The USS Cayuga (LST-1186) was a Newport-class tank landing ship launched in 1969 and commissioned in 1970. The Newport class was designed to meet the goal of the U.S. amphibious forces to have an LST capable of over 20 knots. The USS Cayuga was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet following commissioning, and alternated amphibious training along the West Coast with deployments to the Far East. She took part in the Vietnam War and Gulf War; her partaking in the Vietnam War earned her two battle stars. In 1972, the vessel was part of Operation Song Than 6-72, an amphibious landing of Marines in South Vietnam. In 1990/1991, the LST and Amphibious Squadron 5 participated in Desert Shield and Desert Storm Operations, joining the rest of the U.S. amphibious forces in the North Arabian Sea after sailing across the Pacific. She carried elements of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit's Battalion Landing Team ¼. The USS Cayuga was decommissioned in 1994 and stricken from the Register in 2002. Once inhaled, asbestos dust has devastating effects in the body that can't expel the microscopic fibers. The toxic mineral threads gradually cause inflammation that develops into terrible diseases decades later. Veterans injured by asbestos exposure can seek compensation from asbestos trust funds and the VA.
760-621-6147
