With members of the crew lining the deck, USS Peleliu returned to San Diego on Wednesday, bringing families back together just in time for the holidays.
The amphibious assault ship named for a World War II battle just completed its final mission before its decommission in March 2015.
The 1,000-member crew conducted security and stability operations and exercises throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region in cooperation with partner nations.
In its 34 years of service, the ship nicknamed the "Iron Nickel" has completed 17 deployments and traveled more than a million miles.
