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USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19)

USS MESA VERDE is the third SAN ANTONIO - class amphibious transport dock and the first ship in the Navy named in honor of the Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado.

General Characteristics:Awarded: February 29, 2000
Keel laid: February 25, 2003
Launched: November 19, 2004
Commissioned: December 15, 2007
Builder: Northrop Grumman Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss.
Propulsion system: four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick Diesels
Propellers: two
Length: 684 feet (208.5 meters)
Beam: 105 feet (31.9 meters)
Draft: 23 feet (7 meters)
Displacement: approx. 24,900 tons
Speed: 22 knots
Well deck capacity: two LCAC or one LCU and 14 Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles
Aircraft: landing platform for all helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey; maintenance facilities for one CH-53E or two CH-46s or one MV-22 or three UH/AH-1s
Crew: Ship: 28 officers, 332 enlisted
Marine Detachment: 66 officers, 633 enlisted (can be expanded to 800)
Homeport: Norfolk, Va.
Armament: two Bushmaster II 30 mm Close in Guns; two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers


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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS MESA VERDE. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.


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USS MESA VERDE Cruise Books:


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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

The Shield:

Mesa Verde’s status as a World Cultural Heritage Site and National Park is recalled by the shape of the shield and the representation of the Cliff Palace dwellings. The yucca, an indigenous plant and staple as valuable raw material to early Indian settlers refers again to the region which gives LPD 19 its name and denotes hardiness and survival. The compass rose symbolizes worldwide capabilities and expertise. Gold signifies achievement and excellence.

The Crest:

The green plateau represents the Mesa Verde region which gives the ship it’s name. The bald eagle symbolizes the United States; the juniper is native to the Mesa Verde region and the sprig held by the eagle bears twenty-four berries representing the twenty-four modern tribes which trace their ancestry to the region. The trident denotes authority and mastery at sea.

The Supporters:

A Naval officer’s sword and Marine Corps Mameluke points down saltirewise Proper symbolize teamwork and cooperation between the Navy and Marine Corps.

The Motto:

"Courage Teamwork Tradition". For 750 years, the Ancestral Puebloans occupied the area within the park and their construction efforts culminated in approximately 600 cliff dwellings between 1100 and 1300 A. D. in southwest Colorado. Just as Mesa Verde National Park commemorates the Courage, Teamwork, and Tradition of these Native Americans, so too will the Sailors and Marines in LPD 19.


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The photos below were taken by me and show the MESA VERDE at BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Va., on November 10, 2008.



The photos below were taken by me and show the MESA VERDE passing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on her way to Norfolk, Va., on October 29, 2010.



The photos below were taken by me and show the MESA VERDE at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on May 6, 2012.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MESA VERDE at the Marine Hydraulics Industries (MHI) Ship Repair & Services shipyard, Norfolk, Va., on April 29, 2015.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MESA VERDE at the Marine Hydraulics Industries (MHI) Ship Repair & Services shipyard, Norfolk, Va., on October 6, 2015.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MESA VERDE at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on April 13, 2016.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MESA VERDE at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 4, 2017.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MESA VERDE undergoing a Drydocking Phased Maintenance Availability (DPMA) at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., Norfolk, Va., on September 21, 2018.



The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the MESA VERDE at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on December 26, 2021.



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