 Oct 1958
![Authorised  [ quill pen icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/authorize.gif)
Contract awarded to the U.S. Navy Shipyard, Philadelphia, PA.
![Authorised  [ quill pen icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/authorize.gif)
1 Apr 1960
![Keel laid  [ keel laid icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/keel.gif)
Keel laid
![Keel laid  [ keel laid icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/keel.gif)
19 Aug 1961
![Launched  [ champagne bottle icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/launch.gif)
Launched
![Launched  [ champagne bottle icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/launch.gif)
14 Apr 1962
![Commissioned  [ bunting icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/commission.gif)
Commissioned
![Commissioned  [ bunting icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/commission.gif)
4 Apr 1968
![U. S. space program  [ nasa logo icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/nasa.gif)
Recovery ship for Apollo 6, an unmanned test vehicle
![U. S. space program  [ nasa logo icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/nasa.gif)
7 Aug 1971
![U. S. space program  [ nasa logo icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/nasa.gif)
Flagship for the recovery of Apollo 15
![U. S. space program  [ nasa logo icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/nasa.gif)
17 Dec 1992
![Decommissioned  [ gold watch icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/decomm.gif)
Decommissioned
![Decommissioned  [ gold watch icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/decomm.gif)
17 Dec 1992
![Stricken from list of naval vessels  [ eraser icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/strike.gif)
Stricken from the Navy List
![Stricken from list of naval vessels  [ eraser icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/strike.gif)
6 Jun 2002
![Gunnery or missile target  [ targeting reticle icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/target.gif)
Sunk during a SINKEX off southern California. Demonstrating the robustness of the design, the ex-Okinawa absorbed hits from several Maverick and Harpoon missiles & a number of general-purpose bombs. She was finally sunk by a Mk48 torpedo launched from the nuclear-powered attack submarine SSN-707 USS Portsmouth.
![Gunnery or missile target  [ targeting reticle icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/target.gif)
| Sources | |
| Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships - U. S. Naval Historical Center ![United States  [ Flag of United States ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/flags/us-tn.gif) United States Naval Vessel Register ![United States  [ Flag of United States ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/flags/us-tn.gif) Wikipedia ![Wikipedia article  [ Wikipedia icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/wiki.gif) NavSource: Photographic History of the U.S. Navy ![WWW article  [ World Wide Web icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/web.gif) Haze Gray & Underway ![WWW article  [ World Wide Web icon ]](http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/RustyBill/website/icon/web.gif)  | |
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