page_title: USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)
section_title: June 1972
hierarchical_section_title: USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) / History / 1972 WestPac I / June 1972
caption_attribution_description: English: wyswyg Operation Song Thanh 6-72, amphibs turn the tide: "... This time, the Marines used both surface and vertical assaults. ... On 23 May, the 7th VNMC Battalion and its advisors ... boarded landing craft for ... ships of the U.S. amphibious force ... Colonel Do Ky and a small division staff went on board the Blue Ridge with Colonel Lan to Coordinate the assault ... Detailed planning and close coordination were required with Brigadier General Edward J. Miller and his 9th MAB, the U.S. Navy amphibious ships of ARGs Bravo and Charlie, the American B-52 Arc Light strikes, and the largest assembly of naval gunfire support ships in the Vietnam War. ... most of the Vietnamese Marines had never made an amphibious landing before, and spent the night on the open flight decks of the landing ships. ... The landing began the next morning, 24 May, with artillery, air and naval gunfire strikes ... As the "Amtracs" closed within 2,000 yards ... a final B-52 Arc Light placed a string of bombs down the length of the beach, raising a curtain of fire and sand ... Lieutenant Williams commented: We approached the beach as the first mortar rounds went off. As soon as they hit, a Vietnamese Marine tried to crawl up my leg and out the hatch. We beached, dropped the ramp and literally threw Marines out the hatch. ... the Duluth and the Cayuga were fired upon by a NV artillery battery. ... gunfire support ships ...silenced the NVA battery. ... the ship "made black smoke and we go the hell out of shore fire range. ... secured its immediate objectives ... the Marines encountered only token resistance from the surprised enemy. " " ... the flat coastal plain which made reference points for naval gunfire hard to locate from the sea." [38] It was the Lam Son Counter-Offensive, "29 June", (it was actually 27 June), that Blue Ridge had its fire-fight with coastal artillery on Tiger Island and earned the Combat Action Ribbon. Song Thanh 8-72&#160;: "May had been a bad month for the NVA along the My Chanh River. ... The Communists had failed to capture Hue. ... practically every able-bodied Marine was now in the northern provinces. ... The first part of June 1972 was characterized by limited South Vietnamese offensive thrusts north across the My Chanh River, but by the end of the month a major effort had been launched to recapture Quang Tri City. ... the Vietnamese Marines took the initiative on 8 June and launched a spoiling attack named Song Than 8-72. All three VNMC brigades were committed in a four-battalion attack across the river. ... moved forward under the cover of a closely coordinated and well-executed fire support plan which included B-52 strikes, tactical air, artillery, and naval gunfire. ... permitted supporting arms to be fired in concert ... " [39] Song Thanh 8A-72: "In order to consolidate the Marines' captured territory, ... across the My Chanh River ... Such plans culminated in Song Than 8A-72. This was another spoiling attack which began on 18 June. ... into the notorious "Street Without Joy" coastal area. ... the heaviest resistance was encountered along the coastal areas, ... known to the Americans as the "Triple Nickel."... " "... At the conclusion of the operation the Marines were north of the My Chanh River, once again in Quang Tri Province, ... The NVA forces were defending in depth ... met by an enemy counterattack. During darkness on 20 June ... were able to break through the 6th Battalion's perimeter and attack the battalion command post, fragmenting the command group. ..." "For the next eight hours the battle raged. Both tactical aircraft and naval gunbfire ... Backed by B-52 strikes ... pushed the enemy from the penetrated position, ... 6th VNMC Battalion was fighting for its life, ... By 27 June, the VNMC had successfully established a new defensive line four kilometers north of the My Chanh River. ... " "the "limited offensive operations had brought us enough time to prepare for the long-awaited big push northward." ... FRAC integrated air, artillery, and naval gunfire for maximum effect in support of ground fighting. ... " [40] https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Blue_Ridge_(LCC-19)&amp;oldid=611915045
context_page_description: USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) is the first of the two Blue Ridge-class amphibious command ships of the United States Navy, and is the flagship of the Seventh Fleet. Her primary role is to provide command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence support to the commander and staff of the United States Seventh Fleet. She is currently forward-deployed to U.S. Navy Fleet Activities, Yokosuka in Japan, and is the third Navy ship named after the Blue Ridge Mountains, a range of mountains in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Blue Ridge is the oldest deployable warship of the U.S. Navy, following the decommissioning of USS Denver. Blue Ridge, as the U.S. Navy's active commissioned ship having the longest total period as active, flies the First Navy Jack instead of the Jack of the United States. Blue Ridge is expected to remain in service until 2039.
context_section_description: With a lull in the fighting and 64 days at sea, Blue Ridge made a port call to Subic, from 7 to 14 June, for supplies and sanity, then returned to the Gulf of Tonkin.
  Nguyen Van Thieu, president of South Vietnam, came aboard Blue Ridge on 28 June 1972 to confer with Vice Admiral Holloway, Admiral Gaddis, General Miller and "to convey his personal thanks to the sailors and Marines of the amphibious forces for 'the preservation of Peace and Freedom' in South Vietnam."
  On the first of July, while steaming outside of Da Nang Harbor, in the combat zone and the ship's port 3-inch gun manned, Blue Ridge had its first change of command. That day was also the day that Blue Ridge earned the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
  The Easter Counter-Offensive was Blue Ridge's longest time at sea, 64 days from 5 April to 7 June 1972. After 7 days in Subic, Blue Ridge returned to the Gulf of Tonkin until 18 July 1972 and was then ordered to the Philippines for typhoon relief along with Tripoli, Juneau, Alamo, and Cayuga. "The 33d MAU and subordinate units were awarded the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for their efforts.", but Blue Ridge was not.
  On 18 August 1972, Blue Ridge returned to San Diego. In September it received aboard, CNO, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. and the Secretary of the Navy, John Warner for visits. From 5 thru 9 October, Blue Ridge made a port visit to San Francisco, training and a First Fleet sponsored event.
caption: It was during the Lam Son Counter-Offensive, "29 June", (it was actually 27 June 1972), that Blue Ridge exchanged fire with coastal artillery batteries on Tiger Island earning the Combat Action Ribbon.
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