▁active ▁service ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Sem in ole ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁Am ph ib ious ▁Squadron ▁ 9 . ▁ ▁Vietnam , ▁ 1 9 6 5 – 1 9 7 0 ▁The ▁Sem in ole ▁began ▁supporting ▁operations ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁It ▁left ▁San ▁Diego ▁during ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁for ▁a ▁two - week ▁training ▁exercise ▁to ▁Hawai i ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁det ained ▁for ▁ 3 0 ▁days . ▁It ▁sa iled ▁west ▁from ▁Hawai i ▁with ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁Mar ines ▁and ▁their ▁cargo ▁to ▁receive ▁orders ▁while ▁under way . ▁Sem in ole ▁land ed ▁these ▁Mar ines ▁on sh ore ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁during ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁the ▁ship ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁eight ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁ar ena ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁San ▁Diego . ▁Following ▁three ▁months ▁of ▁rest ▁in ▁San ▁Diego ▁Sem in ole ▁left ▁for ▁another ▁West - P ac ▁tour ▁of ▁ten ▁months ▁during ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁▁▁ ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁the ▁squad ron ▁depart ed ▁Ch in ▁W an , ▁Ok ina wa , ▁and ▁arrived ▁at ▁C <0xE1> <0xBB> <0xAD> a ▁Vi ệ t ▁Base ▁on ▁ 1 ▁March , ▁emb ark ing ▁Mar ines ▁for ▁rotation , ▁and ▁arrived ▁at ▁Ch in ▁W an ▁on ▁ 1 3