- USS Iredell County (LST-839)
The USS "Iredell County" (LST-839) was an sclass|LST-542|tank landing ship built for the
United States Navy duringWorld War II . Named afterIredell County, North Carolina , she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. Originally laid down as LST-839 by the American Bridge Company ofAmbridge, Pennsylvania on25 September 1944 ; launched12 November 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. Arthur Lehner; and commissioned atNew Orleans, Louisiana 6 December 1944 with Lieutenant Waldo F. McNeir in command. After shakedown off the coast ofFlorida , LST-839 loaded Army troops and cargo and departed New Orleans for thePacific 9 January 1945 . Steaming via thePanama Canal ,Pearl Harbor , andEniwetok , she reachedSaipan 10 March . There she prepared to support the invasion ofOkinawa ; and, after embarkingSeabees and loading construction equipment, she sailed12 April for that strategic island, which lay at the gateway to the heart of theJapan ese Empire. The campaign was well underway when L8T-839 reachedKinmu Wan, Okinawa 17 April . Despite heavy enemy air raids, she debarked troops and discharged cargo, then returned to Saipan21 April to transport additional troops. During the 4 remaining months of the War, she shuttled troops and equipment among theMarianas ,Philippine , and Okinawa staging areas for the possible invasion of Japan. The enemy's acceptance of Allied peace terms precluded an invasion, and the landing ship then operated between the Philippines and Japan, transporting occupation forces until mid-November. ArrivingGuam 12 November , LST-839 embarked 500 veterans of the Pacific fighting and sailed17 November for theUnited States . Steaming via Pearl Harbor, she reachedSan Francisco 28 December . She sailed forAstoria, Oregon 25 January 1946 ; decommissioned atVancouver, Washington 24 July ; and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. While berthed in theColumbia River , she was named USS "Iredell County" (LST-892)1 July 1955 . "Iredell County" recommissioned atSan Diego, California 18 June 1966 . Completing training, "Iredell" County sailed to join the 7th Fleet3 September 1966 . En route to Japan with her first cargo since 1945, she called at Pearl Harbor and her new homeport of Guam. Exchanging cargo atIwakuni, Japan on12 October , "Iredell County" departed forDanang, Vietnam , arriving21 October . She shuttledpetroleum , building materials, rations, troops, and equipment between Danang andChu Lai , 65 miles to the south. "Iredell County" transported more than 7,360 tons of cargo and made 12 landings. She sailed to Guam15 December 1966 . In response to the American effort to protect and defend the independence and integrity ofSouth Vietnam from externalCommunist aggression, she continued to serve the Pacific Fleet and participate in the vital peacekeeping operations currently underway in the turbulent and troubledSoutheast Asia until July, 1970 when she was decommissioned and transferred (loaned) under terms of the Security Assistance Program toIndonesia . Renamed "Teluk Bone", the ship was struck from theNaval Vessel Register and sold outright to Indonesia in February 1979. Her final fate is unknown.LST-839 received one
battle star for World War II service, and as "Iredell County" the Presidential Unit Citation,Navy Unit Commendation ,Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation , and 9campaign star s for theVietnam War .References
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* cite web|title=LST-839 "Iredell County"|work=Amphibious Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160839.htm|accessdate=July 24|accessyear=2007External links
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/commands1.php?ct=OG&st=LST&hn=839&n1=USS&n2=IREDELL&n3=COUNTY&n4=&n5= LST-839 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]
ee also
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List of United States Navy LSTs
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