USS Tarawa ( LHA - 1 ) USS " Tarawa " ( LHA - 1 ) is a United States Navy amphibious assault ship , the lead ship of her class , and the second ship to be named for the Battle of Tarawa during World War II . The first " Tarawa " was the . " Tarawa " was decommissioned 31 March 2009 , at Naval Base San Diego . History . She was laid down in November 1971 at Pascagoula , Mississippi , by Ingalls Shipbuilding , launched 1 December 1973 , sponsored by Audrey B . Cushman , the wife of General Robert E . Cushman , former Commandant of the Marine Corps ; and commissioned on 29 May 1976 , Capt . James H . Morris in command . " Tarawa " was the first of five ships in a new class of general - purpose amphibious assault ships , and combined in one ship type the functions previously performed by four different types : the amphibious assault ship ( LPH ) , the amphibious transport dock ( LPD ) , the amphibious cargo ship ( LKA ) , and the dock landing ship ( LSD ) . She was capable of landing elements of a Marine Corps battalion landing team and their supporting equipment by landing craft , by helicopter s , or by a combination of both . The ship departed Pascagoula on 7 July 1976 and set a course for the Panama Canal . She transited the canal on 16 July and , after a stop at Acapulco , Mexico , arrived at San Diego , California on 6 August . During the remainder of 1976 , the amphibious assault ship conducted trials , tests , and shakedown in the southern California operating area . During the first half of 1977 , " Tarawa " was engaged in training exercises off the California coast . On 13 August , she entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard for post shakedown availability which was completed on 15 July 1978 . Following four and one half months of intensive individual ship and amphibious refresher training with embarked marines , " Tarawa " ended 1978 in her home port of San Diego on Christmas stand down . Missions . Her first WESTPAC deployment came in 1979 , where , among other memorable actions including port visits to Pearl Harbor , the Philippines , Korea , pre - reversion Hong Kong , Singapore , Pattaya , and Okinawa , she successfully engaged in experimental launch and recovery operations with Marine close air support AV - 8 Harrier jets and later rescued over 400 Vietnamese refugees adrift in the South China Sea ; her corpsmen delivering Grace Tarawa Tran during the rescue effort , who recently returned to a decommissioned Tarawa in Pearl Harbor to meet the man who delivered her . After a second deployment WESTPAC , IO , beginning in 1980 and spanning into 1981 , Tarawa was in the Indian Ocean in the aftermath of the highly publicized failed Operation Eagle Claw mission in 1980 . The hostages were famously released in January 1981 when Ronald Reagan took office and Tarawa was anchored in Mombasa Kenya , within a quick steam of the Strait of Hormuz . In 1983 , during her third deployment , " Tarawa " went to the Mediterranean to support the UN peacekeepers in Beirut , Lebanon . Several additional cruises followed . In June 1989 , The USS Tarawa deployed for a 6 - month WESTPAC tour as the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit , composed of the Marines from Camp Horno , Camp Pendleton , California , 1st Battalion 9th Marines ( redesignated as 2nd Battalion 1st Marines on 9 September 1994 ) . In December 1990 , " Tarawa " was the flagship of a thirteen - ship amphibious task force in support of Operation Desert Storm . She participated in the " Sea Soldier IV " landing exercise in January that was a deception maneuver suggesting an amphibious assault in Kuwait , and then on 24 February landed Marines in Saudi Arabia just south of the Kuwaiti border . In May 1991 , " Tarawa " went to Bangladesh in support of Operation Sea Angel , providing humanitarian assistance to victims of a cyclone , delivering rice and water purification equipment . In May 1992 , Tarawa deployed for the eighth time to the Western Pacific , participating in Eager Mace ' 92 – ' 93 , a joint U . S . / Kuwait exercise . The ship also supported the insertion of Pakistani troops into Somalia in support of U . N . humanitarian relief , and returned to San Diego in November 1992 . Tarawa was awarded her fourth Admiral Flatley Award and her first Commander , Seventh Fleet , Amphibious Warfare Excellence Award for the ' 92 deployment . Her 1992 deployment included visits to Hong Kong , Singapore , the Persian Gulf , Somalia , and Australia . In April 1996 , following another complex overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard , " Tarawa " left from San Diego on its ninth Western Pacific deployment . A U . S . / Thailand amphibious training exercise in the Gulf of Thailand , and exercise " Indigo Serpent " ( with the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy ) and exercise " Infinite Moonlight " ( the first - ever exercise between U . S . and Royal Jordanian Navy ) in the Red Sea preceded " Tarawa " ' s visit to the Persian Gulf in support of " Operation Southern Watch " , enforcing the " no - fly zone " over southern Iraq . " Tarawa " was also part of " Operation Desert Strike " . Returning to San Diego in October 1996 , " Tarawa " earned both the Federal Energy Conservation Award and the Secretary of the Navy Energy Conservation Award . In mid October 2000 , the Tarawa was passing through the Strait of Hormuz on her way into the Persian Gulf when the was attacked . Upon news of the attack , the " Tarawa " came about and steamed full ahead to the Port of Aden in Yemen where she joined the , , and the British ship , already providing logistical support and harbor security , as the command ship in charge of force protection in what became " Operation Determined Response " . Other US Naval ships involved were the , , , and the . The " Tarawa " remained with the " Cole " until she was secure aboard the Norwegian heavy - lift semi - submersible salvage ship for passage to the US before returning to duty in the Persian Gulf . Part of the film Rules of Engagement ( 2000 ) includes scenes of actor Samuel L . Jackson filmed aboard the " Tarawa " . On 6 January 2003 , the USS Tarawa ARG , carrying the 15th MEU ( SOC ) departed for deployment . In mid - February , elements of the MEU off - loaded and established a training camp in Northern Kuwait while other members of the MAGTF – primarily the helicopter squadron – remained onboard the Tarawa ARG in the Persian Gulf . Tarawa deployed from mid - 2005 to early 2006 took her to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a multinational training exercise Operation Bright Star In Egypt . She transported the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit . During this deployment , she visited Darwin , Australia , Dubai , UAE , Bahrain , Singapore , and Hong Kong . She was deployed in Bangladesh once again as part of the Cyclone Sidr relief efforts with the " Kearsarge " . Code name for the mission was " Operations Sea Angel II " in recognition of the " Tarawa " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s previous support to Bangladesh in 1991 . These humanitarian assistance efforts were instrumental in the ship being awarded the 2007 Battle Efficiency Award . Her last deployment was from 7 November 2007 to 8 June 2008 , with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit , in the Middle East in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom . She returned to her home port , San Diego , CA , finishing a seven - month deployment . She visited Singapore , Bahrain , U . A . E . , Perth and Hobart , Australia and Hawaii . Post decommissioning status . " Tarawa " was transferred by the USNS Salvor to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Middle Loch , Pearl Harbor , where she sits today . " Tarawa " in Category B Reserve to satisfy Marine Sealift Requirements . In May 2013 , the USS Ranger Foundation was looking into the possibility of acquiring USS Tarawa to turn into a museum since they were unable to meet the Navy ' s deadline to acquire USS Ranger .