The U.S. Navy names its vessels after persons, events and sites of historical
importance. USS OAK HILL honors the residence of the fifth President of the
United States, James Monroe.
Monroe spent much time at Oak Hill making trips to and from the Capitol on
horseback and carrying state papers in his saddle bags. While at Oak Hill, he
penned the Monroe Doctrine, a pronouncement he made in 1823 staking out the
Western Hemisphere as an American hemisphere of influence. After retiring from
public life in 1825, he remained at Oak Hill until Mrs. Monroe’s death five
years later, at which time he went to live with his daughter in New York.
Oak Hill passed out of the family in the years following Monroe’s death in
1831. Confederate Colonel John W. Fairfax bought Oak Hill in 1854. His wife
remained at the mansion to manage the plantation during the Civil War and was an
unwilling hostess when Union General George G. Meade made it his headquarters
during the Battle of Second Manassas.
Today it still remains as a private residence, the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Delasmutt. The historic mansion is a fitting monument to an important
part of American History and to President Monroe.
LSD 51 is the second ship honoring the residence of James Monroe. The first,
USS OAK HILL (LSD 7) earned 11 battle stars for her service during WWII and
Vietnam. As the successor, LSD 51 will continue that proud tradition.
USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) (originally LSD 7)
Our History
Originally designated as APM-7, USS OAK HILL (LSD 7) was laid down in
Oakland, California and commissioned on January 5, 1944, with Commander Carl A.
Peterson in command. The ship was designed to serve as a cargo and transport
type amphibious ship and as a floating drydock.
Following shakedown and amphibious training off Southern California, OAK HILL
engaged in rehearsals for "Operation Forager", the thrust into the Marianas
Islands. With tank bearing transports and troops of the 2nd Marine Division on
board, she operated in the transport area off Saipan from June 15-22, 1944. On
August 12, OAK HILL, with tanks and soldiers of the 710th Tank Battalion
embarked, headed for the Palau Operation at Guadalcanal. Departing the Palaus on
August 21, she proceeded to New Guinea, arriving at Humbolt Bay on August 29, to
prepare for the invasion of the Philippines.
On October 20, 1944, OAK HILL stood off Leyte Gulf and launched units of the
1st Cavalry Division toward White Beach. For the next two months she carried
reinforcements from New Guinea to Leyte. On Christmas Day, she arrived at
Morotai to prepare for the Lingayen Gulf offensive.
Sailing to the Solomon Islands on February 2, 1945, OAK HILL rehearsed with
units of the 1st Marine Division for her next operation - the Okinawa Campaign.
On April 1, she arrived in transport area Baker, lowered her LCM’s for the
assault on Blue Beach and then began preparing landing craft.
For the remainder of the war, OAK HILL transported men and equipment from the
Central Pacific to the Philippines and Okinawa. Post-war duties in Jinsen, Korea
and Tsingtao, China occupied the remainder of her tour in the Far East. In
February 1946, she got underway for the United States, and on March 17, 1947,
she decommissioned and was berthed at San Diego as a unit of the Pacific Reserve
Fleet.
After the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, OAK HILL recommissioned at San
Diego on January 26, 1951. Assigned to the Pacific Fleet, she participated in
"Operation Blue Jay" in Arctic waters. In the late summer months of 1951, and
between May and December 1952, she took part in the atomic and hydrogen bomb
tests in the Marshalls. Following that duty, she was transferred to the Atlantic
Fleet and homeported at Norfolk.
In January 1955, OAK HILL returned to San Diego and Pacific Fleet duty,
departing for her first regular Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment on March
31. During her 1958 WestPac tour, she provided supplies to the Nationalist
Chinese offshore islands as they withstood shelling by Chinese Communist guns.
After 1965, her annual WestPac deployments took her to Southeast Asia, where she
supported Naval operations in strife-torn South Vietnam. Upon completion of her
final tour of duty, OAK HILL was decommissioned a second time in 1973.
Through her distinguished and gallant service, USS OAK HILL (LSD 7) earned
five battle stars during World War II and an additional six battle stars in
Vietnam.
