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U.S.S. L.Y. SPEAR

(AS-36)

CAN DO WILL DO HAVE DONE

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The USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS-36), a L. Y. Spear Class Submarine Tender, was commissioned on 22 FEB 1970. She reported to her homeport of Norfolk, VA after commission and "turned to" tending nuclear attack submarines. Primarily serving stateside, L.Y. SPEAR deployed twice to the Indian Ocean, first as the Iranian Hostage Crisis was unfolding , then during Desert Shield. USS L.Y. SPEAR served her country for 26 years, 6 months and 15 days, until decommissioned on 6 SEP 1996. She is slated to be scrapped.

The USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS-36) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:

AS-36 Deployments - Major Events

Add a AS-36 Shellback Initiation Add a AS-36 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
MAY1966-Keel Date: 5 MAY 1966
at General Dynamics Quincy Shipbuilding Division
SEP1967-Launch Date: 7 SEP 1967
NOV1969-SEP1971West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB1970-Commissioned: 22 FEB 1970
MAY1970-JUN1970Guantanamo Bay
APR1971- Shellback Initiation - 5 APR 1971 - Indian Ocean
APR1971- Shellback Initiation - 5 APR 1971 - Atlantic Ocean
FEB1978-APR1978Guantanamo Bay
MAR1978-MAR1978Collision on Mississippi river with Greek oil tanker
MAR1980-AUG1980Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
APR1980-Shellback Initiation - 4 APR 1980 - Indian Ocean
APR1980- Shellback Initiation - 11 APR 1980 - Indian Ocean
APR1980-Shellback Initiation - 28 APR 1980 - Indian Ocean
APR1980-Shellback Initiation - 14 APR 1980 - Indian Ocean
APR1980-Shellback Initiation - 11 APR 1980 - Indian Ocean
APR1980-Shellback Initiation - 10 APR 1980 - Indian Ocean
JUN1980-AUG1980Mediterranean-Indian Ocean
JUL1980-Shellback Initiation - 4 JUL 1980 - Indian Ocean
SEP1987-NOV1987North Atlantic
JAN1989-MAR1990Desert Storm
JUL1991-DEC1991Desert Shield
JUL1991-DEC1991Persian Gulf
SEP1996-Decommissioned: 6 SEP 1996

AS-36 General Specifications

Named for: Lawrence York Spear

Complement: 1338 Officers and Enlisted

Displacement: 22640 tons

Length: 644 feet

Beam: 29 feet

Draft: 57 feet

Final Disposition: Sold for Scrapping 9 July 2010 to ESCO Marine Brownsville Tx



USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS-36)



L. Y. Spear (AS-36) was laid down by General Dynamics Corp., Quincy Division, Quincy, Mass., 5 May 1966; launched 7 September 1967; sponsored by Mrs. Arnold F. Schade, wife of Vice Admiral Schade, Commander, Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet; and is scheduled for commissioning in 1970.

The first of a new class of ships designed primarily to service nuclear attack submarines, L. Y. Spear, once completed, will be assigned to Submarine Squadron 6 with Norfolk as her home base. She will have the capability to provide logistic and technical support for as many as 12 submarines and service four of them alongside simultaneously.

[Note: The above USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS-36) history may, or may not, contain text provided by crew members of the USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS-36), or by other non-crew members, and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]