Navy christens USNS Mendonca
DOD Public Affairs
 Navnews  14 April 1999

     WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy christened its newest
roll-on/roll-off cargo ship USNS Mendonca (T-AKR 303) April
10 at Avondale Industries Inc., in New Orleans.
     The ship is named to honor Army Sgt. Leroy A. Mendonca
(1932-1951) who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor
for defending a newly-won, vital hilltop position against an
assault by a large hostile force near Chick-on, Korea, July4, 1951.
     During a nighttime attack, when his platoon was
outflanked and subsequently ordered to withdraw, Mendonca
voluntarily remained in an exposed position to cover the
movement. Although under heavy fire, he held the on-rushing
enemy at bay with a rifle and grenades until his ammunition
was exhausted. He fought on, using his rifle butt and
bayonet, until he was mortally wounded. It is estimated that
Mendonca accounted for 37 enemy casualties. He enabled the
platoon to assume a defensive position from which they
repelled the enemy attack and maintained possession of thehill.
     The fourth in the Bob Hope-class of large, medium-
speed, roll-on/roll-off ships, USNS Mendonca is a non-
combatant vessel, crewed by civilian mariners and
operated by the Military Sealift Command. Its roll-
on/roll-off design makes it ideal for transporting
helicopters, tanks, and other wheeled and tracked
military vehicles. The ship will have approximately
390,000 square feet of cargo-carrying space.-USN-