USS Eldorado (AGC-11) - 1950s

1950s

Returning to the States, Eldorado became flagship for Rear Admiral W. E. Moore, Commander, Amphibious Group 1, in October 1952, and sailed for the Far East where Admiral Moore assumed command of TF 90's amphibious forces. During this tour she assisted the Japanese Government during the floods at Fukuoka, and directed Operation Big Switch, the transportation of Chinese and Korean prisoners of war from the camps at Cheju Do and Koje-do to the port of Inchon for repatriation.

Eldorado returned to the west coast in the fall of 1953, and continued to serve as flagship for Amphibious Group 1, now commanded by Rear Admiral Lorenzo S. Sabin, Jr., until June 1954, then embarked Vice Admiral Thomas G. W. Settle, Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific, until August. On 15 February 1955 she sailed for Keeling, Formosa, where she operated as flagship for Vice Admiral Alfred M. Pride, Commander, 7th Fleet, until 17 August. She returned to San Diego for amphibious exercises, and on 13 December Rear Admiral George C. Towner broke his flag on board as Commander, Amphibious Group 3 and Eastern Pacific.

In the summer of 1956, Eldorado sailed to arctic waters with Army officers embarked, to resupply bases at Wainwright, Alaska, and Point Barrow, Alaska. From December 1956 to January 1957, she was flagship for Vice Admiral Carl F. Espe, Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific, and during the next month, for Vice Admiral Robert L. Dennison, Commander, United States First Fleet. From June 1957 through 1960, she served as flagship for four successive commanders of Amphibious Group 1, Rear Admirals Frederick C. Stelter, Jr., Charles K. Duncan, Charles O. Triebel, and Charles C. Kirkpatrick. The only interruption to this service was in October and November 1958, when she served Vice Admiral John Sylvester, Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific, as flagship.

In addition to operations along the west coast from her home port at San Diego, Eldorado took part in Arctic supply operations once more in the summer of 1957, and cruised to the Far East from January to May 1958, and again from December 1959 into 1960. During the second of these, as flagship, Eldorado participated in exercise "Blue Star," a joint Navy-Marine and Nationalist Chinese Navy-Marine amphibious operation off southern Taiwan. In April and May Eldorado visited ports in Indonesia and Australia, participating in Australia's 18th annual celebration of the Battle of the Coral Sea before returning to San Diego on 31 May where she remained, participating in local operations through 1962.