USS Saipan (LHA-2) Ship's Crest Sweatshirt

USS Saipan (LHA-2) was a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship commissioned on July 15, 1977. Named for the pivotal Battle of Saipan fought in June and July 1944, in which U.S. forces secured one of the most strategically important islands of the Pacific campaign, the ship carried forward the legacy of that hard-won victory. Homeported at Norfolk, Virginia, Saipan served as a centerpiece of Atlantic Fleet amphibious forces, capable of projecting Marine Corps combat power ashore via helicopter, landing craft, and Harrier attack aircraft. She was decommissioned in 1994 after 17 years of service. This Ship's Crest sweatshirt honors LHA-2 and all who served aboard her.