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SHIP'S ARCHIVES

New Media Secured! I am thrilled to announce a major acquisition: a copy of our ship's official launching movie!

To ensure this piece of history is preserved for the long term, I reached out to Colorlab in Rockville, MD. Colorlab is a family business committed to the acquisition, presentation, and preservation of motion picture film. They processed the original film from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), creating a high-resolution 4K ProRes4444 archival file, along with an additional HD file perfect for streaming.

This crucial work came with a cost, but it's a vital investment in keeping our ship's history available for future generations. With the exception of NARA, LSD36.COM is the only available source for this media! The link can be found below.

Forget the last thing—this is huge! I personally visited the NARA facility in College Park, MD, and obtained 57 pages of our ship's original hull plans! These aren't just documents; they're the blueprint of our history. As I make copies available, my immediate goal is to simply cover the acquisition cost, but know this: every dollar of profit will go directly toward our ongoing fundraising efforts. The index can be found below.

Naval History & Heritage Command

The Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) traces its lineage to 1794, when the Navy Department Library was established under the Naval Bureau, which was part of the War Department in Philadelphia. The NHHC, headed by the Director of Naval History, is an Echelon II command headquartered at the Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia.

"NHHC is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy's unique and enduring contributions through our nation's history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, 10 museums, the USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus."

The NHHC has the following artifacts from USS Anchorage (LSD 36)

Cruise Books

Frank Arre, formerly with the Naval Historical Foundation, has access to the following cruise books for duplication: 1968-1970, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1989, and 1998. Thanks to shipmates Paul Vangoethem for providing the 1975 book, Dennis Pard for providing 1977 and 1980, and Darren Knight for providing 1987. I have been told there was no cruise book produced for the 2002 deployment. Frank does have access to 1972, 1990-1991, 1994, 1996, and 2001, but doesn’t think the quality of images are adequate for reproduction.

If you have a cruise book for a year he does not have, or any of the not 'adequate for reproduction' years, Frank asks that you do one of two things, either donate the book outright or allow it to be copied and then returned to you. If donated, Frank would copy first, then turn it over to the Navy Department Library, who would send you a tax-deduction form. EMail Frank for more information.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), established in 1934, safeguards an immense collection of U.S. historical documents dating back to 1775.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) serves as the nation's memory, diligently preserving a select 2% to 5% of all federal records generated annually, ensuring that invaluable historical documents like the Emancipation Proclamation, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, and everyday records such as Dust Bowl photographs, dating from 1775 onward, remain accessible. Through meticulous preservation of billions of textual pages, millions of maps, photographs, and film, and hundreds of terabytes of electronic data, and by proactively developing initiatives like the Electronic Records Archives (ERA), NARA guarantees the enduring accessibility, readability, and authenticity of essential U.S. government information for generations to come.

Deck Logs 1969-1978

As of July 2, 2025, all digitized deck logs have been downloaded from NARA. I will continue to update as NARA makes more deck logs available.

A Critical Request on Privacy: These historical records often contain sensitive personal data, such as names, social security or service numbers, and details of disciplinary actions. Your responsible use of this material is essential. To protect individual privacy, please maintain strict confidentiality and refrain from sharing any personal details from the logs in public forums or on social media. Please note: This collection is currently protected by a password.

Hull Plans 2/1/65

  • Hull
  • 348 General Arrangement, Outboard & Inboard Profile and Inner Bottom
  • 349 General Arrangement Main Deck and Above
  • 350 General Arrangement, 2nd Deck and Below
  • 351 Lines and Offsets
  • 352 Midship Sections
  • 353 Living, Recreation & Sanitary Spaces
  • 354 Commissary, Messing & Service Spaces Arrgt. of
  • 355 Office Spaces
  • 356 Medical Spaces
  • 357 Stowage Spaces
  • 358 Shell Expansion & Framing
  • 359 Decks, Flats & Inner Bottom
  • 360 Superstructure
  • 361 Portable Decks, Ramps, Dk. & BHD Fittings for Water Barrier & Ramp
  • 362 Stern Gate & Stern Gate Machinery
  • 363 Replenishment & Fueling At Sea
  • 364 Anchor Stowage & Handling
  • 365 Rudders, Shaft Struts & Steering Gear
  • 366 Ammunition Stowage & Handling
  • 367 Cargo Flow and Store Strikedown
  • 399 Long. BHD & Sections
  •   
  • Electrical
  • 385 Power Distribution Systems Schematic
  • 386 Power Distribution Systems Elementary
  • 387 Lighting Distribution Systems Schematic
  • 388 Outline of Switchboards
  • 389-1 List of Motors and Controllers
  • 389-2 List of Motors and Controllers
  • 389-3 List of Motors and Controllers
  • 391-1 MK56 & MK63 GFCS Contr. Rooms & 3"/50 Gen. Mount Power Rooms Arrgt. of Equipment
  • 391-2 MK56 & MK63 GFCS Contr. Rooms & 3"/50 Gen. Mount Power Rooms Arrgt. of Equipment
  • 392 Weapons Control System Block Diagram
  • 393 Antenna Arrangement
  •   
  • Electronic
  • 394-1 Radio Comm. Crypto & Teletype System
  • 394-2 Radio Comm. Crypto & Teletype System
  • 395 Sonar, Infrared, Navigation, Radar & IFF Sys.
  • 396 CIC & Chart Room Arrangement of Equipment
  • 397 Pilot House & Bridge Wings Arrngt. of Equipment
  • 398-1 Radio Central, Crypto Rm. Secure TTY Room & Message Processing Area Arrgt. of Equipment
  • 398-2 Radio Central, Crypto Rm. Secure TTY Room & Message Processing Area Arrgt. of Equipment
  •   
  • Machinery
  • 368-1 Arrangement of Mach. Rooms #1 & #2 Plan
  • 368-2 Arrangement of Mach. Rms. Elevation & Sect.
  • 369 Arrangement of Gen. Air Cond. Refr. Air Deballasting & Pump Rooms
  • 370 Arrangment of Workshops
  • 371 Arrgt. of Boiler Uptakes, Stacks & Forward Blower System
  • 372 Diag. Arrgt. of Main Steam Aux. Steam & Aux. Exhaust System
  • 373 Diagrammatic Arrgt. Feed & Condensate System
  • 374 Diag. Arrgt. Fuel Oil Trans. Service Stripping System
  • 375 Diagrammatic Arrangement JP-5 System
  • 376 Arrangement of Shafting
  • 377 Full Power, Overload & Endurance Heat Balance & Flow Diagram
  • 378 Diag. Arrgt. Fire Main, Washdown & Foam Sys.
  • 379 Diag. Arr. Drainage & Ships Service Compressed Air Systems
  • 380 Diag Arr. Ballasting, Air Deballasting & Deck Drain & Flooding Systems
  • 382 AC. Heating & Venilation Diagram O1 Level & Above & Equipment Lists
  • 383 AC. Venilation Diagram Mn Dk. & 2nd Deck
  • 384 AC Heating & Ventl. Diag. 3rd Deck & Below

TIP: When looking at a document, CNTRL F and typing ANCHORAGE or just LSD might direct you to relevant text faster

With reference to USS Anchorage (LSD 36):

Miscellaneous:

If have questions or comments about the information found on this page, please EMail Michael.

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