USS Inchon ( LPH - 12 ) USS " Inchon " ( LPH / MCS - 12 ) , an " Iwo Jima " - class amphibious assault ship , was a ship of the United States Navy named for the battle of Inchon , a turning point of the Korean War . " Inchon " ( LPH - 12 ) was laid down on 8 April 1968 by Ingalls Shipbuilding , Pascagoula , MS ; launched on 24 May 1969 ; and commissioned on 20 June 1970 . Multinational Force - Beirut , Lebanon . In October 1982 , the " Inchon " , flagship of Amphibious Squadron 6 , relieved the 32d MAU on station in Beirut , Lebanon . For their service , the ships of MARG 3 - 82 were awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and the Navy Expeditionary Medal . The Citation for the Navy Unit Commendation reads : " " For exceptionally meritorious service from 29 October 1982 to 15 February 1983 in a mission of great national and international importance while serving as the United States Forces Ashore Lebanon and supporting forces of the Multinational Force peace initiatives in Lebanon . on 29 October 1982 , Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group 3 - 82 and Marine Amphibious Unit 24 conducted a combined surface and helo landing across Black Beach and the International Airport of Beirut , Lebanon and immediately commenced coordinated motorized and foot patrols with other Multinational Force contingents throughout the City of Beirut . Simultaneously with operations ashore , Amphibious Task Force helicopters provided special support to the U . S . Ambassador to Lebanon and special Presidential envoys , and provided major logistics lifts from Air Support Head at Larnaca , Cyprus , to Beirut . Their superior performance and tireless devotion contributed significantly to the national objectives of world peace and Middle East stability . By their resolute determination , unrelenting perseverance , and steadfast dedication to duty , the officers and enlisted personnel of Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group 3 - 82 and Marine Amphibious Unit 24 reflected great credit upon themselves and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service . " " Detailed history of the MNF mission during this deployment : Hyperwar : Lebanon - 1982 - 1984 Redesignation . " Inchon " was redesignated a Mine Countermeasures Command and Support Ship , MCS - 12 , 6 March 1995 , and converted at Ingalls Shipbuilding , Pascagoula , MS . between March 1995 and 28 May 1996 . She was assigned to the Active Naval Reserve Force , 30 September 1996 . On 19 October 2001 the USS Inchon suffered a Class Bravo ( fuel oil ) fire in the main boiler room while conducting inport steaming for engineering trials and assessments . A fuel oil leak had sprung from a faulty gasket on one of the main fuel pumps . This resulted in fuel oil leaking into the bilge . At some unknown point the bilge caught fire . This most likely resulted from the bilge having filled up underneath the boiler , which provided ample fuel to ignite . The actual cause of the ignition to the fuel oil remains unknown . The entire bilge caught fire , and the space immediately filled with smoke . Of the nine enlisted men operating in the space , only eight made it out . Petty Officer Third Class Ronnie Joe Palm Jr . , age 21 , of Houston , succumbed to smoke inhalation just after helping one of his fellow sailors escape . PO3 Palm had been in the Navy for two years , and was cited for his bravery in the face of the blaze . He was posthumously awarded for his heroism with the highest peacetime honor the Navy could bestow , the Navy and Marine Corps Medal . Since severe damage occurred to her boiler plant the Navy made the decision at that time to decommission rather than repair her . " Inchon " was decommissioned , 20 June 2002 , at NS Ingleside , Texas . She was laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet , at Philadelphia , PA . She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 24 May 2004 and sunk on 5 December 2004 at , in 2 , 150 fathoms ( 3 . 9 km ) of water , east of Virginia Beach , VA .