1957

HERMITAGE reported for duty in the Amphibious Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet on 29 January 1957, with Captain L. A. PARKER, commanding, after being commissioned on 14 December 1956, and undergoing the usual fitting-out period. Shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was next, with the ship returning to her home port in Norfolk, Virginia, in early April. She participated in her first amphibious exercise, SULEX II-57, at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, in June 1957, operating for the first time with the other ships of Amphibious Transport Squadron Two.

Throughout the summer, HERMITAGE operated in the Norfolk area, assisting in the training of Naval Reserve Midshipmen and in evaluating new amphibious techniques and equipment. In late August, she loaded to capacity with Marines and their equipment and became part of the amphibious task force which was formed to carry out the fall NATO exercise in the Mediterranean. Amphibious landings were made in Suda Bay, Crete, and Saros Gulf, Turkey, and attracted wide spread international interest due to their strategic implications.

While in Corfu, Greece, Captain PARKER was relieved as Commanding Officer by Captain J. M. ALEXANDER. HERMITAGE once again returned to Norfolk in mid-November.

During her first year of commissioned service, HERMITAGE demonstrated the versatility which has given the LSD the reputation of being the workhorse of the Amphibious Force yet her crew visited many ports, literally "seeing the world" in the Atlantic and Mediterranean waters.

1958

The beginning of a new year again saw the HERMITAGE packing up for another trip. During the last week in January, HERMITAGE departed Norfolk and proceeded to Vieques, Puerto Rico, via Morehead City, N. C. , with Marines and equipment for the annual SPRINGBOARD exercise. Besides supporting the Marines during their exercise, HERMITAGE provided the Marines with liberty transportation between Vieques and San Juan.

In March, the HERMITAGE participated in another exercise, LANTPHIBLEX 1-58, in which she displayed the versatility of the modern LSD by not only transporting and successfully landing troops and heavy equipment, but by helping to provide protection to the force with the weapons of a modern fighting ship.

In April, the HERMITAGE played host to the dependents and guests of her crew during a highly successful Guest Cruise carried out by all of Amphibious Transport Squadron Two.

Rear Admiral YEAGER, Commander, Amphibious Group Four, utilized HERMITAGE as his flagship during the planning stage of PACKARD IX at Quantico, Virginia, in May. With the increase of tension in the Middle East and the landing of Marines in Lebanon in July, the HERMITAGE became an element of an amphibious task group which was organized, loaded and detailed to Vieques Island for landing and training exercises in order to be ready, if needed in the Middle East. As the crisis eased, HERMITAGE returned to Norfolk for routine training in August where she remained until October.

On 22 October, the HERMITAGE was removed from the operational and administrative control of Amphibious Transport Squadron Two (shortly thereafter renamed Amphibious Squadron Two) and became one of the four Thomaston Class LSDs which, with the Amphibious Assault Ship U.S.S. BOXER (LPH-4), comprised Amphibious Squadron Ten. This squadron was meant to utilize the concept of vertical envelopment in addition to the ship-to-shore landing craft. It was the first, long-dreamed-of "20-Knot Squadron" in the amphibious force.

On 1 November, Captain V. J. SOBALLE relieved Captain ALEXANDER as Commanding Officer. Shortly thereafter, the HERMITAGE participated in LOGEX 1-58 at Onslow Beach, N. C. , and returned to the Norfolk area to operate during the rest of the year.

1959

In January, Amphibious Squadron Ten operated together for the first time when the squadron departed Norfolk for the first of three exercises called BRIGADELEX, which lasted until June. During those exercises, the HERMITAGE and the other ships of Amphibious Squadron Ten conducted many tests and exercises in order to train the squadron as a team. Distinguished spectators such as the Honorable Thomas S. Gates, Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Arleigh Burke, Chief of Naval Operations, and Admiral Jerauld Wright, Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, viewed the exercises conducted at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.

During the summer months, the ship was assigned a shipyard overhaul in New York. Upon completion of the overhaul, the HERMITAGE reported to Fleet Training Group, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for refresher training in all phases of underway operations.

On 10 November, three days after Captain R. K. KAUFMAN took command, the HERMITAGE sailed for Karachi, Pakistan, to provide helicopter transportation for PRESIDENT EISENHOWER during his visit to Asia. On the return trip, the ship spent New Years in Barcelona, Spain, returning to Norfolk on 14 January 1960.

1960

In March and April the HERMITAGE operated under Commander, Services Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet, in the Caribbean area, rejoining Amphibious Squadron Ten at Vieques Island in mid-April, then returning to Norfolk early in May.

HERMITAGE next participated in PACKARD XI, a Marine landing exercise. Another landing followed shortly at Vieques Island and the ship again returned home on 2 August.

On 6 August, Captain G. H. ROOD relieved Captain KAUFMAN as Commanding Officer.

HURRICANE DONNA disturbed the peace of a Sunday afternoon on 11 September. After only two hours notice, the HERMITAGE was underway for the Chesapeake Bay hurricane anchorage where she rode out the storm. Two more practice landings followed in November and the ship returned home to make preparations for a good will cruise to Africa.

