USS San Bernardino (LST-1189)

• Namesake: USS San Bernardino (LST-1189) was named after San Bernardino County, California, continuing the tradition of naming tank landing ships after US counties. • Class and Design: She was a Newport-class tank landing ship, notable for her unique bow ramp design enabling faster offloading of vehicles and equipment compared to earlier LSTs. • Launch and Commission: USS San Bernardino was launched on March 2, 1971, at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, and commissioned on March 19, 1972. • Vietnam War Service: Shortly after commissioning, she was deployed to support American operations in the Vietnam War, transporting Marines, vehicles, and supplies. • Cold War Operations: Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, she participated in various Cold War operations, exercises, and amphibious landings with US allies in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. • Operation Frequent Wind: In April 1975, the ship participated in Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, helping evacuate US and South Vietnamese personnel. • Humanitarian Missions: She was involved in several humanitarian missions, including rescuing Vietnamese refugees, also known as “boat people,” during the late 1970s. • Decommissioning: The USS San Bernardino was decommissioned from US Navy service on September 30, 1995, after over two decades of service. • Transfer to Chile: After decommissioning, she was sold to the Chilean Navy, where she served as Sargento Aldea (LSDH-91) and continued to participate in humanitarian and military operations. • Legacy: The ship’s design innovations influenced later amphibious warfare vessels, and her lengthy service with both the US and Chilean navies made her one of the more enduring Newport-class LSTs.