SITE NAVIGATION

SHIP SPECIFIC INFORMATION

TYPE	DOCK LANDING SHIPS (LSD)
CLASS	WHIDBEY ISLAND
OFFICIAL NAME	USS RUSHMORE
PENNANT NUMBER	47
NICKNAME	AMERICA'S GATOR
MOTTO	NOBILITY, POWER
BUILDER	AVONDALE INDUSTRIES
CONTRACT AWARD DATE	12/11/1985
KEEL LAYING DATE	11/09/1987
LAUNCH DATE	05/06/1989
DELIVERY DATE	04/26/1991
COMMISSION DATE	06/01/1991
PLANNING YARD	PUGET SOUND DETACHMENT BREMERTON, WA
NAVSEA PMS	470
CUSTODIAN	US NAVY
STATUS	ACTIVE DUTY
HOMEPORT	SAN DIEGO, CA
MAILING ADDRESS	FPO, AP, 96677-1735
UIC (UNIT IDENT. CODE)	21530
TYPE COMMANDER	SURFPAC
FLEET COMMAND	N/A
GROUP COMMAND	N/A
SQUADRON COMMAND	N/A

DOCK LANDING SHIPS

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LSD 47 | USS RUSHMORE

Namesake:

Legacy Name

USS RUSHMORE (LSD-14) was laid down as HMS SWORD on New Year’s Eve of 1943 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia. She was launched as RUSHMORE on May 10, 1944. USS RUSHMORE (LSD-14) was commissioned on July 3, 1944.

Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, Landing Ship Dock RUSHMORE departed Norfolk on August 5, 1944 for the Pacific where she participated in four amphibious landings: Leyte Gulf in October 1944, Palawan in February 1945, Mindano in March 1945 and Tarakan in May 1945.

After the war, RUSHMORE operated in the Far East, participated in occupied Japanese waters. She was decommissioned on August 10, 1946 and was mothballed in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

RUSHMORE was recommissioned in Charleston, South Carolina on September 21, 1950 to begin service with the Atlantic Fleet. She was finally decommissioned on September 30, 1970 and was transferred to the Maritime Administration’s National Defense Reserve Fleet on the James River, in February 1971. RUSHMORE earned three battle stars for World War II service.

Historical Notes:

USS RUSHMORE is named after the Mount Rushmore National Monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota. RUSHMORE was built by Avondale Industries in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mrs. Meredith Brokaw, wife of NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw, christened the ship RUSHMORE May 6, 1989. Commissioning ceremonies were held on June 1, 1991 on the banks of the Mississippi River at the River Walk, New Orleans.

The ship's first assignment was to deliver three Air Cushioned Landing Craft (LCAC) to Camp Pendleton, California from Panama City, Florida. Along the way, RUSHMORE conducted a port visit in Jamaica, traversed the Panama Canal, and visited Rodman, Panama. Camp Pendleton was the last stop before arriving at her homeport of San Diego.

During her first six-month deployment, USS RUSHMORE spearheaded the beach landing on Somalia during Operation RESTORE HOPE, the largest military humanitarian operation in history. Operation RESTORE HOPE was designed to provide food and medical relief to the starving people of Somalia.

RUSHMORE's 1994 WESTPAC deployment came almost one year ahead of schedule. She deployed with only four weeks notice and participated in Operation SUPPORT HOPE off the coast of Mombassa, Kenya, the USLO relocation in Somalia, and exercises with forces of Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

RUSHMORE's 1996 deployment followed a complete and highly successful training cycle during which RUSHMORE earned the Blue "E" and the Battle "E". RUSHMORE concluded 1996 with a port visit to Mazatlan, Mexico. The ship earned its second consecutive Battle "E" in 1996.

RUSHMORE enjoyed port visits in Portland, Oregon, Annette Island, Alaska, and Seattle, Washington in 1997. Also in 1997, RUSHMORE became the Navy's first "Smart Ship". The "Smart Ship" concept integrates and evaluates commercial off-the-shelf technologies for future fleet application. Systems include Electronic Chart Display, Integrated Bridge System, and Machinery Control System.

RUSHMORE deployed in 1999 with the PELELIU Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. During this deployment, RUSHMORE participated in Operation IRON MAGIC with the United Arab Emirates and Exercise RED REEF with Saudi Arabia. RUSHMORE also had the distinction of becoming the first United States Naval warship to visit Doha, Qatar in 10 years. Other port visits included Japan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Guam, Australia and Hawaii. RUSHMORE returned to San Diego in December 1999 and became the first "Smart Ship" to complete a six-month Western Pacific deployment.

