USS Princeton ( CV - 37 ) USS " Princeton " ( CV / CVA / CVS - 37 , LPH - 5 ) was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy . The ship was the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name , and was named for the Revolutionary War Battle of Princeton . " Princeton " was commissioned in November 1945 , too late to serve in World War II , but saw extensive service in the Korean War , in which she earned eight battle star s , and the Vietnam War . She was reclassified in the early 1950s as an attack carrier ( CVA ) , then as an Antisubmarine Aircraft Carrier ( CVS ) , and finally as an amphibious assault ship ( LPH ) , carrying helicopters and marines . One of her last missions was to serve as the prime recovery ship for the Apollo 10 space mission . Although she was extensively modified internally as part of her conversion to an LPH , external modifications were minor , so throughout her career " Princeton " retained the classic appearance of a World War II ship . She was decommissioned in 1970 , and sold for scrap in 1971 . Construction and commissioning . The ship was laid down as " Valley Forge " — one of the " long - hull " — on 14 September 1943 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard . She was renamed " Princeton " on 21 November 1944 to commemorate the light carrier , which was lost at the Battle of Leyte Gulf on 24 October 1944 . The new " Princeton " was launched on 8 July 1945 , sponsored by Mrs . Harold Dodds , and commissioned on 18 November 1945 , Captain John M . Hoskins in command . Attack carrier ( 1945 – 1954 ) . Following shakedown off Cuba , " Princeton " — with Air Group 81 embarked – remained in the Atlantic and operated with the 8th Fleet until June 1946 . Then transferred to the Pacific Fleet , she arrived at San Diego , departing again on 3 July 1946 to carry the body of Philippine President Manuel L . Quezon back to Manila for burial . From Manila , " Princeton " joined the 7th Fleet in the Marianas , becoming flagship of Task Force 77 ( TF 77 ) . In September and October 1946 , she operated in Japanese and Chinese waters , then returned to the Mariana Islands where she remained until February 1947 . In 1947 she had Carrier Air Group 13 on board , and in October 1948 evacuated dependents from Tsingtao , returned to San Diego Dec 1948 and unloaded CAG13 Maneuvers in Hawaiian waters preceded her return to San Diego until 15 March . She cruised the West Coast , Hawaiian waters , and the Western Pacific ( 1 October – 23 December ) in 1948 . She then prepared for inactivation , and on 20 June decommissioned and joined other capital ships in the Pacific Reserve Fleet . Korean War . Reactivated with the outbreak of hostilities in Korea 15 months later , " Princeton " recommissioned on 28 August 1950 . Intensive training refreshed her Reservist crew , and on 5 December she joined TF 77 off the Korean coast , her planes and pilots ( Air Group 19 ) making possible the reinstitution of jet combat air patrol s over the battle zone . She launched 248 sorties against targets in the Hagaru area to announce her arrival , and for the next six days continued the pace to support Marines fighting their way down the long , cold road from the Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam . By the 11th , all units had reached the staging area on the coast . " Princeton " s planes , with other Navy , Marine , and Air Force squadrons , then covered the evacuation from Hungnam through its completion on the 24th . Interdiction missions followed , and by 4 April " Princeton " s planes had rendered 54 rail and 37 highway bridges inoperable and damaged 44 more . In May , they flew against the railroad bridges connecting Pyongyang with Sunchon , Sinanju , Kachon , and the trans - peninsula line . Next , they combined close air support with raids on power sources in the Hwachon Reservoir area and , with the stabilization of the front there , resumed interdiction . For much of the summer they pounded supply arteries , concentrating on highways , and in August " Princeton " got underway for the U . S . , arriving at San Diego on the 21st . On 30 April 1952 , " Princeton " rejoined TF 77 in the combat zone . For 138 days , her planes flew against the enemy . They sank small craft to prevent the recapture of offshore islands ; blasted concentrations of supplies , facilities , and equipment behind enemy lines , participated in air - gun strikes on coastal cities , pounded the enemy ' s hydroelectric complex at Suiho on the Yalu River to turn off power on both sides of that river , destroyed gun positions and supply areas in Pyongyang ; and closed mineral processing plants and munitions factories at Sindok , Musan , Aoji , and Najin . Reclassified " CVA - 37 " ( 1 October 1952 ) , " Princeton " returned to California on 3 November for a two - month respite from the western Pacific . In February 1953 , she was back off the Korean coast and until the end of the conflict launched planes for close air support , " Cherokee " strikes against supply , artillery , and troop concentrations in enemy territory , and against road traffic . She remained in the area after the truce on 27 July , and on 7 September got underway for San Diego . Anti - submarine carrier ( 1954 – 1959 ) . In January 1954 , " Princeton " was reclassified CVS - 37 and , after conversion at Bremerton , Washington , took up antisubmarine / Hunter - Killer ( HUK ) training operations in the eastern Pacific . For the next five years she alternated HUK exercises off the West Coast with similar operations in the western Pacific and , in late 1957 - early 1958 , in the Indian Ocean – Persian Gulf area . Amphibious assault carrier ( 1959 – 1970 ) . Reclassified again , 2 March 1959 , she emerged from conversion as an amphibious assault carrier , LPH - 5 . Capable of transporting a battalion landing team and carrying helicopter s in place of planes , " Princeton " s mission became that of vertical envelopment — the landing of Marines behind enemy beach fortifications and providing logistics and medical support as they attack from the rear to seize critical points , cut enemy supplies , sever communications , and link up with assault forces landed on the beaches . Since this was a Marine Corps mission , Marines made up a major portion of the ship ' s company in the Air , Operations , and Supply Departments . From May 1959 – January 1960 , " Princeton " trained with Marine units from Camp Pendleton , then deployed to WestPac to train in Okinawan waters . For the next three years , she followed a similar schedule , gaining experience in her primary mission . Interruptions came in October 1961 when she rescued 74 survivors of two merchantmen " Pioneer Muse " and " Sheik " grounded on Kita Daito Shima and in April 1962 when she delivered Marine Corps advisors and helicopters to Sóc Trăng in the Mekong Delta area of the Republic of Vietnam ( South Vietnam ) . From September – November 1962 , " Princeton " served as flagship of Joint Task Force 8 during the nuclear weapons test series , Operation Dominic . Vietnam War . In October 1964 , " Princeton " exchanged WestPac training for the real thing as she returned to Vietnam and joined the Pacific Fleet ' s Ready Group in operations against North Vietnam ese and Viet Cong forces . Combat operations , interrupted in November for flood relief work , continued into the new year , 1965 , and culminated in May off Chu Lai as she carried out her primary mission , vertical envelopment , for the first time in combat . Returning to her homeport , Long Beach , California , after that operation , she transported Marine Aircraft Group 36 to Vietnam in August , and in February 1966 got underway for another tour in the combat zone . Relieving as flagship for the Amphibious Ready Group , she engaged the enemy in operations " Jackstay " , 26 March – 6 April , to clear the Rung Sat Special Zone of Viet Cong guerrillas , and " Osage " , 27 April – 4 May , to protect Vietnamese in the Phu Loc area from Viet Cong " harassment . " Search and destroy missions against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units followed as " Princeton " provided transportation , medical evacuation , logistics and communication support for the amphibious operation " Deckhouse I " , 18 – 27 June , in the Song Cau district and the Song Cai river valley , then supported 1st Air Cavalry and 101st Airborne units engaged in " Nathan Hale " to the south of the " Deckhouse I " area . " Deckhouse II " and support for " Hastings " followed as Navy , Marine , and Army units again combined , this time to impede enemy infiltration from the DMZ . After " Hastings " , " Princeton " sailed for home , arriving on 2 September . She deployed again to Vietnam from 30 January – 19 June 1967 , and again ranged along that long embattled , highly indented coast . In March , she assisted in countering an enemy threat to the Marine artillery base at Gio Linh and evacuated wounded from Con Thien mountain . In April , she participated in " Beacon Star " , in the Khe Sanh area , and supported search and destroy operations in conjunction with " Shawnee " . In May , her helicopters lifted Marines to the DMZ to block enemy forces withdrawing across the Bến Hải River . A much - needed overhaul followed " Princeton " s return to the west coast , and in May 1968 she again sailed west to Vietnam . There , as flagship for Amphibious Ready Group Alpha , she provided amphibious assault carrier services for operations " Fortress Attack " III and IV , " Proud Hunter " , " Swift Pursuit " , and " Eager Hunter " . In December , she returned to the United States and in April 1969 she was designated the prime recovery ship for Apollo 10 , the lunar mission which paved the way for Apollo 11 and the first manned landing on the Moon . Apollo 10 was recovered in the South Pacific on 26 May . On 30 January 1970 , " Princeton " was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register , and sold for scrapping in May 1971 . Awards . " Princeton " received eight battle star s for service during the Korean War . PRINCETON ( CVA - 37 ) Navy Unit Commendation 5 December 1950 * to 10 August 1951 , 15 April 1952 * to 18 October 1952 , 13 March 1953 * to 15 May 1953 , 11 June 1953 * to 27 July 1953 , Asterisk = " One Award for Multiple Dates " Princeton as LPH - 5 Presidential Unit Citation 1965 Miscellaneous . The flag of USS " Princeton " is now in Princeton University in the University Chapel . The USS " Princeton " was used during the filming of the 1952 Monogram Pictures feature " Flat Top "