.gif)
USS Tom Green County (LST-1159)
Encyclopedia
USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) was a built for the United States Navy
at the tail end of the Korean War
. Named for Tom Green County, Texas, she is the only U.S. Naval vessel to have born that name. She was subsequently transferred to Spain, where she served in the Spanish Navy
as Conde de Venadito (L-13).
Initially attached to Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet, LST-1159 conducted shakedown in Guantánamo Bay and the Caribbean
before commencing local operations out of Norfolk
and Little Creek, Virginia. She departed Norfolk on 24 February 1954 for duty with Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, and, after a transit of the Panama Canal
, reached the west coast on 20 March. The tank landing ship operated out of her new home port, San Diego, until 20 September, including calls at San Francisco and San Pedro, California and Esquimalt, British Columbia
in her itinerary. En route to the Far East
, LST-1159 stopped briefly at Pearl Harbor
before proceeding on toward Japan
. While on the voyage across the Pacific, the ship was diverted to join Task Force (TF) 98 in Southeast Asian waters and arrived at Henriette Pass, near the port of Haiphong
, French Indochina
on 29 October. Taking part in "Operation Passage to Freedom
," LST-1159 transported refugees from the northern part of what became a divided Vietnam
, to the southern ports of Tourane (Danang) and Saigon. On 29 November 1954 her job in the massive humanitarian effort completed, the tank landing ship proceeded toward her original destination. LST-1159 proceeded via Subic Bay
, Philippine Islands and Hong Kong
, British Crown Colony, and arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on 22 December. The tank landing ship paid calls on the Japanese ports of Moji
, Sasebo
, and Kobe
before a deteriorating international situation resulted in the ship's call to duty with TF 76 at Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 3 February 1955. She sortied from Okinawa soon thereafter and took part in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands from 8 to 13 February, moving 2,144 civilians, 1,100 troops, 600 tons of ammunition, and 37 vehicles to Formosa
in two round trips. Soon after completing these operations, LST-1159 was named USS Tom Green County (LST-1159).
Returning via Sasebo and Inchon, Korea to the United States
, Tom Green County made port at San Diego on 2 April to begin a period of local operations out of that port. On 14 October the tank landing ship entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
at Vallejo, California
for a four-month yard period which lasted until February 1956. Moving back to San Diego following the overhaul, Tom Green County departed the west coast for her second Far East
deployment on 24 April and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 May. Underway on 7 May, the ship made port at Yokosuka on the 24th and operated in the Far East for the remainder of 1956, touching at her normal ports of call, such as Sasebo, Iwakuni, Nagasaki, and Yokosuka, Japan
; Buckner Bay and Naha, Okinawa
; as well as Hong Kong and Iwo Jima
, before returning to Yokosuka on 22 November. On 23 January 1957 the tank landing ship departed Japanese waters for Hawaii
and reached Pearl Harbor on 9 February. Tom Green County conducted local operations between the Hawaiian Islands and the west coast for the remainder of the year, with calls at San Diego, Monterey, Oakland, San Francisco, and Camp Pendleton, before she headed for Pearl Harbor. Deployed again to the Far East, Tom Green County made port at Yokosuka on 4 July 1958 to commence amphibious support exercises and training cruises to familiar places: Buckner Bay, Naha, Subic Bay, and a new port on the itinerary, the Nationalist Chinese base at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She remained engaged in these activities through the fall of 1958, before returning, via Pearl Harbor, to San Diego to round out the year. Local operations between the west coast and Pearl Harbor occupied the ship through 1959. In July, 1960 new orders dictated the tank landing ship's change of home port from San Diego to Yokosuka and assigned Tom Green County as flagship
of Landing Ship Division 92. She continued her operations much as before, but maintenance work was now conducted in Japanese yards, obviating returns to United States for overhauls. Local operations, interspersed yard periods, and training exercises kept the tank landing ship engaged through 1962.
