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U.S.S. HARNETT COUNTY

(LST-821)

WE DO SO MUCH WITH SO LITTLE
PBR MAINT. 67-68 TF 116 66-67
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USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821 ) - a LST-542-class tank landing ship

In Commission 1944 to 1970

LST-821 Deployments - Major Events

Add a LST-821 Shellback Initiation Add a LST-821 Deployment - Major Event
Month Year to Month Year Deployment / Event
SEP1944-Keel Date: 19 SEP 1944
at Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company Evansville IN
OCT1944-Launch Date: 27 OCT 1944
NOV1944-Commissioned: 14 NOV 1944
AUG1966-AUG1966Recommisioned
JAN1968-DEC1968West Pac-Viet Nam
FEB1968-FEB1968WestPac Vietnam TET
JAN1969-JAN1970West Pac
FEB1969-Shellback Initiation - 12 FEB 1969 - Pacific Ocean
FEB1969-MAR1969TET 69
JUL1969-Shellback Initiation - 7 JUL 1969 - Pacific Ocean
JAN1970-JAN1999to RVN then Phillipine Navy as the
OCT1970-Decommissioned: 12 OCT 1970
JAN1999-DEC2009Station for Filipino Marines on Ayungin Shoal STILL FIGHTS

LST-821 General Specifications

Class: LST-542-class tank landing ship

Displacement: 1625 tons

Length: 328 feet

Beam: 50 feet

Draft: Loaded - 8' FWD - 14' AFT

Flank Speed: 12 knots



USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821)



LST-821 was laid down by Missouri Valley Bridge Iron Works Evansville Ind. 19 September 1944 launched 27 October sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson Sr.; placed in partial commission 14 November for the cruise down the Mississippi River; and commissioned at New Orleans 22 November Lt. C. J. Rudine in command.

After shakedown off Florida LST-821 departed New Orleans 27 December for the West Coast arriving San Diego 18 January 1945. Sailing on to San Francisco and Pearl Harbor where she loaded additional cargo LST-821 arrived Entwetok Marshall Islands 7 March. For the next 5 weeks she operated in the vicinity of Entwetok Ulithi and Guam before sailing to Okinawa.

The campaign against the enemy-held fortress of Okinawa was well under way when LST-821 arrived 18 April. Five days later she unloaded her cargo of men vehicles and supplies off Ie Shima. On the 24th she embarked 183 men of' the 77th Infantry Division and transported them to the west coast of Okinawa then returned to Ulithi 5 May for a short overhaul.

For the rest of the war she shuttled troops and equipment among the U.S. bases in the Pacific as American forces prepared for a possible assault on the Japanese homeland. Japan's acceptance of Allied peace terms precluded any invasion of Japan and LST-821 continued operations with the occupation forces in the Far East until 11 December when she sailed for the United States.

The landing ship arrived San Diego 7 January 1946; sailed to Portland in early April and decommissioned at Vancouver Wash. 8 July 1946. She remained in the Pacific Reserve Fleet for the next 20 years and was named Harnett County 1 July 1955.

Harnett County recommissioned 20 August 1966 to help meet the large and growing demand for ships in the Vietnam war. After shakedown training off San Francisco Bay she departed for duty with the Amphibious Force Pacific Fleet that continued into 1967.

LST-821 received one battle star for World War II service.

[Note: The above USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS HARNETT COUNTY (LST-821) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]