Information & History


USS Los Angeles CA-135 Service Ribbons

Documentation explaining the service ribbons earned by the ship is included below.
This information is from public records - don't ask me to explain it.

Contents:

China Service ribbon

Korean Service ribbon

Armed Forces Expeditionary ribbon
 
 

Data below is from the Naval Historical Center website <www.history.navy.mil>

China Service 1937-1939, 1945-1957   (USS Los Angeles CA-135 section highlighted)

Japanese aggression against China, evidenced by the move into Manchuria in 1931 and subsequent incidents in Shanghai, surfaced anew in 1937 when a minor clash near Peking erupted into a full-scale invasion.

 
The area of hostilities spread quickly, and units of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, under Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, evacuated American citizens and protected national interests, standing firm again Japan's increasingly belligerent actions toward neutrals. At Shanghai, United States ships were endangered by Japanese aerial bombings and artillery fire.

 
On 12 December 1937, Japanese naval aircraft attacked and sank the river gunboat USS Panay. At the end of World War II, the U.S. Navy returned to China to repatriate Japanese soldiers and to assist the Chinese Central Government in enforcing the surrender terms. Seventh Fleet Amphibious Forces provided transport for Chinese Nationalist troops and carried food supplies from Shanghai up the Yangtze to fight near-famine conditions in the interior.

 

 

07 August 1996
 
 
 

Korean Service 1950-1954    (USS Los Angeles CA-135 sections highlighted)

The United States, within the framework of the United Nations resolution, responded to the 25 June 1950 invasion of the Republic of Korea by Communist troops from the north. As the aggression threatened to overrun all of South Korea rapidly, the meager U. S. naval forces in the Far East, under Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy, went into action immediately.

 
During the opening ten days of hostilities destroyers covered the evacuation of American citizens as well as the movement of critically needed ammunition into the combat area. The antiaircraft cruiser USS Juneau conducted the first bombardment of the war.

 
Aircraft from the carrier USS Valley Forge of the Seventh Fleet blunted the enemy air effort by blasting airfields in the north. On the ground outnumbered defenders fell back into a perimeter pivoted on the port city of Pusan. Vessels poured men and materials into Pusan and Pohang. Warships off the coast provided gunfire.

 
Carrier planes added their close support to those of the Air Force, enabling the embattled troops to maintain the foothold. On 15 September 1950 in a classic example of waterborne mobility, the Navy's amphibious capability was brought into play with telling effect.

 
An "end run" was made to overwhelm the defenses ashore and land the First Marine Division and Army troops at Inchon, outflanking the invaders and sending them reeling northward. At the Hungnam evacuation LSTs, together with other amphibious and auxiliary types, supported by heavy ship fire and carrier aircraft, successfully withdrew over 100,000 military personnel, 91,000 refugees, 350,000 tons of cargo, and 17,000 vehicles while Chinese Communist forces were held at bay.

 
Ships of the Military SeaTransportation Service carried the fighting men and millions of tons of dry cargo, ammunition, and petroleum products to Korea across the Pacific, thousands of miles from the United States. Gradually, as strength built up, the U. S. and Allied naval vessels tightly blockaded both coasts of the long Korean peninsula to deny the enemy supply by sea. Battleships, including USS Missouri, cruisers, and destroyers delivered sustained and accurate fire on enemy troop concentrations, lines of communications, and installations.

 
Carrier planes ranged deep into North Korea to strike at bridges, transportation centers and other facilities, and provided close air support for United States' and Republic of Korea's forces along the fighting front. Mines posed the most serious and persistent threat to United Nation's entry into coastal waters and to amphibious operations. U.S. Navy minesweepers met the challenge as they carried out the hazardous clearing of heavily mined harbors at Wonson, Chinnampo, and elsewhere.

 

 
 

2 Silver Stars - USS LA CA-135 earned one silver star (used in lieu of five bronze stars)
1. North Korean aggression  
2. Communist China aggression  
3. Inchon landing  
4. 1st U.N. counteroffensive  
5. Communist China, spring offensive USS LA CA-135 
6. United Nations summer-fall offensive USS LA CA-135 
7. 2nd Korean winter USS LA CA-135 
8. Korean defense, summer-fall (1952) USS LA CA-135 
9. 3rd Korean winter USS LA CA-135 
10. Korea, summer-fall (1953)  
15 July 1996 See table below
for more information

The Korean Service Medal 1950-1954, Ships "L"

The following is a list of units credited by the Secretary of the Navy with having performed duty during the indicated periods which entitle personnel to the Korean Service Medal. Engagement stars have been authorized for the Korean Service Medal for participation in combat operations. Only one star is authorized for participation in one or more engagements with the same code.
Beneath each unit's name are three columns. The left column identified the period of time for which that particular unit and its attached personnel qualified for the basic medal. The center column gives dates for which a unit's attached personnel qualified for a 3/16-inch bronze engagement star for participation in combat operations, if any. The right column gives the code of the designated engagement, a description of which is listed below. This list is reproduced from the 1953 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual (includes 1954 changes) which was prepared by the Bureau of Naval Personnel and Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

 

 
 

USS Los Angeles CA-135 section of the Korea Service Medal table:
 



USS LA service stars
 

K5 

K6 
 
 