n ICBMs in Cuba
brought on a head-to-head confrontation between the Soviet Union
and the United States. Ready for any eventuality, the Navy prepared itself, world-wide. Tom Green County sailed for Naha on the 24th of October, moored at the LST ramp, and took on board marines and their equipment. After the crisis
passed, the ship returned to her normal operating schedule, making for Iwakuni on the 27th to offload, before proceeding to Yokosuka. Upkeep from 2 to 25 November at Yokosuka preceded the ship's type-training exercises through 29 November. Tom Green County paid a port visit at Beppu, Japan from 1 to 3 December before returning to her home port on the 7th. Underway three days later, the ship made for Numazu, Japan to load marines and material for transport to Okinawa and arrived on the 15th. The tank landing ship off-loaded, headed for Japanese waters, and arrived at Yokosuka on 19 December before getting underway again on Christmas Eve
for Tokyo
. Tom Green County departed the Japanese capital city on the 28th and returned to Yokosuka, where she spent the remainder of the year in upkeep status. The following year saw more of the same activities in store for the tank landing ship. Port visits to Tsoying, Taiwan (12 to 14 March 1963); Hong Kong (16 to 22 March); Osaka, Japan (8 to 15 April); and Taipei
, were interspersed with local operations out of Yokosuka. Tom Green County participated in Operations "Flagpole" (16 to 28 June) and "Bayonet Beach" (31 August to 9 September) along the eastern coast of South Korea
, transporting embarked marines and vehicles to landing beaches and putting them ashore. Following her return to Japanese home waters with a visit to Kagoshima from 9 to 15 November, the ship proceeded to Sasebo for three weeks of upkeep. Conducting type training in Buckner Bay, she on-loaded marines
for transport to Numazu and subsequently arrived home at Yokosuka on 20 December.
worsened, the United States began to take a more active part in the Vietnam War
. "Operation Jungle Drum," towards the end of 1965, landed marines in southern Thailand
. With increasing American commitments in Vietnam
, Tom Green County participated in Operations "Piranha" and "Double Eagle" in January and February 1966. The latter was the first large-scale amphibious landing under combat conditions since Inchon. In June, 1966 the tank landing ship came under the operational and administrative command of Landing Ship Squadron 9; and, in November, the ship commenced support commitments for the Vietnam Coastal Surveillance Force, engaged in monitoring and interdicting offshore small craft traffic, TF 115. The year 1967 found the ship participating in further combat operations: "Operation Beacon Torch," "Operation Beaver Track," "Operation Bear Chain," and "Operation Kangaroo Kick." As an element of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo (TG 76.5), Tom Green County received the Meritorious Unit Commendation
for these operations conducted between 18 June and 4 August 1967. During this deployment in Southeast Asia, the ship also underwent a yard overhaul at Yokosuka from 16 August to 17 November before she returned to Vietnamese waters. On 22 March 1968 Tom Green County arrived in the Mekong Delta
region to commence a deployment as support LST for the Mobile Riverine Assault Force. On 15 April Viet Cong insurgents attacked the ship with recoilless-rifle and automatic-weapons fire. Tom Green County shuddered under the impact of nine hits taken in quick succession. Following repairs of her battle damage, the tank landing ship resumed operations with Amphibious Ready Group Alpha (TG 76.4) and participated in "Operation Swift Pursuit," before returning to the Mekong in December to commence resupply duties for TG 117.2—Mobile Riverine Group Bravo. While en route on 28 December, Tom Green County came under rocket
fire from Viet Cong gunners and took seven hits on her port side.
Repairing the damage and continuing her assigned missions, she conducted her operations in the Bassac River
near Can Tho. On 21 January 1969, while beached at Vung Tau
and loading supplies for a routine convoy run, the ship again came under fire as Viet Cong launched a rocket barrage directed at the loading ramp and the adjacent airstrip. One rocket (122 millimeter) impacted on the fantail
and exploded in the mess decks of Tom Green County, inflicting heavy materiel damage and wounding several men in the after part of the ship. Retracting and anchoring at Vung Tau Bay, Tom Green County effected temporary repairs before being relieved by the Whitfield County
(LST-1169) to sail for Yokosuka and permanent repairs. En route to Japanese waters, the ship's company arrived at a novel method of preparing and consuming their meals, as the regular galley and messing facilities had been rendered useless by the battle damage. Besides subsisting on makeshift rations, the crew "char-broiled" steaks on jury-rigged "grills" fashioned from empty 65-gallon oil drums. Steak-grilling continued unabated through even inclement weather—in which case the whole "steak-grilling" operation was moved to the tank deck. On 2 February the ship made port at Yokosuka to commence a long repair period, after which she conducted support operations for an assault boat school at Numazu while undertaking independent steaming exercises. Sudden troop deployments in Vietnam resulted in a recall to Southeast Asian waters, and Tom Green County accordingly sailed for Vung Tau
on 23 June. En route, the ship trained in riverine warfare tactics. Tom Green County relieved Whitfield County on 4 July 1969 at My Tho, near Dong Tarn, and spent the next six weeks supporting the operations of TF 117, as it prepared to "wrap up" its operations in the Mekong Delta region. While at My Tho and in the "Delta," the tank landing ship served as a floating supply base and a transient barracks ship for members of the Army
9th Division who were being processed for stateside duty. Tom Green County also gave the Viet Cong a dose of their own medicine, firing over 3,000 rounds of 3-inch/50-caliber counter-battery harassment and interdiction fire, while maintaining a vigilant watch for swimmer-sappers who might attempt to mine the ship while she lay at anchor.
