USS Morgan County (LST-1048) 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...

 in 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...

. Like most ships of her class, she was originally known only by her designation, USS LST-1048, and, like all remaining LSTs, was named on 1 July 1955, after eleven counties in the U.S

Morgan County

Morgan County is the name of eleven counties in the United States of America, nine of which were named for Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary War General:*Morgan County, Alabama*Morgan County, Colorado Morgan County is the name of eleven counties in the United States of America, nine of which were named...

.

LST‑1048 was laid down on 7 January 1945 by the Dravo Corporation

Dravo Corporation

Dravo Corporation was a shipbuilding company with shipyards in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. It was founded by Frank and Ralph Dravo in Pittsburgh during the 1890s.-Facilities:...

 of Neville Island, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. Launched on 17 February 1945, sponsored by Mrs. L. P. Struble; she was placed in partial commission on 15 March 1945 for the cruise down the Mississippi River; and commissioned at New Orleans on 28 March 1945, Lt. Robert G. Stevenson in command.

World War II, 1945–1946

After shakedown off Florida, LST‑1048 departed New Orleans on 1 May 1945 for Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

, arriving at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 on 3 June. She sailed to the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

, where she transported ammunition between various bases for the next three months, before departing Saipan

Saipan

Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

 on 14 September with units of the 3rd Marine Division destined for duty in Japan.

LST‑1048 was decommissioned in Japan on 14 May 1946, and was turned over to the Army for the next five years to aid in the task of repatriation.

Korean War, 1950–1956

Following the outbreak of hostilities in Korea

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...

, she returned to U.S. Navy service and was recommissioned at Yokosuka, Japan, on 26 August 1950, reaching Korea in time to play an important role in the Inchon invasion

Battle of Inchon

The Battle of Inchon was an amphibious invasion and battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations . The operation involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of the South Korean capital Seoul two...

. She continued to operate in Korean waters into early 1951, before returning home, arriving at San Diego on 21 April. Her next western Pacific tour included a survey of the Marshalls for CINCPACFLT. She then returned to Japan, arriving Yokosuka on 26 April 1952, to resume cargo and transport operations in the war zone, in support of UN forces in Korea. In December she returned to the west coast.

Following a run to supply stations in the Arctic region, she departed San Diego on 19 October 1953 again for the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

, where she participated in amphibious exercises, returning to the United States in May 1954. Following overhaul at Mare Island

Mare Island

Mare Island is a peninsula in the United States alongside the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait juncture with the east side of San Pablo Bay. Mare Island is considered a peninsula because no full...

, she reported to her new base at Long Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 in June 1955. LST‑1048 was named USS Morgan County (LST-1048) on 1 July.

Decommissioning and sale

Morgan County was decommissioned on 10 May 1956, and was turned over to the Military Sea Transportation Service. She was struck from the Navy List

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 1 August 1959, and sold on 10 June 1960 to Ships, Inc.

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