USS York County (LST-1175) was a 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 the late 1950s. The lead ship of her class of seven, she was named after counties in Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

, Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

, 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...

, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

, and Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

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

York County was laid down on 4 June 1956 at Newport News, Virginia

Newport News, Virginia

Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...

 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company; launched on 5 March 1957; sponsored by Mrs. William C. France; and commissioned

Ship commissioning

Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...

 on 8 November 1957 with Lieutenant Commander Warren M. Scofer in command.

1957–1959

The new tank landing ship was fitted out and underwent ready-for-sea trials at Port Everglades, Florida and conducted shakedown training out of her home port, Little Creek, Virginia, which she completed on 17 May 1958. She conducted various operations in the Virginia area until 15 July, when all training was cancelled due to the Lebanon Crisis and York County prepared for extended operations. But the Lebanon Crisis lessened, and the ship proceeded to Vieques, Puerto Rico

Vieques, Puerto Rico

Vieques , in full Isla de Vieques, is an island–municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands...

, for amphibious exercises

Amphibious warfare

Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...

. On 7 August York County returned to her home port and began preparations for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean. She arrived at Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...

 in late September 1958; then visited Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

, and Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. She returned to Little Creek on 25 March 1959. However, the ship recrossed the Atlantic to hold leading roles in two major amphibious exercises "Tralex 3-59" and "Tralex 4-59" which were conducted off the coast of 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...

. In November 1959, York County entered the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company for maintenance and upkeep.

1960–1962

She next departed the east coast of the United States on 11 January 1960 for her second Mediterranean deployment. Following her arrival back at her home port on 15 June, York County participated in "Tralex 1-60" and "Lantphibex 500/61" in the area of Vieques, Puerto Rico. In July, she proceeded to Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

 for an overhaul by the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. Upon emerging from the yard, the ship conducted refresher training before deploying to the Caribbean

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

 towards the end of November for training operations with other amphibious ships. She returned to Little Creek on 19 January 1961. The next major exercise, "SoLant Amity III," started on 17 April and took York County 27,000 miles in an effort to establish greater understanding between the peoples of the United States and southern Africa. The ship cruised along both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

 coasts of Africa and visited 12 ports in 10 countries and received some 23,000 visitors.

After a short midshipman cruise

Midshipman

A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...

 in early November 1961, York County headed for the Caribbean where she participated in Exercise "Phiblex 4-61" before returning to Little Creek in January 1962 for leave and upkeep. On 26 February, she conducted a two-week reserve cruise off the coast of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. On 15 May, York County sailed for the Mediterranean where she conducted practice and demonstration landings and participated in the Navy's "People to People" program. York County returned home on 19 October and made a one-day turnaround to take part in the Cuban blockade

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...

. It was not until 5 December 1962 that the ship finally returned to the Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads

Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...

 area for leave and upkeep, followed by a four-month yard and drydock period at Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

, and six weeks of selected underway training exercises.

1963–1965

In July 1963, York County revisited the Caribbean and transported the highly publicized Puerto Rican National Guard from Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce, Puerto Rico

Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...

, to Isla de Vieques. While in the West Indies, she also patrolled off Haiti

Haiti

Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

, ready to evacuate American civilians if the civil disorders in that island required such action. Fortunately, tension eased, and York County returned to Little Creek on 4 October. A visit to Portland, Maine

Portland, Maine

Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...

, from 9 to 11 November, preceded a short trip to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, to transport the men and equipment of Military Construction Battalion 7. York County returned on 25 November and finished the year undergoing tender availability and upkeep.

For the early part of 1964, York County worked at Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Onslow Beach

Onslow Beach

Onslow Beach is a 12 km stretch of undeveloped beach at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Onslow County, North Carolina. It has been used at various times for practice amphibious landings by the U.S. Navy. Presently, it is used as a recreational area by the Camp Lejeune community.- External...

, N.C. She took part in the Naval Academy's

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...

 ceremonies at Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

. During June and July, York County received alterations at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...