On 18 August, the day before the disestablishment of the Mobile Riverine Force, Tom Green County departed Vietnamese waters and steamed for Subic Bay, arriving in the Philippines on the 23rd of the month. Taking on provisions after arriving, the tank landing ship proceeded for Keelung, Taiwan on the 23rd, making port four days later. Underway for the Marianas on 2 September, the ship stopped briefly at Guam
before pressing on with a Micronesia
n cruise, calling at Koror
, Babelthuap, and Yap
, before returning to Guam and subsequent operations transporting men and materiel to Yokosuka. On 25 October, with the ship's dependents on board, Tom Green County cruised from Yokosuka to Tokyo, unloading the dependents upon arrival and on-loading a 5-ton, 135-foot totem pole
from Alaska
, to transport it to Expo '70
at Osaka
. "Operation Totem Pole" proceeded to completion on 27 October when the ship docked at Kobe and unloaded her unusual cargo. After a one-night liberty, Tom Green County joined the USS Vernon County
(LST-1161), Washoe County
(LST-1165), and Westchester County
(LST-1167) in support of "Operation Keystone Lift" from Danang, where they made port on 5 November. Four and one-half hours later, the tank landing ship got underway for Kin Red, Okinawa with elements of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, embarked; and arrived at her destination on the llth, unloaded and disembarked the troops; and headed back toward Yokosuka. En route, however, the ship was redirected to Danang for another lift, and she took on board a full cargo of railroad rolling stock
. Her ship's historian nicknamed Tom Green County the "Ghost Ship of Danang" because of her nocturnal loading operation in which she arrived after dark and was gone before the dawn. On the night of the 25th, Tom Green County made port at Okinawa; unloaded in just one and one-half hours; and steamed for Yokosuka, her job completed. Four days later, on the afternoon of 29 November, the ship arrived at her home port in time to spend Thanksgiving
of 1969 at "home." Returning to the business of transporting marines soon thereafter, Tom Green County completed one round-trip haul from Okinawa to Numazu before making port at Yokosuka on 13 December for a year-end leave and upkeep period.
For the next two years, Tom Green County remained in the Far East serving as she had done since she was first homeported at Yokosuka. Late in 1971, she was ordered home to the United States and her home port changed to San Diego. The tank landing ship departed Japanese waters on 27 October and made port at Pearl Harbor on 12 November for a seven-day stay before beginning the last leg of her voyage to the west coast. Upon her arrival at San Diego on 28 November, she soon commenced preinactivation preparations; and, on 23 December, she cruised in San Diego harbor, commencing the training of the new Spanish
crew slated to take over the ship. On 5 January 1972 Tom Green County was decommissioned and transferred to Spain
. Renamed Conde de Venadito (L-13), she served the Spanish Navy
through 1989. Struck from the Spanish Naval list in 1990, her final fate is unknown.
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...
at the tail end of 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...
. Named for Tom Green County, Texas, she is the only U.S. Naval vessel to have born that name. She was subsequently transferred to Spain, where she served in the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
as Conde de Venadito (L-13).
Pacific
Originally laid down as LST-1159, the ship was launched on 2 July 1953; sponsored by Mrs. R. T. Cowdrey; and commissioned on 12 September 1953 with Lieutenant Commander Stephen J. Nemeth in command.Initially attached to Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet, LST-1159 conducted shakedown in Guantánamo Bay and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
before commencing local operations out of Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
and Little Creek, Virginia. She departed Norfolk on 24 February 1954 for duty with Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, and, after a transit of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, reached the west coast on 20 March. The tank landing ship operated out of her new home port, San Diego, until 20 September, including calls at San Francisco and San Pedro, California and Esquimalt, British Columbia
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
in her itinerary. En route to 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,...
