USS Inchon (LPH-12)

• Namesake: USS Inchon (LPH-12) was named after the historic Battle of Inchon, a pivotal amphibious assault during the Korean War led by General Douglas MacArthur in 1950. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 20 June 1970 and was the third vessel in the Iwo Jima-class of amphibious assault ships. • Primary Mission: USS Inchon served as an amphibious assault ship, designed to embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary missions, primarily operating helicopters. • Vietnam War Service: Shortly after commissioning, Inchon was deployed to the Vietnam War, providing support for Marine helicopter and troop operations. • Lebanon Peacekeeping: Inchon played a significant role in Operation Peace for Galilee, supporting U.S. peacekeeping operations in Lebanon in 1982-1983. • Operation Urgent Fury: In 1983, the ship participated in the U.S. invasion of Grenada, helping to land Marines during the operation. • Mine Countermeasures Conversion: In 1995, Inchon was converted to a mine countermeasures support ship (MCS-12), becoming the U.S. Navy’s first dedicated MCM command and support ship. • Gulf War: Inchon supported operations during the First Gulf War (1990-1991), serving as a vital platform for helicopter mine countermeasures and amphibious operations. • Fire Incident: In October 2001, a major fire in Inchon’s main engineering space while in port at Ingleside, Texas, killed one crew member and led to the ship’s decommissioning. • Final Fate: After decommissioning, USS Inchon was sunk as a target during a fleet training exercise off the coast of Virginia in December 2004, ending her 34 years of service.