With the new millennium, came a year of local operations for RUSHMORE. The ship last deployed on Dec. 6, 2004 in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM as part of the USS BONHOMME RICHARD Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG 5). On the way to the Fifth Fleet Area of Responsibility, a cataclysmic event occurred, which would change the course of RUSHMORE and begin a massive U.S. military humanitarian operation, dubbed Operation UNIFIED ASSISTANCE. The powerful tsunami that caused tidal waves and flooding in Southeast Asia took the lives of more than 100,000 people in a matter of hours. USS RUSHMORE and the elements of Expeditionary Strike Group FIVE were called into action.

The ship became an afloat staging base for military helicopters to refuel and transport supplies. USS RUSHMORE launched both LCACs bringing tons of food and water ashore for distribution to survivors. Once the operation ended, RUSHMORE reset a course to the Persian Gulf to support Maritime Security Operations, and help defend Iraq's Kwar Al Amaya and Al Basra Oil Platforms. The Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to Kuwait, and went further north into areas of Iraq before they were brought back onboard in early April.

RUSHMORE Sailors enjoyed two port visits during their two months in the Persian Gulf, one visit to the Mid-Eastern country of Bahrain, the other, a trip to the port of Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates. During the transit home, RUSHMORE stopped for a port visit to Cairns, Australia. RUSHMORE and her crew of more than 330 Sailors returned to the ship's homeport of San Diego, CA on June 6, 2005.

The ship completed a three-month maintenance period and participated in Operation Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) off the Coast of Hawaii from June to August of 2006.

RUSHMORE began 2007 by completing work ups with the BONHOMME RICHARD (ESG 5). They loaded more than 400 marines of the 13th MEU onboard along with their equipment to prepare for the transit to the Middle East.

As April 10th arrived the RUSHMORE was ready to get underway for deployment to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Along the way, RUSHMORE stopped by Guam and Singapore before finally arriving in the Gulf. The crew supported the ship-to-shore movement of their embarked Marines to Kuwait. Afterwards, RUSHMORE conducted Maritime Support Operations while making port visits in both Jebel Ali and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Manama, Bahrain. RUSHMORE continued to work with coalition partners in the Persian Gulf until their return to homeport, San Diego, November 19, stopping by Fremantle, Australia and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii along the way.

RUSHMORE certified in ULTRA-C in May 2008 and sailed up to Seattle, Washington, to take part in the Centennial Celebration of the Great White Fleet on May 22. She participated in a parade of ships and later hosted tours to both the general public and guests for the gala.

In late September 2008, RUSHMORE sailed to Esquimalt, British Colombia, Canada, to serve as the test platform for developing ASW systems in the Nanoose Firing Range. While there, RUSHMORE had a three-day port visit and was hosted by HMCS REGINA (FFH 334).

Upon their return home, RUSHMORE finalized their preparations for the Congressionally-mandated Board of Inspection and Survey (InSurv) on October 27, 2008. She also underwent ULTRA-E in November 2008.

RUSHMORE is currently in port San Diego for a Continuous Maintenance Availability (CMAV). The crew is making preparations for their next deployment to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf in the later months of 2009.

Ship's Crest:

The Shield: The shield is dark blue and gold, the colors traditionally associated with the Navy, representing the sea and excellence. South Dakota, the location of the Mount Rushmore Memorial for which the ship is named, is referred to by the gold and celestine escutcheon, recalling the colors of the state flag. The three silver stars represent the battle stars awarded in World War II to Lsd-14, the first USS RUSHMORE. The musket and cutlass symbolize traditional Navy values and the first amphibious operation conducted by the Navy and Marine Corps in Nassau in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. They are shown pointing down to denote nobility of purpose and restraint in the use of power, underscoring the motto. The alligator is the most powerful and traditional symbol of strength and versatility of amphibious warfare.

The Crest: The mountain ridge in the crest symbolizes the Black Hills of western South Dakota, the location of the memorial. Two Black Hills Spruces, the South Dakota State tree, represent the two ships to bear the name RUSHMORE. A rope of gold and scarlet, the traditional colors of the Marine Corps, symbolizes the strong bond of the Navy-Marine Corps team and serves as a solid foundation for the mountain.

Motto: The motto "Nobility Power" is an excerpt from a speech made by the monuments sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, on the occasion of its dedication and describes the memorials tribute to the nobility and power of the four presidents depicted there.