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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

LST-609

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippine Liberation Medal

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 10 December 1943 at Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Seneca, IL.

Launched, 15 April 1944

Commissioned USS LST-609, 15 May 1944

During World War II LST-609 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Leyte operation;
(a) Leyte landing in October 1944
Luzon operation; Manila Bay-Bicol operations;
(a) Zambales-Subic Bay in January 1945
Okinawa Gunto operation;
(a) Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in April 1945

Decommissioned, 4 January 1946

Struck from the Naval Register, 21 January 1946

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 26 September 1947, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD.

LST-609 earned three battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 1,780 t.(lt), 3,640 t.(fl)
Length 328'
Beam 50'
Draft unloaded, bow 2' 4" stern 7' 6", loaded bow 8' 2" stern 14' 1"
Speed 12 kts.
Complement 8-10 officers, 100-115 enlisted
Troop Accommodations approx. 140 officers and enlisted
Boats 2 LCVP
Armament eight 40mm gun mounts, twelve 20mm gun mounts, two .50-cal machine guns, four .30-cal machine guns
Propulsion two General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	99k	*LST-242, LST-608* in the foreground. In the middle of the photo and in the background can be seen numerous small craft along with six additional LSTs. Recognizable are *LST-609* and *LST-219*. This would appear to be a photo of the Leyte Landing operation in October 1944. US Navy photo		Vicki Purl Ferrier-Taylor for Purl Allan Ferrier, Seaman 1st class, SV-6 USNR.
	150k	*LST-609* and *LST-660* beached in the Philippines, date and place unknown.		Photo by Richard R. Humpert USS LST-660 submitted by Matt Schneider by his grandfather Richard R. Humpert

There is no DANFS history available for LST-609 at the Haze Gray & Underway Web Site, the main archive for the DANFS Online Project.

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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