, LST-1159 stopped briefly 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...
before proceeding on toward Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. While on the voyage across the Pacific, the ship was diverted to join Task Force (TF) 98 in Southeast Asian waters and arrived at Henriette Pass, near the port of Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
, French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
on 29 October. Taking part in "Operation Passage to Freedom
Operation Passage to Freedom
Operation Passage to Freedom was the term used by the United States Navy to describe its transportation in 1954–55 of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to South Vietnam...
," LST-1159 transported refugees from the northern part of what became a divided Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, to the southern ports of Tourane (Danang) and Saigon. On 29 November 1954 her job in the massive humanitarian effort completed, the tank landing ship proceeded toward her original destination. LST-1159 proceeded via Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
, Philippine Islands and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, British Crown Colony, and arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on 22 December. The tank landing ship paid calls on the Japanese ports of Moji
Moji
Moji may refer to:* Hyōon moji or onji, phonic characters used in counting beats in Japanese poetry* Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū, Japanese ward or district* ...Moji, musical album...
, Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
before a deteriorating international situation resulted in the ship's call to duty with TF 76 at Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 3 February 1955. She sortied from Okinawa soon thereafter and took part in the evacuation of the Tachen Islands from 8 to 13 February, moving 2,144 civilians, 1,100 troops, 600 tons of ammunition, and 37 vehicles to Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
in two round trips. Soon after completing these operations, LST-1159 was named USS Tom Green County (LST-1159).
Returning via Sasebo and Inchon, Korea to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Tom Green County made port at San Diego on 2 April to begin a period of local operations out of that port. On 14 October the tank landing ship entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
at Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
for a four-month yard period which lasted until February 1956. Moving back to San Diego following the overhaul, Tom Green County departed the west coast for her second 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,...
deployment on 24 April and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 May. Underway on 7 May, the ship made port at Yokosuka on the 24th and operated in the Far East for the remainder of 1956, touching at her normal ports of call, such as Sasebo, Iwakuni, Nagasaki, and Yokosuka, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; Buckner Bay and Naha, Okinawa
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
; as well as Hong Kong and Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, before returning to Yokosuka on 22 November. On 23 January 1957 the tank landing ship departed Japanese waters 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...
and reached Pearl Harbor on 9 February. Tom Green County conducted local operations between the Hawaiian Islands and the west coast for the remainder of the year, with calls at San Diego, Monterey, Oakland, San Francisco, and Camp Pendleton, before she headed for Pearl Harbor. Deployed again to the Far East, Tom Green County made port at Yokosuka on 4 July 1958 to commence amphibious support exercises and training cruises to familiar places: Buckner Bay, Naha, Subic Bay, and a new port on the itinerary, the Nationalist Chinese base at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She remained engaged in these activities through the fall of 1958, before returning, via Pearl Harbor, to San Diego to round out the year. Local operations between the west coast and Pearl Harbor occupied the ship through 1959. In July, 1960 new orders dictated the tank landing ship's change of home port from San Diego to Yokosuka and assigned Tom Green County as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Landing Ship Division 92. She continued her operations much as before, but maintenance work was now conducted in Japanese yards, obviating returns to United States for overhauls. Local operations, interspersed yard periods, and training exercises kept the tank landing ship engaged through 1962.
