- USS DeKalb County (LST-715)
The USS "DeKalb County" (LST-715) was an sclass|LST-542|tank landing ship built for the
United States Navy duringWorld War II . Named after counties in six states, it was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.LST-715 was laid down on
7 June 1944 atJeffersonville, Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on20 July 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. Loudie S. Moffatt; and commissioned on15 August 1944 . During World War II, LST-715 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: Assault and occupation ofIwo Jima (February and March, 1945) and the Assault and occupation ofOkinawa Gunto (May and June, 1945). Following the War, LST-715 performed occupation duty in theFar East until mid-September 1945. It was decommissioned on17 April 1946 atManicaci Island ,Republic of the Philippines and transferred to theUnited States Army on28 June that same year. Commissioned USAT "LST-715"29 June 1946 , the ship was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on29 September 1947 .Reacquired by the Navy on
25 July 1950 , the ship was reinstated on the Naval Register10 August 1950 . Recommissioned LST-71530 August 1950 , it participated in the followingKorean War campaigns:North Korea n Aggression (18 September to2 November ,1950 ),Communist China Aggression (3 November 1950 to14 January 1951 ),Inchon Landing (13 to17 September 1950 ),UN Counter Offensive (1 to14 March 1951 ), Second Korean Winter (11 January to30 April 1952 ), and Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 (1 May to6 August 1952 ). LST-715 was redesignated USS "DeKalb County" (LST-715) on1 July 1955 . It was transferred to theMilitary Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) in December, 1965 where it served as USNS "DeKalb County" (T-LST-715). Placed out of service and again struck from the Naval Register1 November 1973 , custody was transferred to MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet atSuisun Bay, California . The ship was disposed by the Maritime Administration30 April 1984 to Jon M. Associates, Suisun Bay,Benecia, California for scrapping. LST-715 earned twobattle star s for World War II service.References
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* cite web|title=LST-715 "De Kalb County"|work=Amphibious Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160715.htm|accessdate=May 29|accessyear=2007ee also
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List of United States Navy LSTs
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