USS Belle Grove…7 Campaigns WWII South Pacific…
Ashland Class Dock Landing Ship:
- Originally authorized as (APM-2), a Mechanized Artillery Transport
- Reclassified Landing Ship Dock (LSD-2), 1 July1941
- Laid down, 27 October 1942, at Moore Drydock Co. Oakland, CA.
- Launched, 17 February 1943
- Commissioned USS Belle Grove (LSD-2), 9 August 1943, LCDR. Morris Seavey, USNR, in command
- During World War II USS Belle Grove was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
World War II CampaignsCampaign and Dates Campaign and Dates Gilbert Islands operation
Makin Island, 20 November to 2 December 1943Leyte operation
Leyte Gulf landings, 20 October, 31 October to 9 November and 13 to 21 November 1944Marshall Islands operation
Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944Luzon operation
Lingayen Gulf landings – Abuyo and San Pedro Bay, 9 to 16 January 1945Marianas operation
Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 28 July 1944Iwo Jima operation
Assault and capture of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 16 March 1945Tinian capture and occupation, 21 to 28 July 1944 #####
Until researching and writing my book in 2011, I did not know of my father’s WWII service in the Pacific. He did tell humorous stories of liberty from combat duty but never about the horror of war. The USS Belle Grove LSD2 spent 25 months at sea in 7 campaigns before going to Shanghai, China, for its first “liberty” giving the brave and exhausted sailors, including my father, a break from combat duty. My father finally returned home from WWII in June of 1945.
It is an honor to now acknowledge and remember the 7 Pacific War Campaigns of the USS Belle Grove LSD2 on this 70th Anniversary of the capture of Iwo Jima… It is so often the case that we post WWII military family members and loved ones did not learn details of the brave service of our fathers until much later in life. It is never too late or too often to honor the veterans of all wars…
Steve Sparks, Author, Reconciliation: A Son’s Story and My Journey of Healing in Life After Trauma, Part 1…click the highlighted text for my author page…
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story by Steve Sparks 2011…The USS Belle Grove LSD2 story included…