Cuban missile crisis
Following the ship's participation in Operations "Tulungan" (9 March to 9 April 1962) and "Lone Eagle" (14 to 23 October), at Subic Bay and Okinawa, respectively, Tom Green County went on alert as events half-way around the world threatened peace. The presence of RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n ICBMs in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
brought on a head-to-head confrontation between the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the United States. Ready for any eventuality, the Navy prepared itself, world-wide. Tom Green County sailed for Naha on the 24th of October, moored at the LST ramp, and took on board marines and their equipment. After the crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
passed, the ship returned to her normal operating schedule, making for Iwakuni on the 27th to offload, before proceeding to Yokosuka. Upkeep from 2 to 25 November at Yokosuka preceded the ship's type-training exercises through 29 November. Tom Green County paid a port visit at Beppu, Japan from 1 to 3 December before returning to her home port on the 7th. Underway three days later, the ship made for Numazu, Japan to load marines and material for transport to Okinawa and arrived on the 15th. The tank landing ship off-loaded, headed for Japanese waters, and arrived at Yokosuka on 19 December before getting underway again on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
for Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Tom Green County departed the Japanese capital city on the 28th and returned to Yokosuka, where she spent the remainder of the year in upkeep status. The following year saw more of the same activities in store for the tank landing ship. Port visits to Tsoying, Taiwan (12 to 14 March 1963); Hong Kong (16 to 22 March); Osaka, Japan (8 to 15 April); and Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, were interspersed with local operations out of Yokosuka. Tom Green County participated in Operations "Flagpole" (16 to 28 June) and "Bayonet Beach" (31 August to 9 September) along the eastern coast of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, transporting embarked marines and vehicles to landing beaches and putting them ashore. Following her return to Japanese home waters with a visit to Kagoshima from 9 to 15 November, the ship proceeded to Sasebo for three weeks of upkeep. Conducting type training in Buckner Bay, she on-loaded marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
for transport to Numazu and subsequently arrived home at Yokosuka on 20 December.
Vietnam War
As the situation in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
worsened, the United States began to take a more active part in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. "Operation Jungle Drum," towards the end of 1965, landed marines in southern Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. With increasing American commitments in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Tom Green County participated in Operations "Piranha" and "Double Eagle" in January and February 1966. The latter was the first large-scale amphibious landing under combat conditions since Inchon. In June, 1966 the tank landing ship came under the operational and administrative command of Landing Ship Squadron 9; and, in November, the ship commenced support commitments for the Vietnam Coastal Surveillance Force, engaged in monitoring and interdicting offshore small craft traffic, TF 115. The year 1967 found the ship participating in further combat operations: "Operation Beacon Torch," "Operation Beaver Track," "Operation Bear Chain," and "Operation Kangaroo Kick." As an element of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo (TG 76.5), Tom Green County received the Meritorious Unit Commendation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions....
for these operations conducted between 18 June and 4 August 1967. During this deployment in Southeast Asia, the ship also underwent a yard overhaul at Yokosuka from 16 August to 17 November before she returned to Vietnamese waters. On 22 March 1968 Tom Green County arrived in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
region to commence a deployment as support LST for the Mobile Riverine Assault Force. On 15 April Viet Cong insurgents attacked the ship with recoilless-rifle and automatic-weapons fire. Tom Green County shuddered under the impact of nine hits taken in quick succession. Following repairs of her battle damage, the tank landing ship resumed operations with Amphibious Ready Group Alpha (TG 76.4) and participated in "Operation Swift Pursuit," before returning to the Mekong in December to commence resupply duties for TG 117.2—Mobile Riverine Group Bravo. While en route on 28 December, Tom Green County came under rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
fire from Viet Cong gunners and took seven hits on her port side.
Repairing the damage and continuing her assigned missions, she conducted her operations in the Bassac River
Bassac River
The Bassac River is a distributary of the Tonle Sap and Mekong River. The river starts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and flows southerly, crossing the border into Vietnam near Châu Đốc....
near Can Tho. On 21 January 1969, while beached at Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
and loading supplies for a routine convoy run, the ship again came under fire as Viet Cong launched a rocket barrage directed at the loading ramp and the adjacent airstrip. One rocket (122 millimeter) impacted on the fantail
Fantail
Fantails are small insectivorous birds of southern Asia and Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the family Rhipiduridae...
and exploded in the mess decks of Tom Green County, inflicting heavy materiel damage and wounding several men in the after part of the ship. Retracting and anchoring at Vung Tau Bay, Tom Green County effected temporary repairs before being relieved by the Whitfield County
USS Whitfield County (LST-1169)
USS Whitfield County , previously USS LST-1169, was a United States Navy landing ship tank in commission from 1954 to 1973 which saw service in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific and saw action in the Vietnam War....
