The U.S. 6th Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Theoule-sur-Mer, France, to participate in commemorative events paying tribute to the 70th Anniversary of the Allied invasion that led to the liberation of Southern France during World War II, Aug. 13.
The focus of the commemorative events will be to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of the 151,000 Allied forces who conducted Operation Dragoon, the operational name for the invasion that took place on Aug. 15, 1944.
Mount Whitney, participating in these events for a fourth consecutive year, will host a reception, participate in a parade of ships with French ships, facilitate ship tours, and provide its color guard for a remembrance ceremony at the Rhone American Cemetery.
Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners. The civil service mariners perform navigation, deck, engineering and supply service operations, while military personnel support communications, weapons systems and security. It is one of only two seaborne Joint Command Platforms in the US Navy, both of which are forward deployed.
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