USS New Orleans (LPH-11)

• Commissioning and Class: USS New Orleans (LPH-11) was the third ship of the Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ships, commissioned on 16 November 1968. • Apollo 14 Recovery Ship: She served as the primary recovery ship for the Apollo 14 mission in February 1971, retrieving astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell after their return from the Moon. • Apollo 17 Recovery: New Orleans was also the recovery vessel for Apollo 17 in December 1972, making her the ship that recovered the crew of the last human mission to the Moon. • Vietnam War Service: The ship provided critical support during the Vietnam War, including amphibious operations and troop transport, contributing to several campaigns. • Helicopter Carrier Role: Designed primarily to carry helicopters and Marines, she could transport a battalion landing team and up to 25 helicopters for rapid deployment. • Operation Frequent Wind: USS New Orleans participated in the evacuation of Saigon in 1975, assisting in Operation Frequent Wind, the final phase of the American evacuation from South Vietnam. • Maritime Incidents: In 1976, the ship suffered a collision with a submerged object near San Diego, resulting in damage but no loss of life. • Humanitarian Missions: The vessel took part in multiple peacetime and humanitarian missions, including disaster relief and the rescue of Vietnamese boat people in the late 1970s and 1980s. • Gulf War Involvement: During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990–1991), she served as a command ship and provided support for amphibious operations in the Persian Gulf. • Decommissioning and Fate: USS New Orleans was decommissioned on 1 October 1997. She was later sunk as a target during a RIMPAC exercise in July 2010 off the coast of Hawaii.