USS Monticello (LSD-35) was a , the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia. Monticello was laid down on 6 June 1955 by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Mississippi; launched on 10 August 1956; sponsored by Mrs. Harry R. Sheppard, wife of Congressman Harry R. Sheppard of California; and commissioned on 29 March 1957. Service history After outfitting and trials off the East Coast, Monticello arrived at her home port, NS San Diego, on 27 May 1957 to join Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, and immediately began shakedown training. She continued to operate off the Pacific coast, joining in major amphibious training operations which took her to Eniwetok in 1958 and Hawaii and Alaska in 1959, serving usually as primary control ship. Such operations, involving ships of all types along with underwater demolition teams and Marines, keep the fleet at top readiness for any challenge of diplomatic crisis or war itself. On 14 November 1960, Monticello sailed for a seven-month deployment with the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific. She was combat-loaded with part of a Marine reinforced battalion landing team, and was alerted four times during the Laos crisis, steaming with and four escorting destroyers in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Siam. Returning to San Diego in July, Monticello joined in a joint Army-Navy-Air Force amphibious exercise at San Juan Island, Washington, in September, then returned to fleet training operations from her home port. Monticello sailed on 18 February 1962 in JTF 8 for nuclear weapons tests at Christmas Island, first carrying cargo between Christmas Island and San Diego, and then acting as command ship during tests of antisubmarine weapons, as part of Operation Dominic. In June, she sailed again to Christmas Island to aid in closing down the test operation, and continued to a second 7th Fleet tour of duty highlighted by a large amphibious exercise at Okinawa. She returned to San Diego and a program of training with Camp Pendleton marines, necessary overhaul, and refresher training early in December. She again joined the 7th Fleet's Amphibious Ready Group from January to October 1964, taking part in SEATO as well as U.S. exercises. After operating on the Atlantic coast through much of 1965, Monticello headed back to the western Pacific in August. Early in 1966, she steamed to South Vietnam for "Operation Double Eagle" the longest and