. On 13 August, the ship lifted the 3rd Marine Light Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion to Vieques and reembarked the unit on 17 September for the return passage. Ten days later, she returned to Little Creek and commenced preparations for an overseas exercise. On 7 October 1964, York County got underway to join in Operation "Steel Pike I," the largest joint amphibious operation held since World War II. The ship returned home on 28 November 1964 and operated locally into the following spring. On 30 April 1965, York County sailed for the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

 and transported marines and equipment to Bajos de Haina

Bajos de Haina

Bajos de Haina, also known simply as Haina , is a town and municipality in the San Cristóbal , of the Dominican Republic. In 1993 the population was estimated at 68,261, but recent estimates in 2005 claimed the population was as high as 140,175...

. She conducted surveillance duties during the crisis in that nation before returning to Norfolk on 7 June and remaining in the Virginia Capes

Virginia Capes

The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....

-Hampton Roads area for most of the summer. From September until December 1965, York County was deployed to the Caribbean and participated in numerous amphibious assault exercises and a major fleet exercise, "Phibaswex/Meblex 2-65."

1966–1967

York County was in her home port from 1 January 1966 until 24 January for leave and upkeep. She transported general cargo to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, then embarked marines and equipment for delivery to Cherry Point, North Carolina, before returning to Little Creek on 9 February. From 18 February through 18 April 1966, York County underwent preparations for overhaul and tender availability. Following this, she traveled to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 for independent ship exercises, returning home on 26 April. In May, the ship hosted the Swedish ambassador and the Inter-Allied Confederation of Reserve Officers. York County received her overhaul in two parts. The first was accomplished at the Key Highway floating drydock of Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland; the second part was completed 30 September at Horne Bros. Shipyard, Newport News. On 13 October 1966, the ship reloaded ammunition and received refresher training out of Little Creek until 16 November. During the remainder of the month, the ship received new cryptographic equipment and was refueled prior to deployment. York County sailed for the West Indies on 28 November and conducted amphibious exercises and training in the Caribbean for five months. She returned to Little Creek on 6 May 1967 and underwent tender availability. In June, the ship successfully passed a nuclear technical proficiency inspection; acted as a setting for a training film; and transported a Marine Corps engineering company to Vieques Island and back. From 5 to 21 July, York County participated in the anti-submarine Exercise "Plumb Bob III."

During August, York County supported LVT

Landing Vehicle Tracked

The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...

 training for Marine Corps

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...

 reservists and provided control ship duty for drones

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...

. She spent September and October in restricted availability and on standby duty, ready to support NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

 operations. On 31 October, York County got underway for the middle Atlantic where she served as a recovery ship for the Apollo 4

Apollo 4

Apollo 4, , was the first unmanned test flight of the Saturn V launch vehicle, which was ultimately used by the Apollo program to send the first men to the Moon...

 space shot. On 15 December 1967, the ship underwent tender availability which lasted through the end of the year.

1968–1970

On 17 January 1968, York County got underway from Little Creek; stopped briefly at Morehead City, North Carolina

Morehead City, North Carolina

Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007...

, later that day; and then headed for the Caribbean. While in the West Indies, she visited Vieques, Puerto Rico; Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

; and St. Croix, Virgin Islands. The ship returned to Little Creek on 15 February, resumed operations in the Virginia capes area, and took part in the Apollo 6

Apollo 6

Apollo 6, launched on April 4, 1968, was the Apollo program's second and last A type mission—unmanned test flight of its Saturn V launch vehicle. It was intended to demonstrate full lunar injection capability of the Saturn V, and the capability of the Command Module's heat shield to withstand a...

 recovery training exercises. On 13 June 1968, York County departed Onslow Beach, N.C., for exercises in waters off Puerto Rico. During the cruise she visited Vieques Island, Puerto Rico; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; St. Croix, Virgin Islands; and San Juan

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...

 and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. York County arrived back at Little Creek on 3 August and conducted various exercises and operations in the Virginia area into autumn.

