USS Dubuque ( LPD - 8 ) USS " Dubuque " ( LPD - 8 ) , an , is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the city of Dubuque , Iowa . USS " Dubuque " is named after Dubuque , Iowa on the Mississippi River and her founder , Julien Dubuque - a French Canadian explorer . The second ship to bear the name , USS " Dubuque " was commissioned on 1 September 1967 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth , Virginia . History . " Dubuque " s keel was laid down on 25 January 1965 by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula , Mississippi . She was launched on 6 August 1966 and commissioned on 1 September 1967 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth , Virginia . In November 1967 , the ship arrived at her first homeport of San Diego , California after transiting the Panama Canal . From 1968 until 1975 , " Dubuque " made five Western Pacific deployments that saw extensive duty in Vietnam . In a highly publicized event in October 1968 , the ship returned 14 repatriated prisoners of war to North Vietnam . From 1969 until 1971 the ship conducted ten " Keystone Cardinal " troop lifts to Okinawa as part of the " Vietnamization " of the war . " Dubuque " relieved as the launch platform for HMA - 369 ' s Marine Hunter - Killer ( MARHUK ) Operations near Hon La ( Tiger Island ) off the coast of North Vietnam . From February to June 1973 the ship operated helicopter s that conducted naval mine clearance operations in Haiphong Harbor as part of Operation End Sweep . In April 1975 the ship participated in Operation Frequent Wind , the evacuation of Saigon and the rescue of refugees fleeing South Vietnam . On 15 August 1985 " Dubuque " departed San Diego for its new homeport of Sasebo , Japan , where she arrived 4 September 1985 . There , she joined the Seventh Fleet Overseas Family Residency Program , her primary mission to support the Marine Corps in the Western Pacific . In May 1988 " Dubuque " deployed to the Persian Gulf and served as the control ship for mine sweeping operations to protect US - flagged tankers during the Iran – Iraq War . For its participation in this operation , the ship was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation . In 1989 the ship participated in the contingency operation to evacuate American personnel from the Philippines during a failed coup attempt . Immediately following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 , " Dubuque " was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield . The ship functioned as the leading element of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo , which transported Marine Regimental Landing Team Four to Al Jubayl , Saudi Arabia during the critical early stages of the multi - national buildup . In November 1998 " Dubuque " again deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of the Amphibious Ready Group ( ARG ) on support of Operation Desert Fox . On 30 July 1999 , " Dubuque " was relieved by as part of the forward - deployed naval forces . Since then , she has been once again home - ported in San Diego , California . From June to September 1999 , " Dubuque " participated in the first SHIP - SWAP with her sister - ship " Juneau " , where each ship ' s crew remained in their original home ports , allowing " Dubuque " to return to the homeport of San Diego . From September 2006 to May 2007 " Dubuque " was deployed with the and the , transporting the 15th MEU to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom where among other missions the ship served as a holding facility for Iraqi POWs . Dubuque also assisted in the protection and maintenance of oil platforms in the northern part of the Persian Gulf . " Dubuque " deployed again in 2008 with the Expeditionary Strike Group . Her crew participated in the pursuit of identifying pirates and collecting intelligence on piracy off the Gulf of Oman and the Horn of Africa . She also participated in rescuing six mariners from a sinking vessel off the Philippine coast line on the way to the Persian Gulf . . The event was an exemplary incident , which proved the flexibility of U . S . maritime strategy in time of crisis or emergency . In early May 2009 the " Dubuque " had to abort a humanitarian aid mission to the South Pacific after a sailor on board developed swine flu . It was later found out that approximately 50 more cases were likely H1N1 ( swine flu ) also . On 9 September 2010 , Marines attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit ' s Maritime Raid Force launched from the " Dubuque " and boarded and seized control German flagged off the coast of Somalia . The pirates had taken control of the ship the previous day . The Marines captured nine pirates and rescued eleven crew members who had taken refuge in a " safe room " on the ship . No shots were fired and no injuries were reported . USS " Dubuque " was laid to rest at her decommissioning ceremony June 30 , 2011 Refugee Controversy . On June 10 , 1988 , while on the way to the Persian Gulf , the " Dubuque " encountered a boat containing 110 Vietnamese refugees . The boat ' s engine had failed and they had been adrift for 19 days , with around 20 refugees having already perished . The commander of the " Dubuque " , Captain Alexander Balian provided the refugees with charts and water and food , though , due to miscommunication , he believed there to be only about 60 refugees and thus provided inadequate quantities and then left to proceed to the Persian Gulf . As a result , 30 more refugees died , some of them being cannibal ized by the survivors during the 19 more days that the vessel remained adrift until being rescued by Filipino fishermen . As a result of this incident , Capt . Balian was relieved of command and court - martial ed . Upon being found guilty , he received a letter of reprimand . Swine flu outbreak . In May 2009 the Navy announced that a sailor on the ship had been confirmed as infected with Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 during the worldwide 2009 swine flu outbreak . Fifty more of the ship ' s sailors were suspected to have also been infected . As a result , the ship ' s June 2009 deployment to Oceania in support of the Pacific Partnership program was canceled . Awards . According to the Navy Awards website , the " Dubuque " has received one Navy Unit Commendation , four Meritorious Unit Commendations , three Battle Efficiency Award s , three Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal s , three Humanitarian Service Medal s and participated in countless amphibious exercises and operations throughout the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans .