U.S. Navy Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) had its keel laid down on 28JUN1995, at Ingalls Shipyard in Pasagoula, Mississippi. Launched on 14MAR1997.
Launch of LHD-6, Ingalls Shipyard at Pasagoula, Mississippi, 14MAR1997. USN photo.
LHD-6 was commissioned as USS Bonhomme Richard on 15AUG1998. Decommissioned on 15APR2021, due to massive damage caused by sabotage.
Non-operational, AV-8A Harrier static trainer (note missing canopy) onboard LHD-6, 26MAR2001. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Gilbert Lopez.
How you get your PT onboard LHD-6. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Gilbert Gomez, 27MAR2001.
25mm cannon, 27MAR2001, USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Felix Garza.
Bunks for the Marines. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Gilbert Gomez, 31MAR2001.
A MH-60S Sea Hawk lifts supplies from the deck of LHD-6, during humanitarian response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean quake/tsunami. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Juan E. Diaz, 06JAN2005.
Near the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, 08JAN2005. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Robert S. Cole.
Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC, hovercraft), from LHD-6, delivers humanitarian aid to the city of Meulaboh, on Sumatra, Indonesia, 10JAN2005. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Bart A. Baver.
LHD 6 returns to home-port San Diego, California, after a busy deployment. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Prince A Hughes the Third, 06JUN2005.
Taking part in the Parade of Ships in Seattle, Washington, 03AUG2005. USN photo by Journalist Petty Officer First Class Ralph Radford.
‘Vertical Replenishment’ (VertRep), USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Apprentice Bryan Niegel, 11APR2006.
AAV7A1 (Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7A1) heads for home, 26APR2006. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Mark Patterson the Second.
During wargame Rim of the Pacific (RimPac) 2006. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman James R. Evans, 25JUL2006.
Taking part in Fleet Week, in San Francisco Bay, California, 07OCT2006. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Roland Franklin.
Mark 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, 27NOV2006. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Emmanuel Rios.
USN video, by Petty Officer First Class Keith Jones, LHD 6 departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for PacRim 2010:
2011 USN interview, by Petty Officer Second Class Lawrence Davis, of Seattle resident Sarah Meyer who is impressed by LHD 6:
LHD 6 sails into Sasebo, Japan, 09APR2012. Notice the old 1st gen Harrier trainer on the deck. USN photo by Joe Kane.
Until April 2012, LHD 6 called San Diego, California, its home port. Sasebo, Japan, became LHD 6’s new home port officially on 23APR2012.
LHD 6 relieved sibling ship LHD 2. USN photo by Joe Kane, 06APR2012.
The Mess Deck wasn’t just for meals; it was used for promotion exams, playing board games, watching the Super Bowl, cake eating ceremonies, etc. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lacordrick Wilson, 12OCT2012.
In April 2014, during rough weather, LHD 6 took part in the search for victims of the sunken Korean ferry Sewol. USN video by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Christian Senyk:
LHD 6 bridge ops during Sewol recovery operation, April 2014. USN video by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Christian Senyk:
USN video by Petty Officer Third Class Cameron McCulloch, 30DEC2014, securing the anchor chains of LHD 6:
How many rubber boats can you get into LHD 6? USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Kevin V. Cunningham, 02FEB2015.
2015 USN video by Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Dickinson, how to shoot a M2HB .50 cal from the LHD 6:
LHD 6 led Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) of 2015. USN music video by Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Dickinson:
Timelapse video by Petty Officer Third Class Cameron McCulloch, MV-22B Osprey launch from LHD 6, 13MAR2015:
In April 2016, LHD 6 took part in humanitarian ops after the Kumamoto Earthquake, in Japan. Video report by Seaman Michael Sanchez:
AV-8B Harrier operations onboard LHD-6, August 2016. USMC video by Lance Corporal David A. Diggs:
March 2017 gunnery (M2HB, M240 & Mark 35) fest video by Petty Officer Third Class Jeanette Mullinax:
March 2017, Mark 15 Phalanx loading and burping, video by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Kyle Carlstrom:
In June 2017, LHD 6 was attacked by a Zombie Killer Tomato! USMC gunners repelled the attack using their trusty M240 light machine gun. USMC video by Lance Corporal Garett Burns:
July 2017, USN ‘birth canal’ point of view video, by Mass Communication Specialist second Class Diana Quinlan, of LHD 6 giving birth (and then taking it back!) to LCAC (hovercraft):
21 gun salute for lost MV-22 Osprey crewmembers, 09AUG2017. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Diana Quinlan.
