page_title: USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19)
section_title: 1971
hierarchical_section_title: USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) / History / 1971
caption_attribution_description: English: This photo is from the back cover of BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) WELCOME ABOARD 1972 under Captain Speer and it looks like a tinted beige copy of the back cover in the BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) WELCOME ABOARD 1971 under Captain Carroll. My memory has this photo being taken in the North Atlantic, of the coast of Norfolk, as we rondevu with our sister ship, Mount Whitney (LCC-20), for the first and apparently last time as we steamed to Blue Ridge's first homeport, San Diego, via the Strait of Magellan. If my memory is correct, this was the first time BR went to flight quarters, to receive the chopper from Mount Whitney (notice swabbies prepping the flight deck). My memory may have failed me on this pic, I don't remember there being a flight deck operation during BR's first Insurv trial, but this pic is virtually identical in operations under way (flight deck prepping) from a different angle with a pic of BR's first Insurv Trial. Once I get the Philly yard publication up on BR's WikiMedia Commons, I will provide that link. In any event, it just may be BR's first chopper operation. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Ridge_First_Insurv_in_Philly_Shipyard_BEACON_Pub_page_1_of_2.jpg In late January, she conducted her first INSURV in the North Atlantic, after transiting the Delaware River, from and return to Philly. [4] Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Blue_Ridge_(LCC-19)&amp;oldid=611915045 Welcome Aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) 1972 page 06 of 06.jpg
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: In late January 1971, the ship conducted its first INSURV in the North Atlantic, after transiting the Delaware River, from and return to Philadelphia.
  On 11 February 1971, Blue Ridge steamed on its maiden voyage from the shipyard to its first homeport, San Diego, California, around South America via the Strait of Magellan, making liberty calls at Norfolk, Virginia (15 February), Rio de Janeiro (4–6 March), Lima (20–22 March), Rodman Naval Station, Panama Canal Zone (27–28 March), and Acapulco (2–5 April). Blue Ridge's beam is 108 feet (33 m), but the Panama Canal locks at that time were only 110 feet (34 m), creating problems for the Blue Ridge class of ship with fenders and barges for the sponsons.
  As it crossed the equator on 26 February at 38 degrees and 24 minutes longitude, bound for Rio de Janeiro, Blue Ridge performed her first crossing the line ceremony, initiating the "wog" majority of the crew, except for one.
  Upon entry to the Strait of Magellan, Blue Ridge took on a passage pilot from the Chilean Navy for the transit. The Chilean patrol boat lost its mast and damaged one of Blue Ridge's basket antennas, just aft of the port sponson, in the boarding operation.
  In Blue Ridge's transit from Lima to Rodman Naval Station, Panama, it was assigned the duty of going to the aid of any U.S. tuna fishing boat being harassed or captured by the Ecuadorian Navy because they were fishing in a claimed 200 miles (320 km) fishing zone that the U.S. did not recognize. It was known as the Tuna War, but no incident occurred.
  Arriving at San Diego on 9 April, "with Rear Admiral David M. Rubel, U. S. Navy, Commander Amphibious Group Three and staff embarked. Rear Admiral Rubel is the first Flag Officer embarked on Blue Ridge." Amphibious Group Three staff came aboard Blue Ridge at the Rodman port call with the next port call being Acapulco.
  The rest of the year was "highlighted by Command Post Exercises 3–7 May and 11–13 August. Refresher training was conducted in late June and early July. Blue Ridge acted as amphibious task force and landing force flagship for the major amphibious training exercise of the year, ROPEVAL WESTCO (3-71), from 8–16 September."
  Blue Ridge's first drydock since the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, "...from 11 October to 19 November it was in the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for Post Shakedown availability...". Blue Ridge's power plant was switched from Navy Standard Oil fuel to Navy Distillate fuel.
  From 1972 until 1979, Blue Ridge deployed to the Western Pacific on 6 WestPacs, as the flagship of the Commander Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet.
caption: First INSURV, North Atlantic, January 1971
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