The USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) was a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship laid down in 1973, launched in 1977, and commissioned in 1978. She participated in her first full-scale operation in 1979 and began her first major deployment in January 1981, which concluded with three major exercises and nine port visits. In 1982, the ship sailed on her second deployment, participating in four major amphibious exercises in the Philippines, Thailand, Somalia, and Australia. She then completed a complex overhaul between 1985 and 1986. In 1987, the assault ship sailed for her fourth deployment, participating in four major exercises, including the first winter amphibious exercises since World War II. The vessel underwent repairs during 1987–1988 and departed for the Western Pacific in 1989. After her second complex overhaul in 1990 for an upgrade to CIWS and installation of the RAM system, the ship joined Amphibious Group 1 and Amphibious Squadron 11, and became the world's only forward-deployed large-deck amphibious ship. After a considerable career, the USS Belleau Wood was decommissioned and stricken from the Register in 2005. Even if product specifications for thermal insulation had been changed in 1973, already purchased asbestos materials were installed in ships under construction, putting generations of Navy personnel at risk of exposure.
760-621-6147
