USS Alamo (LSD-33) was a of the United States Navy. She was named for the Alamo, site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Alamo was laid down on 11 October 1954 at Pascagoula, Miss., by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 20 January 1956; sponsored by Mrs. Daniel V. Gallery, the wife of Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery: and commissioned on 24 August 1956. 1956–1960 After commissioning, the ship briefly visited Galveston, Tex. then headed for NS Norfolk, Va., to complete her outfitting and initial loading. On 13 October, the dock landing ship sailed for the West Coast. After transiting the Panama Canal, she reached NS San Diego, Calif., her home port, and joined the Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet. The ship held amphibious exercises and acceptance trials off San Diego in February 1957. Further training exercises occupied her until 29 May, when she got underway for the Marshall Islands. Alamo paused at Pearl Harbor from 6 to 8 June to load amphibious craft, then continued on to the Marshall Islands. She discharged the craft at Eniwetok on 14 June and for the next 10 days, provided shuttle service between Eniwetok and Bikini Atolls. Alamo put to sea from Bikini on 22 June and steamed by way of Pearl Harbor to San Diego where she loaded landing craft, tugs, and spare parts before sailing for Pearl Harbor on 23 July. There, on 6 August, she embarked Marines and their equipment and put to sea for participation in "Operation Tradewind", conducted in the area of Lahaina Roads, Maui. Alamo returned from this exercise on 15 August; then left Pearl Harbor four days later to return to San Diego. On 24 September, Alamo began a voyage to the western Pacific (WestPac). She repeated her pattern of loading equipment at Pearl Harbor for transport to Eniwetok. Alamo then shuttled equipment between Eniwetok, Utirik, Kwajalein, and Ujelang Atolls. A voyage to Yokohama, Japan, where she arrived on 17 November, interrupted that duty. Alamo cleared that port on 21 November to resume her shuttling service in the Marshalls before returning to San Diego on 15 December. The beginning of 1958 brought more training and upkeep. On 8 March, Alamo headed for Pearl Harbor where she joined a fast transport group for a series of amphibious force landing and salvage exercises at Kauai. The ship departed Pearl Harbor on 7 April and reached San Diego on