(LST-1169) to sail for Yokosuka and permanent repairs. En route to Japanese waters, the ship's company arrived at a novel method of preparing and consuming their meals, as the regular galley and messing facilities had been rendered useless by the battle damage. Besides subsisting on makeshift rations, the crew "char-broiled" steaks on jury-rigged "grills" fashioned from empty 65-gallon oil drums. Steak-grilling continued unabated through even inclement weather—in which case the whole "steak-grilling" operation was moved to the tank deck. On 2 February the ship made port at Yokosuka to commence a long repair period, after which she conducted support operations for an assault boat school at Numazu while undertaking independent steaming exercises. Sudden troop deployments in Vietnam resulted in a recall to Southeast Asian waters, and Tom Green County accordingly sailed for Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
on 23 June. En route, the ship trained in riverine warfare tactics. Tom Green County relieved Whitfield County on 4 July 1969 at My Tho, near Dong Tarn, and spent the next six weeks supporting the operations of TF 117, as it prepared to "wrap up" its operations in the Mekong Delta region. While at My Tho and in the "Delta," the tank landing ship served as a floating supply base and a transient barracks ship for members of the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
9th Division who were being processed for stateside duty. Tom Green County also gave the Viet Cong a dose of their own medicine, firing over 3,000 rounds of 3-inch/50-caliber counter-battery harassment and interdiction fire, while maintaining a vigilant watch for swimmer-sappers who might attempt to mine the ship while she lay at anchor.
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
before pressing on with a Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
n cruise, calling at Koror
Koror
Koror is the state comprising the main commercial centre of the Republic of Palau. It consists of several islands, the most prominent being Koror Island ....
, Babelthuap, and Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, before returning to Guam and subsequent operations transporting men and materiel to Yokosuka. On 25 October, with the ship's dependents on board, Tom Green County cruised from Yokosuka to Tokyo, unloading the dependents upon arrival and on-loading a 5-ton, 135-foot totem pole
Totem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, to transport it to Expo '70
Expo '70
was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
at Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. "Operation Totem Pole" proceeded to completion on 27 October when the ship docked at Kobe and unloaded her unusual cargo. After a one-night liberty, Tom Green County joined the USS Vernon County
USS Vernon County (LST-1161)
USS Vernon County was a United States Navy, in commission from 1953 to 1973. She saw extensive service in the Vietnam war before being transferred to the Venezuelan Navy, where she became Amazonas .-Construction and commissioning:...
(LST-1161), Washoe County
USS Washoe County (LST-1165)
USS Washoe County , previously USS LST-1165, was a United States Navy landing ship tank in commission from 1953 to 1971, and which then saw non-commissioned Military Sealift Command service as USNS Washoe County in 1973.-Construction and commissioning:USS LST-1165 was laid down on 1 December 1952...
(LST-1165), and Westchester County
USS Westchester County (LST-1167)
The USS Westchester County was a built for the United States Navy at the tail end of the Korean War. Named for Westchester County, New York, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.-1950s:...
(LST-1167) in support of "Operation Keystone Lift" from Danang, where they made port on 5 November. Four and one-half hours later, the tank landing ship got underway for Kin Red, Okinawa with elements of the 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, embarked; and arrived at her destination on the llth, unloaded and disembarked the troops; and headed back toward Yokosuka. En route, however, the ship was redirected to Danang for another lift, and she took on board a full cargo of railroad rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
. Her ship's historian nicknamed Tom Green County the "Ghost Ship of Danang" because of her nocturnal loading operation in which she arrived after dark and was gone before the dawn. On the night of the 25th, Tom Green County made port at Okinawa; unloaded in just one and one-half hours; and steamed for Yokosuka, her job completed. Four days later, on the afternoon of 29 November, the ship arrived at her home port in time to spend Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
of 1969 at "home." Returning to the business of transporting marines soon thereafter, Tom Green County completed one round-trip haul from Okinawa to Numazu before making port at Yokosuka on 13 December for a year-end leave and upkeep period.
For the next two years, Tom Green County remained in the Far East serving as she had done since she was first homeported at Yokosuka. Late in 1971, she was ordered home to the United States and her home port changed to San Diego. The tank landing ship departed Japanese waters on 27 October and made port at Pearl Harbor on 12 November for a seven-day stay before beginning the last leg of her voyage to the west coast. Upon her arrival at San Diego on 28 November, she soon commenced preinactivation preparations; and, on 23 December, she cruised in San Diego harbor, commencing the training of the new Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
crew slated to take over the ship. On 5 January 1972 Tom Green County was decommissioned and transferred to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Renamed Conde de Venadito (L-13), she served the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
through 1989. Struck from the Spanish Naval list in 1990, her final fate is unknown.