K7 
K8 

K9 
 

    Code Explanation
     
  • K1 - North Korean Aggression: 27 June-02 Nov 50 
  • K2 - Communist China Aggression: 03 Nov 50-24 Jan 51 
  • K3 - Inchon Landing: 13-17 Sep 50 
  • K4 - First UN Counter Offensive: 25 Jan-21 Apr 51 
  • K5 - Communist China Spring Offensive: 22 Apr-08 Jul 51 
  • K6 - UN Summer-Fall Offensive: 09 July-27 Nov 51 
  • K7 - Second Korean Winter: 28 Nov 51-30 Apr 52 
  • K8 - Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952: 01 May-30 Nov 52 
  • K9 - Third Korean Winter: 01 Dec 52-30 Apr 5-3 
  • K10 - Korea, Summer-Fall 1953: 01 May-27 Jul 53 

Armed Forces Expeditionary Service 1958-


Note:  See Additional Information (1) below regarding Armed Forces Expeditionary Service 1958-



The Navy performed multiple peace keeping duties in the period following the Korean War in which foreign armed opposition was encountered or hostile action was imminent.

 
These included the amphibious and other actions of the Sixth Fleet in response to the appeal of the Lebanese Government in 1958, Seventh Fleet operations off Quemoy and Matsu and in the Taiwan Straits between August 1958 and June 1963, the Berlin crisis of 1961, support of the United Nations operations in the Congo between July 1960 and September 1962 and again in November 1964, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and the "quarantine" enforced by the Second Fleet, the Dominican operations in 1965 and 1966, certain actions in the Korean area during 1966 through 1974, carrier operations in support of Laos during 1961 and 1962, and of Vietnam, 1958 to 1965, of Cambodia, 1973, and of Thailand, 1958 to 1965 and 1973, operations to support evacuations from Cambodia, and Vietnam in 1975, operations in Lebanon bettween 1983 to 1987 (although no Navy ships/units are eligible after 1 August 1984), landings in Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Haiti, as well as operations in the Mediterranen, Libya in 1986, and the Persian Gulf from 1987 to 1990, and 1995 to the present. The Joint Chiefs of Staff determined the campaigns and their period of eligibility, except for El Salvador which was appointed by Congress.

 
In each of these operations the Navy's role was the worldwide utilization of sea power to deter or contain explicit acts of aggression, or for prolonged humanitarian operations.

 

 

25 Bronze or 5 Silver Stars (each silver star is used in lieu of five bronze stars)

1. Berlin (1961-1963)
2. Cuba (1962-1963)
3. Dominican Republic (1965-1966)
4. Lebanon (1958)
5. Quemoy and Matsu Islands (1958-1963)   USS LA CA-135 
6. Taiwan Straits (1958-1959)                    USS LA CA-135 
7. Korea (1966- 1974)
8. Congo ( 1960-1962)
9. Congo (1964)
10. Laos (1961-1962)
11. Vietnam (1958-1965)
12. Cambodia (29 Mar 1973 - 15 Aug 1973)
13. Thailand (29 Mar 1973 - 15 Aug 1973)
14. Cambodia Evacuation (OP Eagle Pull) ( 11 Apr 1975 - 13 Apr 1975)
15. Vietnam Evacuation (Op Frequent Wind) (29 Apr 1975 - 30 Apr 1975)
16. Mayaquez OP (15 May 1975)
17. Lebanon (01 Jun 1983 - 01 Dec 1987*
18. Grenada (OP Urgent Fury) (23 Oct 1983 - 21 Nov 1983)
19. Libya (OP Eldorado Canyon) (12 Apr 1986 - 17 Apr 1986)
20. Persian Gulf (OP Ernest Will) 24 Jul 1987 - 01 Aug 1990)
21. Panama (OP Just Cause) (20 Dec 1989 - 31 Jan 1990)
22. Somalia (OP Restore Hope) (03 Dec 1992 - 31 Mar 1995)
23. Haiti (OP Uphold Democray) (16 Sep 1994 - 31 Mar 1993)
24. Persian Gulf/Iraq (OP Southern Watch) (01 Dec 1993 - TBD)
25. El Salvador (Appd by Congress) (01 Jan 1981 - 01 Feb 1992)

*Although the terminal date of Lebanon operations was established by Joint Chiefs of Staff as 1 December 1987, no Navy ships/units are considered to be eligible after 1 August 1984.

24 March 1998
 

Note (1) - Additional Information regarding Armed Forces Expeditionary Service 1958-
Information from OPNAVNOTE 1650, 9 Mar 01

UNIT AWARDS AND CAMPAIGN PARTICIPATION

UNIT NAME
 AWARD
 START-DATE
 END-DATE
 REMARKS
PSHIP/CMD
LOS ANGELES CA 135
 AE
 11-SEP-1958
 21-SEP-1958
 H


11-SEP-1958 21-SEP-1958 G


30-SEP-1958
 07-OCT-1958 H


30-SEP-1958
 07-OCT-1958 G


22-OCT-1958
 31-OCT-1958 G


22-OCT-1958
 31-OCT-1958 H


LIST OF AWARDS AND ABBREVIATIONS

 REMARKS CODE OPERATION
AWARD   AWARD LONG FORM G. QUEMOY-MATSU (23 JUL 58 - 1 JUN 63)
AE             Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal H. TAIWAN STRAITS (23 AUG 50 - 1 JUN 63)

Added 2-27-01

 
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Updated 1-17-07
original 2-27-01