The USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) was a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship constructed by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, with her keel laid down on March 5, 1973. Launched on April 11, 1977, she was commissioned on September 23, 1978, and served as a versatile, large-deck amphibious vessel. Her design combined functions of previous ship types—landing platform helicopter (LPH), amphibious transport dock (LPD), amphibious cargo ship (LKA), and dock landing ship (LSD)—allowing her to deploy Marine expeditionary units via helicopters, landing craft, or a combination thereof. The ship measured approximately 820 feet in length and featured a well deck, flight deck, and extensive aviation facilities, supporting a variety of aircraft including helicopters and the AV-8B Harrier jump jets. Her homeport was Naval Base San Diego, California, from 1978, and she participated in numerous deployments across the Pacific and beyond. Belleau Wood's service record includes five major deployments, beginning with her first in 1981, during which she rescued 150 Vietnamese refugees, earning the Humanitarian Service Medal. Her operational history involved participation in amphibious exercises in locations like Hawaii, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Australia, as well as joint military operations such as Valiant Usher, Team Spirit, and Cobra Gold. She underwent extensive overhauls at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Long Beach Naval Shipyard, enhancing her combat systems, including upgrades to the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) and the addition of the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) system. Notably, in 1987, Belleau Wood engaged in winter amphibious exercises off the Aleutian Islands, introducing the AV-8B Harrier to her flight operations. During her deployment to the Bering Sea, she sustained extensive storm damage from merging cyclones, which required repairs in Subic Bay. Her service also included disaster relief efforts, such as aid to Kauai after Hurricane Iniki, and she became the world's only forward-deployed large-deck amphibious ship stationed in Sasebo, Japan, from 1992. Her history includes a tragic incident in 1992, where a crew member was murdered outside Sasebo Naval Base, leading to discussions on military policies and earning her the moniker "Prison Ship Belleau Wood." She participated in operations supporting the Gulf War, peacekeeping in East Timor, and the Taiwan Strait Crisis. Decommissioned in October 2005, Belleau Wood was sunk as a target during RIMPAC 2006 exercises off Hawaii. Named after the WWI Battle of Belleau Wood, she carried a legacy symbolized by her crest featuring a fighting Marine and French Croix de Guerre elements, honoring Marine valor and the ship’s namesake's historic significance.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.