'' Lake Champlain '' was near the island of Majorca when the Spanish city of Valencia was devastated by floods on the night of 14 October 1957 . The American ambassador to Spain , John Davis Lodge , requested that '' Lake Champlain '' provide assistance for rescue operations . The ship 's Chickasaw helicopters undertook numerous rescue missions , and the ship 's crew fought in the " mud battle " that followed the disaster
floods on the night of 14 October 1957
1957 Valencia flood
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)