With the U.S.S. GRAHAM COUNTY (LST-1176), the HERMITAGE represented the United States in SOLANT AMITY I. A complete Task Group, including some 500 Marines, departed Onslow Beach, N.C., with Captain ROOD designated Task Group Commander of the amphibious ships. Rear Admiral A. REED was designated Commander, SOLANT AMITY task Force, with the HERMITAGE assigned as his Flagship. The two ships departed Little Creek, Virginia, on 28 November. After ten days of extensive amphibious training at Vieques Island,the Task Group was underway for Trinidad, West Indies Federation, where more supplies and equipment were loaded aboard. The HERMITAGE then proceeded to Recife, Brazil, for the Christmas Holiday. It was at Recife that Rear Admiral REED and his Staff embarked for the African deployment and on 30 December the Task Group was on its way to Monrovia, Liberia, the first stop in the "People-to-People Program."

1961

On 1 January, Amphibious Squadron Twelve was created as part of Amphibious Group Four. The HERMITAGE became part of this new squadron.

On 5 January, the HERMITAGE arrived at Monrovia, Liberia, and commenced the good-will cruise which was to cover the west coast of Africa. In the course of this deployment, the HERMITAGE crossed the Equator ten times.One of the crossings took her through zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude, qualifying all embarked personnel as Golden Shellbacks.

The HERMITAGE steamed more than 40,000 miles during the deployment and visited the following ports and countries: Monrovia, Liberia; Bathurst, Gambia; Lome, Togo; Ango-Ango, Republic of the Congo; Luanda, Angola; Accra, Ghana; Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo; Capetown, Union of South Africa; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; and, Cadiz, Spain.

The HERMITAGE was called upon on two occasions to perform missions for the United Nations during the Congo crisis. The first mission was an emergency food lift of 550 tons of cornmeal and powdered milk from Lome, Pogo, to starvation victims in the Republic of the Congo. On 2 February, at Matadi, Republic of the Congo, the HERMITAGE and the GRAHAM COUNTY loaded the Guinean contingent of United Nations Forces in the Congo for their return to Conakry, Guinea. Over 700 soldiers and their equipment were embarked.

The HERMITAGE was given the honor of representing the United States at the independence ceremonies of the government of Sierra Leone in Freetown on 27 April. This event marked the ship's last official function as part of the highly successful SOLANT AMITY I. On 3 May, at Bathurst, Gambia, the HERMITAGE was relieved by the U.S.S. SPIEGEL GROVE (LSD-32) and then departed for Trinidad to return Rear Admiral REED and his staff. By 16 May, the HERMITAGE was home again.

The assigned two-month leave and upkeep period was cut short on 2 June when HERMITAGE was ordered to the Caribbean to participate in Operation AXLE GREASE. After three weeks of continuous steaming the ship returned to Little Creek on 22 June. The following day she moved to the Naval Base, Norfolk, for a well-earned respite and availability alongside the U.S.S. AMPHION (AR-13). Throughout July, August and September, the HERMITAGE again participated in landing exercises in the Caribbean and at Onslow Beach, N. C.

It was on 19 August that Captain W. P. TYLER relieved Captain ROOD at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

After the landing at Onslow Beach, N. C., on 2 October, the HERMITAGE again headed home and arrived on 4 October. From 18 October to 21 October she was engaged in Operation NANAM I, an exercise intended to familiarize Army personnel with amphibious techniques.

On 1 November the HERMITAGE was underway for Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to participate in the Civil War Centennial celebration. A demonstration landing was carried out on 7 November under the command of Captain Tyler and the commanding Officer, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines.

On 9 November the HERMITAGE returned home and entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, where she remained for the rest of the year to accomplish needed repairs and upkeep. During fiscal year 1961, the HERMITAGE qualified for the following efficiency awards: the Amphibious Assault Insige (for excellence in ship-to-shore movements' and the embarkation - debarkation of landing craft); the Operations Green "E"; the Communications Green"C"; and, the Engineering Red "E". She also won the Ney Award for the best crew's messing facilities in the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force.

1962

Upon completion of her overhaul in January, the HERMITAGE resumed independent operations in the Norfolk area. Then, in April 1962, HERMITAGE sailed to Onslow Beach, N. C., where PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY was on hand to observe one of the largest exercises ever held in the Atlantic. Amphibious Landing Exercise 1-62 involved 83 ships and over 40, 000 men. This massive landing exercise was repeated later in the month for the benefit of American newsmen at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, and was climaxed by the landing of 10, 000 Marines.

Throughout April, May and June the HERMITAGE remained in the Caribbean Sea as part of Amphibious Squadron 12. Her crew visited the liberty ports of Fort-de-France, Martinique; Williamstad, Curacao; Ponce, Puerto Rico; Port-to-Spain, Trinidad; Kingston, Jamaica; St. Thomas, Virgin Island; and, San Juan, Puerto Rico. On 2 July the HERMITAGE returned to her home port and operated independently in the Norfolk area during the remaining summer months.

On 15 September, Captain J. P. WIER relieved Captain TYLER was Commanding Officer in a ceremony at Little Creek, Virginia. Two days later, HERMITAGE headed across the Elizabeth River to Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation where she received a complete overhaul during the next two months.

On 17 November the HERMITAGE put to sea as good as new and, after a brief shakedown cruise, she assisted in the CUBAN BLOCKADE by transporting Marines to and from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. By Christmas, the HERMITAGE was home again where, tied to her berth at Little Creek, she welcomed the new year.

During fiscal year 1962, the HERMITAGE maintained her high standards of performance. She received awards in Operations, Gunnery and won the Battle Efficiency "E" for the second consecutive year. The crew's messing facilities were again presented the Ney Award for the best facilities in the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force.