largest amphibious operation of the Vietnam War up to that time. It enabled Allied forces to engage Viet Cong near Thac Tru and secure a beachhead in a key area. At the operation's conclusion, on 26 February, she headed for Subic Bay en route home via Hong Kong, Yokosuka, and Pearl Harbor. After overhaul at San Pedro and training along the Pacific coast, Monticello got underway from San Diego on 13 January 1967, heading for the Far East. Much action awaited her in Vietnam. She served as primary command ship for Operation Beacon Hill I in Quảng Trị Province from 20 March to 2 April and Beacon Star there from 22 April to 12 May. She joined in Operation Bell in the latter half of May, in Operations Beacon Torch and Bear Chain in July, and in August participated in Operation Kangaroo Kick, an amphibious feint off Huế, and Operation Belt Drive, again at Quang Tri. Relieved at Da Nang in September. Monticello returned to San Diego on 13 October. After an overhaul that lasted until early 1968, Monticello conducted refresher training and local operations out of San Diego. In November of that year, she once again deployed to Vietnam where she remained into 1969. [1969-1985] Monticello was decommissioned on 1 October 1985 and transferred to the US Maritime Administration on 2 August 1991. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 24 February 1992 and she was sold on 29 September 1995 to Pegasus Inc for scrapping. She was repossessed by the Navy on 1 July 1997 after the failure of Pegasus to dismantle the ship and was re-transferred to the United States Maritime Administration and docked in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia, California. Ex-Monticello was environmentally cleaned to be used for target practice by Marad Contract #N00140-03C-A002 from 9 March through 27 April 2006 and then the vessel was returned to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. Ex-Monticello was withdrawn from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benicia, California on 27 June 2010, to be towed to Hawaii for sinking, in July 2010, as part of the RIMPAC 2010 exercise. She was sunk as a target in the Pacific Ocean 70 nautical miles (80 miles; 130 km) off Kauai, Hawaii, on 14 July 2010 by aircraft of the U.S. Navy's Patrol Squadron 4 (VP-4) and Patrol Squadron 40 (VP-40). Awards, Citations & Campaign Ribbons