The USS Makin Island

The U. S. Navy's Amphibious Assault Ship Commissioning Ceremony

Oct 24, 2009

At Naval Base, Coronado, the most recent addition to the United States Navy's amphibious assault ships was commissioned for active service on October 24, 2009.

The USS Makin Island (LHD-8) is named for an earlier vessel also known as the Makin Island, a Casablanca-class escort aircraft carrier (CVE-93). The LHD-8 is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship; however, she features a new, green gas turbine-electric hybrid engine.

With this system, the ship can run on auxiliary propulsion when she operates at low speed. Thus, fuel consumption is decreased. The ship’s bell is on loan from the class ship, USS Tarawa, now decommissioned (Wink, 2009).

History of the Makin Island

The ship’s name, Makin Island, is taken from the heroic battle in August of 1942 by Carlson’s Raiders on Japanese forces on the Makin Atoll, now known as Butaritari Island. Though there were questions about Carlson’s leadership, none questioned either his bravery or that of the Marines who served in that battle. It was, significantly, among the first engagements on the ground of US forces in World War II. One outcome of this battle was to divert Japanese attention from Guadalcanal and other allied landings.

LHD-8 is not the first ship to bear the name Makin Island. In 1944, the navy launched the first USS Makin Island, an escort aircraft carrier and flagship of the Pacific Fleet Escort Carrier Force under the command of Rear Admiral Calvin T. Dugan (Dempsey, et al., 2009). She was never damaged in combat, and she earned five Battle Stars as well as the Navy Unit Commendation during her service in the war. She was decommissioned in 1946.

Hybrid Power Plant

In an effort to improve the efficiency of the power plant of the Makin Island, as well as future ships, the vessel is equipped with a hybrid propulsion power plant. It is capable of propelling the ship entirely with electric motors at low speeds (Turso, Ainsworth, Dusang, Miller, & Smith, 2007). At higher speeds, the gas turbine engines are required. During her voyage from the shipyard in Mississippi to her home port in San Diego, she consumed 900,000 gallons less fuel than steam ships making the same trip. The vessel uses an osmosis purification process for fresh water needs aboard, as well.

In length, the Makin Island is 844 feet, just 24 feet longer than the class ship, USS Tarawa (Van Orden, 1979). She displaces 42,833 tons (projected) fully loaded whereas the Tarawa displaced 39,300 tons. The Makin Island’s total complement is 2891 persons.

The Commissioning Book of the USS Makin Island indicates three significant events leading to a navy ship coming to life. The first is the laying of the keel, the second is the christening, and the third is the commissioning. Another recently commissioned ship is the USS George H. W. Bush. The christening is the ceremony culminating in the ship’s introduction from the building environment to the water. During christening, the ship is launched and her hull name is formalized. The commissioning ceremony occurs later when an official places a ship into active duty status.

At the commissioning ceremony for the USS Makin Island, Congresswoman Susan Davis spoke as did Admiral Patrick M. Walsh, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet. The ship was formally placed in service October 24, 2009 under the command of Captain Robert Kopas who had served as her prospective commanding officer during ship building beginning in late 2005. The projected service life of the Makin Island is 40 years. The motto, “Gung Ho” means “work together” according to the Commissioning Book, and this motto served as the battle cry of the Second Raider Battalion (Marines), the Makin Island (CVE-93) and the current vessel (LHD-8) bearing the name.

Additional Reading:

Dempsey, L. K., et al. Commissioning Book: USS Makin Island, LHD-8, US Navy, October 2009.

Turso, J. Ainsworth, W. Dusang, L. Miller, D. Smith, L. Northrop Grumman Ship Syst., Pascagoula, U.S.S. Makin Island: Simulation-Based Analysis and its Role in Electric-Plant Control System Design, in Electric Ship Technologies Symposium, 2007, ESTS ’07, IEEE May 21-23, 2007.

Van Orden, M. D. The book of United States Navy Ships, 3rd ed., New York: Dodd, Mead, & Company, 1979.

Wink, J., Ex-USS Tarawa's bell finds new home, story number NNS090805-16, US Navy.mil, August 5, 2009.

The copyright of the article The USS Makin Island in Military Ships is owned by Tom Wolsey. Permission to republish The USS Makin Island in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.