On 25 October 1968, York County got underway for a deployment to the Caribbean which lasted into February 1969. She returned to Little Creek on the 19th of that month and began a period in port which lasted into May. On 12 May, the ship began another brief Caribbean cruise to take part in Exercise "Exotic Dancer." After stops at Ponce and Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix, Virgin Islands, she participated in a simulated blockade in her part of the exercise. She returned home via San Juan, Roosevelt Roads, and Ponce, Puerto Rico, and reached Little Creek on 9 June. But for a special amphibious exercise at Onslow Beach, N.C., from the 23rd to the 28th, the ship spent the remainder of June and most of July at Little Creek. On 22 July, York County departed Little Creek; crossed the Atlantic; and joined the Mediterranean Ready Amphibious Force. After making several successful landings throughout the Mediterranean and enjoying liberty in many ports, York County returned to Little Creek on 12 December 1969. York County entered Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company's yard on 20 January 1970 for an overhaul. By 10 August, the ship was ready for sea. she conducted various exercises in the South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 operating area.Then, from 2 to 17 September, she prepared for a deployment with the 6th Fleet. The next day, the ship sailed for the Mediterranean, and she transited the Strait of Gibraltar

Strait of Gibraltar

The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...

 on 29 September. On 9 October, York County conducted Exercise "Deep Express" at Alexandroupolis, Greece. She visited several ports in Greece and Spain before returning to Little Creek on 17 November. The ship finished out the year 1970 at Little Creek undergoing tender availability.

1971–1972

On 18 January 1971, the ship got underway for Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, to participate in the "Firex" exercises. She continued to operate in the Caribbean until 22 February when she arrived at Miami for two days of liberty. the ship returned to Little Creek on 27 February and immediately went alongside for tender availability which lasted until 17 March. After completing fire-fighting training in Philadelphia, York County remained at Little Creek until 25 April except for loading ammunition and gasoline at Craney Island

Craney Island (Virginia)

Craney Island is a point of land in the independent city of Portsmouth in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. The location, formerly in Norfolk County, is near the mouth of the Elizabeth River opposite Lambert's Point on Hampton Roads. It is managed by the U.S...

, Virginia. During this time, the crew prepared the ship for Exercise "Exotic Dancer," which commenced on 26 April and lasted through 14 May 1971. Upon her return home, York County operated in the Virginia coastal area and got ready for a month-long cruise in the Caribbean. York County returned to Virginia on 6 August for tender availability followed by type training exercises. On 9 September, the ship was again deployed to the Caribbean and returned to Little Creek on 28 October where she spent the rest of 1971.

She spent January 1972 preparing for an upcoming Caribbean and eastern Pacific cruise. On the last day of the month, York County got underway for the Panama Canal Zone

Panama Canal Zone

The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...

. She left Cristobal on 8 February and, for the first time in her history, transited 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...

 and entered the Pacific. Following operations off the coast of Panama, York County reentered the Atlantic; proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; spent two days there; then moved to the Bahamas to onload dredging equipment at Andros Island before returning to Little Creek on 20 March 1972. She remained at Little Creek until 12 April when she sailed for Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...

, for the annual Azalea Festival

North Carolina Azalea Festival

-Overview:The takes place every year in the city of Wilmington, North Carolina. The Festival is a non-civic organization and is highly sponsored by the local community. It celebrates local art, the floral gardens, and the history of Wilmington. The festival lasts for five days and takes place in...

. From 18 April to 8 May 1972, the ship remained in port at Little Creek; and on 9 May, she got underway for Exercise "Exotic Dancer V." She returned to her home port on 24 May.

Decommissioning and transfer

York County was decommissioned on 17 July 1972 and transferred to the Italian government. She served the Italian Navy

Marina Militare

The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft...

 as NMM Nave Caorle (L-8991) until finally being sold for scrap at Naples, Italy, date unknown. The ship was 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...

5 August 1992.

External links

• USS York County Reunion Group