USS VALLEY FORGE

(CV-45) Motto: FIRST IN PEACE - FIRST IN WAR
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USS Valley Forge was built at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after a war bond fundraiser there. Named for the Revolutionary War encampment of the same name, this ship was commissioned in November 1946. In 1947, she transferred to the Pacific fleet. After making a round the world cruise in the late 1940’s, the ship was deployed to the Western Pacific.

She was the only aircraft carrier in the region when the Korean War broke out in June of 1950. She served four separate combat tours during the next three years. In October 1952, her hull number changed to CVA-45. The ship began to show the age of her design as aircraft became heavier and faster.

Re-designated as an Anti-Submarine Support Carrier
In January 1954, she was re-designated as an anti-submarine support carrier. This changed her hull number to CVS-45. With this change, she moved into the Atlantic and served the next few years there. In 1961, Valley Forge got her fourth designation as an amphibious assault ship. This changed her hull to its final form of LPH-8. She was stationed in the Pacific carrying helicopters for Marines. From 1965 through 1969 she worked supporting combat operations during the Vietnam conflict.

The ship was decommissioned in 1970.

CV-45 Deployments - Major Events

Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
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CV-45 Crew

Year Rank/Rate Last Name First Name Hometown Home State Remembered by
1945 ENS Sidrow Nicholas Wheeling WV Email
1946 AB Hunnicutt Warren (Red) Asheville NC
1946 AB Laskowski John J. Newark DE
1946 AB Whitaker William F. Shawmut AL
1946 AO Flood Andrew Charlottesville VA
1946 BM Melanson William Wh FL
1946 EM Masch Karl Wappingers Falls NY Email
1946 ET Flood Andrew Charlottesville VA
1946 SC Guyton Joseph Brooklyn NY Email
1946 SM Jameson Billy Temple TX
1947 AB Crum Charles Pueblo CO
1947 AO Black Leslie \ Amarillo TX Email
1947 SCPO Gonzales Henry C. San Antonio TX
1947 SN Carrigan Ralph Little Falls NJ Email
1947 SN David Ed Westwood CA
1947 WT Miller Jr. John Milwaukee WI
1948 AB Johnson Ben Owensboro KY
1948 AM Bailey David Damascus AR Email
1948 BT Ortigo Huey Natchitoches LA Email
1948 BT Ortigo Huey Natchitoches LA Ortigo
1948 EM Ferraro Alfonso Brooklyn NY Email
1948 FC Wacker Ken Brush CO Email
1948 MM Timmer Nelson Kalamazoo MI
1948 MR Hancock Gene Virginia Beach VA
1948 QM Hoyle John D. Fort Smith AR
1948 QM Maiocco Ernie Corning CA
1948 SK Reynolds Marlyne Seattle WA Email
1949 AN Lyons Harry Germantown TN
1949 SN Fortner Frank Statesville NC Email
1950 -- Crawford Douglas Dee Liberal MO
1950 -- Sutter Frank Akron OH
1950 AB Swanson Frank Billings MT
1950 AD Purvis Owen Cambridge IA
1950 AK Huegel Otto Brooklyn NY
1950 AO Hammer Martin Republic WA
1950 AO Wilson J. T. Dallas TX Email
1950 CPO Weaver Douglas Weaverville NC Email
1950 DK Van Doren Harry Van Nuys CA Email
1950 ET Rush Robert Harold Stockton CA Email
1950 QM Elkins Arthur P. Emerson IA Email
1950 SN Holzwarth Leroy Madison WI Email
1951 AD Hamblen Scotty Miami FL Email
1951 MM Copeland Bill Greenfield OH Email
1951 PN Atteberry Duane Larned KS Email
