Our 2017 Reunion in Chicago was a big success. Thanks to Roger Tatum and Jerry Horwitz for coordinating arrangements. Boot camp graduation, Cubs game at historic Wrigley Field, visit to the Museum of Science and Industry, tour of captured World War II German submarine. Outstanding!
2019 Reunion in Norfolk.
The launching of the Hermitage 1956
"A cool, gray, drizzly day in Rio de Janiero"
CEARA DECOMMISSIONED ON 29 APRIL 2016
Lieutenant Ryan Andrews, USN, is participating in an exchange program with the Brazilian Navy. Here is his report of the decommissioning:
Unfortunately I was not able to attend the decommissioning ceremony after all. I was aboard my ship which was docked right next to Ceará at the time. It was a cool, gray, drizzly day here (Rio de Janeiro) during the ceremony. All of the crew assembled on her flight deck and the crews of the neighboring ships manned the rails as a sign of respect. Several admirals arrived to give speeches and to commemorate her service to the Brazilian Navy. At the conclusion of the ceremony the flags were lowered for the last time and quickly afterward her hull number and name were painted over with haze gray. She is still at BNRJ and her ultimate fate hasn't been decided, although I've heard rumors that she'll be sent for dismantlement and scrapping. Most of her useful equipment and parts have already been cannibalized, some of which went to my ship.
---RYAN ANDREWS, ryan.n.andrews@outlook.com
Second acts in exile. . . . 
As the Confederacy was collapsing, Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin escaped through Florida and turned up in England where he had a distinguished career as a lawyer.
In 1955, as the Kaiser automobile company was collapsing, its dies were shipped to Argentina where Kaiser manufactured the same vehicle from 1958 to 1962.
As their careers in crime were collapsing in the United States, Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid escaped to Argentina where they resumed their profession of robbing banks.
When the USS HERMITAGE reached the end of its service life, it was sold to the Brazilian Navy where it served for more than 25 years as the Ceara. It was decommissioned on 29 April 2016.
Read about life after death.
Ceara's mystery mission to Haiti
Hermitage in Brazil
Last Days of the Ceara
Julio Lemos: Last Photographs of the Ceara
Link to website for Solant Amity I cruise of 1960-1961
Jack Pusel, featured in local newspaper, walked in father's shoes in the Phillipines
Frank Capps contributes Commissioning Booklet
Roy Gay on Basketball on SoLant Amity I
Frank Stack on SoLant Amity I
Frank Stack on GQ at Suez
Ernest Warren
Gary Goedkin on "Hermy"
Operation Snowy Beach
New relics from Scott Eriksen
Bill Grubb photos WestPac 1967
Promotions in Vietnam---from Fred Gallagher
Banned from the head---from Ralph Van Horn
Don Kromer on changes to the Hermitage since Brazil
Ralph Van Horn: Soviet spy fight over the Hermitage
Don Atkinson: Soviets watch our exercises in Turkey
New Photos from Don Phillips
Change of Command booklet from 1987
Jack Pusel on a special storage locker
Gerald Horwitz on the commissioning
Deckplate musings from Gregory Hausler
2015 Reunion in Annapolis, Maryland.
We had an awesome weekend, with visits to the Naval Academy, a cruise on the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay, our banquet, and opportunities for shopping, dining, and remembering old times. Many of us visited the crypt of John Paul Jones, the Naval hero of the Revolution. Special thanks to John Papalia for making the arrangements and taking the above photo, our celebrity auctioneer Jimmy Brumble and our keynote speaker Captain Robert Deegan (CO 1975-1977).
USS HERMITAGE was the seventh THOMASTON - class dock landing ship. Decommissioned on October 2, 1989, the HERMITAGE was leased to Brazil the same day. There, the ship was recommissioned as CEARA. On January 24, 2001, the ship was finally purchased by Brazil.
Awarded: October 14, 1954
Keel laid: April 11, 1955
Launched: June 12, 1956
Commissioned: December 14, 1956
Decommissioned: October 2, 1989
Builder: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Propulsion system: two 600 psi boilers, two geared turbines
Propellers: two
Length: 510 feet (155.5 meters)]
Beam: 84 feet (25.6 meters)
Draft: 19 feet (5.8 meters)
Displacement: approx. 11,300 tons full load
Speed: 22 knots
Well deck capacity three LCU or nine LCM-8 or 50 AAV
Aircraft: help platform only
Crew: Ship: 18 officers, 330 enlisted
Crew: Marine Detachment: approx. 330 Marines
Armament: two dual 3-inch/50 caliber Mk-33 gun mounts
Source: Unofficial US Navy Site
Collision
Around 1986, an LST hit the Herm off South Carolina, and put a big ding in the her bow.
Panama 1964
Where else were we encouraged to wear white and khaki shorts. Photo courtesy of Mr. Chadwick, the XO. Jim Cullen reports that the
"Panama deployment was known by the famous PA call "Beer on the Pier," as there was no liberty (too dangerous). The pier, on a semi-deserted U.S. Army Special Forces base (surrounded by jungle) was as far as we were allowed. Lots of beer consumed on that pier with basketball court and music (probably all Frankie Valle/Four Seasons) on the PA system."
Teletype from the Hermitage
USS HERMITAGE ASSOCIATION
STEERING COMMITTEE
John Papalia jpapalia@mac.com
Walt Kabis WKabis@aol.com
Ted Waples selpaw@aol.com
Roger Tatum rptatum@comcast.net
Aaron Finestone aaron@themightyzed.com
Steve Mitchell Proforms@aol.com
Jim Cullen logpad@yahoo.com
Jerry Horwitz jerryhorwitz@me.com
We thank C.J. and Julene DeHart for founding the Reunion and managing it for years and years of dedicated service.
Snail mail: 10097 Cleary Boulevard, No. 174, Plantation, Florida 33324
USSHermitageAssociation@gmail.com
Join now. For membership email Walt Kabis.
Facebook Groups: USS Hermitage Association / U.S.S. Hermitage (LSD-34)
Linkedin
It was an honor to be able to start the USS Hermitage LSD-34 reunion group as we call it. We have meet so many wonderful people and enjoy seeing so much of the United States. We wish to thank the seven that are taking over and we are sure that they will do a beautiful job. Good job on the website too. All of the group will not be forgotten and we thank each one of the shipmates and wives that have made this USS Hermitage LSD-34 group possible. May God bless each of you and everyone of you!
---C. J. and Julene DeHart
Click to
Aaron Finestone's photo collection
To me a dollar was a dollar in any language. It was my first night in the Argentine and I didn't know much about the local citizens, but I knew about American sailors, and I knew I better get out of there.
---Johnny Farrell in Gilda (1946)
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