USS Calaveras County (LST-516) was an built for the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Named for Calaveras County, California

Calaveras County, California

Calaveras County is a county located in the Gold Country of the U.S. state of California. Calaveras is the Spanish word for skulls; the county was reportedly named for the remains of Native Americans discovered by the Spanish explorer Captain Gabriel Moraga. As of the 2010 census, the county had a...

, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

LST-516 was laid down on September 6, 1943 at Seneca, Illinois

Seneca, Illinois

Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census.The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the...

, by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company; launched on January 7, 1944; sponsored by Mrs. R. R. Hansen; and commissioned on January 31, 1944 with Lieutenant M. J. Miller in command.

Service history

During World War II, LST-516 was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the Invasion of Normandy in June, 1944. On February 28, 1947 she was decommissioned and, as a result of hostilities in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

, recommissioned on September 22, 1950. She served in the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

 and took part in the following campaigns: U.N. Summer-Fall Offensive (November, 1951); Second Korean Winter (January and February, 1952); Third Korean Winter (December, 1952 and January through April, 1953); Korea, Summer 1953 (June through July, 1953). Immediately following the Korean War, she continued to serve in the Korean area until September 20, 1953. Following her Korean service, she returned to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. She was named USS Calaveras County (LST-516) on July 1, 1955. On December 21, 1955 the ship was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 on October 1, 1958. Her final fate is unknown.

LST-516 received one battle star for World War II service and four battle stars for Korean War service.

See also

• List of United States Navy LSTs