CREW CONNECTIONS
SOCIAL LINKS
Ways to Contact the Crew
Connecting with former shipmates from our ship is now easier than ever! Below you'll find a list of online communities and databases designed to help you reunite with old friends, share memories, and find contact information for hundreds of personnel who served onboard.
- Note: These websites may require a login.
- togetherweserved.com - 615 listed register for free
- navybuddies.com - 700+ listed (started in 1999 by two German students)
- hullnumber.com - 550+ listed NO LONGER ONLINE
- Facebook Group USS Anchorage LSD-36 - 850+ members
- Facebook Group USS ANCHORAGE LSD 36 SHIPMATES AND MEMORIES - 280+ members
- Facebook Group USS Anchorage LSD 36 - 60+ members (for those who served onboard in the 1970's)
- Facebook Group USS ANCHORAGE LSD-36 - 80+ members (for those who served onboard 1998-2002)
- Facebook Group USS Anchorage (LSD 36) Gulf War - 50+ members
CREW DATABASE
For 34 years, USS Anchorage (LSD 36) was home to a massive crew rotation. Based on collected data, we estimate that close to 4,000 sailors—a rough count, perhaps plus or minus a thousand—walked its decks, with thousands more Marines rotating on and off throughout its deployments. Using current data, tours of duty for the ship's crew typically ranged from just over a year to five years; with the average being 2.8 years.
I maintain a database of the crew and currently have 430+ names. Please make sure I have your name, rate, dates onboard (Mo/Yr-Mo/Yr), t-shirt size, city and state of residence, and a contact (email or phone). I DO NOT GIVE THIS INFORMATION OUT. If someone wanted to reach you, I would contact you directly and relay the request.
REUNIONS
- 2026 -Flyer ~ Attendees ~ Pictures
- 2024 -Flyer ~ Attendees ~ Pictures ~ Reunions Magazine Article ~ Reunions Magazine - Correction
- 2022 -Flyer ~ Attendees ~ Pictures ~ Reunions Magazine Article
- 2020 -Flyer ***POSTPONED
- 2013 -Attendees ~ Pictures
A Note Regarding the Road Ahead
For years, organizing our reunions has been a labor of love. Keeping our shared history alive has been my focus, because the bonds forged aboard USS Anchorage (LSD 36) are too important to let fade.
To the small, faithful group of shipmates who have stepped up, contributed to fundraising, and attended year after year: thank you. You are the reason these reunions have happened at all.
Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the broader level of participation simply hasn't been enough to sustain this moving forward. I had hoped that moving a future gathering to the East Coast might spark a surge in attendance, but seeing the ongoing hurdles right here in San Diego makes it clear that planning an event on the opposite coast would bring an unsustainable level of stress.
Because of this, the 2026 reunion was most likely my last time serving as coordinator. -Michael
Reunions: More Than Social Events
It is easy to dismiss military reunions as simple get-togethers, but the truth is that they serve as critical lifelines for veterans. As championed by the Military Reunion Network (MRN), our gatherings are vital for our mental health, transforming into crucial therapeutic spaces that provide support that few other civilian settings can match.
We strongly encourage you to read the full context behind this important mission. Click here.