1951 PN Atteberry Duane Larned KS Email
1951 RD Crater Gordon Coschocton OH Johnson
1951 RD Johnson James Lewisburg KY Email
1951 RD Vetter William Ft. Wayne IN Johnson
1951 SN Gabor Alexander Oak Harbor WA
1952 AD Lynch Andrew Montclair NJ Email
1952 BT Thomas John Hughey Greenville, SC
1952 PFC Deyo Donald Dallas TX
1952 SK Nichols Leland Hopewell VA Email
1953 AB Davis Carl Van WV Email
1953 AD Maresca Anthony Nutley NJ Lynch
1953 AD Riley Richard Jersey City NJ Lynch
1953 SM Vaughan James Elizabeth City NC
1953 YN Wustefeld (Wusty) George Atlantic City NJ
1954 DT Capraro Anthony Brooklyn NY Email
1954 MM Ferrante Salvatore Sam Patchogue NY
1954 MM Friess Not Sure Connecticut CT
1954 MM Vieni Joseph Bronx NY Email
1954 QM Bousquet Louis Hingham MA
1954 QM Bousquet Louis Millidgeville GA
1955 AB Dall Raymond Livermore CA
1955 AB Gomes Ray West New York NJ Email
1955 BT Barnes Robert Darlington PA
1955 ET Polito Joe Buffalo NY
1955 GM Stoddard Walter Norwalk OH
1955 ME Unangst Gene Easton PA
1955 SM Dunnavant Leroy Long Beach CA Email
1956 AM Jacobs Dan Yarmouth MA Email
1956 DK Mccormick James Harrington WA Email
1956 MM Schwab Jack Joliet IL Email
1956 PT Skinner Richard Hoopeston IL Email
1957 AK Nation Richard Marina CA Email
1957 BT Hoffman John New York City NY
1957 DC Zizelman Max Rockford OH Email
1957 FT Poe OR
1957 LT Campbell Edward Griffin GA Email
1958 AB Gray Edward.. "Ted". Haverhill MA
1958 AC Tazio Armando Canyon Country CA
1958 AD Brown Kenneth L Gadsden AL
1958 AK Farrel Tom Plano TX Stone
1958 AK Morris J D Rocky Mount NC Stone
1958 AK Propps Robert TX Stone
1958 AK Stone Warren M Mechanicsburg PA Email
1958 HM Bauley Raymond Ecorse MI
1958 MN Parks Don Summerville SC
1958 MN Parks Don South Edmeston NY Email
1958 SM Boles John Detroit MI
1959 AB Kilmer Joe Corning NY Email
1959 BT Green Homer Conneaut OH
1959 BT Green Homer Conneaut OH
1959 DC Johnson Leo Seguin TX
1959 EN Powell B. W. Ron Philadelphia PA Email
1959 GM Beasley Samuel Lawrenceburg KY
1959 GM Beasley Samuel Lawrenceburg KY
1959 IC Briggs Art Springfield NJ Email
1959 MM Duke Wendell Marianna AR Email
1959 RM Adams Robert Landing NJ Email
1959 RM Mc Sain Mike Binghamton NY Email
1959 RM Scheck Hank KS Mc Sain
1959 RM Schronce Vern Gastonia NC Mc Sain
1959 SF Bye William Edmond OK
1959 SM Groves Charles Virginia Beach VA
1960 AD Upchurch Larry (vaw 12) Anadarko OK Email
1960 BM Bessell Fred Mt.sterling IL Email
1960 BT Unger Charles Seattle WA Email
1960 IC Hoggatt Daniel Hammond IN Email
1960 MID2 Hanna Ron Sioux City Iowa IA Email
1960 MID2 Hanna Ron Sioux City Iowa IA Email
1960 SF Ventimiglia Robert South Plainfield NJ
1960 SM Hanna Ron Sioux City IA Email
1961 -- Tallent James David Greenville SC
1961 BT Allman James F. Weston WV Email
1961 BT Charlevoix Stephen Foster City MI
1961 BT Charlevoix Stephen Foster City MN Allman
1961 IC Vannotti Gene Union City NJ Email
1962 CPO Cunningham Robert Lincoln NE Email
1962 IC Trathen Lance Centrailia WA Email
1962 IC Vannotti Gene Union City NJ Email
1962 RM Quinn Sherlin Bud Live In An Rv Fulltime AL Email
1963 AG Kathman Jack FL Holden
1963 RM Holden Leonard Santa Monica CA Email
1963 SN Richmond Alfred San Francisco CA Email
1964 MM Rosauer Gary Buckingham IA
1964 MM Talbert Wallace WV
1965 AB Robbins Larry Anderson IN Email