On 05AUG2017, one of LHD 6’s MV-22 Osprey crashed in The Coral Sea. Three crewmembers were killed.
USN video by Mass Communication Specialist second Class Diana Quinlan, showing use of World War Two era LCU (Landing Craft Utility) for amphibious ops, August 2017:
In February 2018, USMC Lance Corporal Richard Lin talks about his first impressions of LHD 6. USMC video interview by Lance Corporal Austin Weck:
U.S. Army photo montage by Sergeant Dahnyce Baucom, of Pacific operations involving LHD 6, February 2018:
In 2012, LHD 6 was ‘forward deployed’ to Japan. In May 2018, LHD 6 returned to San Diego, California. The plan was to take part in the 2018 RimPac, then return to San Diego for upgrades that would allow it to handle the new super-expensive F-35 Lightning-2. Dramatic USN music video by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Diana Quinlan:
USN video, by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Travis Litke, of hovercraft (LCAC) launch while the Star Spangled Banner can barely be heard in the background, during RimPac, 26JUL2018:
After what would become LHD 6’s final RimPac wargame, it made what would become its final port-of-call into San Francisco Bay, on 30SEP2018, for what would become its final Fleet Week. USN video by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Travis S. Alston:
COUNTDOWN TO THE END:
In a possible portent of things to come, on 31JAN2019 the crew of LHD 6, and the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, and San Diego Federal Fire Department, conducted a damage control drill. Video report by Petty Officer Second Class Benjamin Kittleson and Petty Officer Third Class Gavin T Shields:
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Cosmo Walrath, 07FEB2019.
On 07FEB2019, LHD 6’s outgoing commander held an All Hands Call, explaining to the crew that they needed to be “Ready Now, Ready Always”, and announces a new self-improvement program called ‘Rise Above’, saying “We’re going to have resources to help you personally and professionally. We’re going to have new events and training every month. You’re never going to be Ready Now! Ready Always! if you don’t self-improve. Our primary goal is to have you leave this command better than when you arrived.” Sounds to me like there was a problem with crew morale.
Then in March 2019, and despite the All Hands Call that indicated crew morale problems, LHD 6 was given the Navy’s Retention Excellence Award (supposedly for achieving 75% reenlistments in fiscal year 2018), which is also known as The Golden Anchor Award! Video report by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields:
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Benjamin Kittleson, 26APR2019.
In April 2019, an LHD 6 crewmember was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, for capturing a woman who was threatening a religious congregation.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields, 13MAY2019.
In May 2019, the crew of LHD 6 conducted a quarterly ‘Safety Tune Up’.
In June 2019, an LHD 6 Sailor was killed in a single-vehicle accident, near Interstate 8 in San Diego.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields, 21NOV2019.
On 21NOV2019, LHD 6 got a new commanding officer.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields, 27APR2020.
In April 2020, the crew of LHD 6 begins CoViD (Corona Virus Disease) Pandemic mandate ops.
USS Bonhomme Richard, 2022: 
PUNISHMENTS FOR LACK OF LEADERSHIP
2021: 
STEEL INFERNO, ONE YEAR LATER, SABOTAGE & LACK OF LEADERSHIP=DEATH OF A SHIP!
July 2020: 
INTO THE STEEL INFERNO!
KNIGHTHAWKS FIGHT TO SAVE LHD 6!
Cold War Battle Damage: 
USS TRIPOLI LPH-10 DESERT STORM
Cold War Subs: 
USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571), STILL FIGHTING AFTER 67 YEARS! FIRST BORN IN LAND-LOCKED IDAHO?
Vehicle I-D: 
THE MANY LIVES OF LST-786
HAWAII FIRES, 4+ MONTHS ON, LITHIUM BATTERIES MADE THINGS WORSE?
U.S. Southern Command’s operation Enduring Promise is currently conducting an 11 week disaster response event with health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Honduras. In this video a MH-60S Sea Hawk delivers patients to U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, off the coast of Columbia 27NOV2018:
UH-60M Black Hawks from the California Army National Guard’s Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, assisted with fighting the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County.
The U.S. Navy inspected the hospital in Koa Moana to learn about the island nation’s ability to handle humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, 15NOV2018.
