Chilean Service
Decommissioned on 30 September 1995, she was transferred to the Chilean Navy under the new name Valdivia (LST-93). The ship arrived at its new Chilean homeport, Valparaíso, on 1 December 1995. Its name is in honor of the first amphibious operation conducted by the Chilean Navy on 3 February 1820, in Corral Bay, where a force led by Admiral Lord Thomas Alexander Cochrane took possession of the city of Valdivia.
During 2010, Valdivia was heavily involved in relief efforts following the series of eathquakes affecting Chile throughout 2010. The intense workload caused structural and component fatigue to the already old vessel, and an inspection in August 2010 concluded that repairing the vessel would be uneconomical. Valdivia was decommissioned on 14 January 2011. The Chilean navy plans to replace her with two landing platform dock type vessels.
Read more about this topic: USS San Bernardino (LST-1189)
Famous quotes containing the word service:
“In the early forties and fifties almost everybody “had about enough to live on,” and young ladies dressed well on a hundred dollars a year. The daughters of the richest man in Boston were dressed with scrupulous plainness, and the wife and mother owned one brocade, which did service for several years. Display was considered vulgar. Now, alas! only Queen Victoria dares to go shabby.”
—M. E. W. Sherwood (1826–1903)