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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret

LST-821 / AGP-821 Harnett County


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Juliet - Juliet
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (6 - 13JUN67, 29DEC67, 23DEC68, 29JAN-1FEB69, 15MAR69, 24MAR69) - Presidential Unit Citation (2)
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation (3) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (11) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (8) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Harnett County (AGP-821) transferred to South Vietnam, renamed My Tho (HQ-800) later to the Philippines renamed BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 19 September 1944, at Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Co., Evansville, IN.
  • Launched, 27 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS LST-821, 14 November 1944, at New Orleans, LA., LT. C. J. Rudine, USNR, in command
  • During World War II LST-821 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:
  • Following World War II LST-821 performed occupation duty in the Far East until early December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 8 July 1946, at Vancouver, WA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Named USS Harnett County (LST-821), 1 July 1955
  • Recommissioned, 20 August 1966
  • During the Vietnam War Harnett County (LST-821 / AGP-821) participated on the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    12 January to 31 May 1967     		Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 February to 7 May 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 June to 12 July 1967
    17 August 1967 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    4 August to 31 October 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 27 February 1968     		Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    1 November 1969 to 22 January 1970
    17 February to 30 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    9 April to 30 June 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    1 May to 30 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 July to 1 November 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    1 to 21 July 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 to 4 November 1968
    8 December 1968 to 22 February 1969     		.

  • Redesignated a Patrol Craft Tender, (AGP-821) in the spring of 1970
  • Decommissioned, 12 October 1970, at Guam
  • Transferred to South Vietnam under the Security Assistance Program, 12 October 1970, renamed My Tho (HQ-800)
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Transferred to the Philippines, 5 April 1976 after the fall of the South Vietnamese government, renamed BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57)
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • Harnett County earned one battle star for World War II service and eleven campaign stars, two Presidential Unit Citations, and three Navy Unit Commendations for Vietnam War service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence-1945)
    Displacement 1,625 t.(lt), 4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)
    Length 328' o.a.
    Beam 50'
    Draft
    (light) - 2' 4" fwd, 7' 6" aft
    (sea-going) 8' 3" fwd, 14' 1" aft
    (landing) 3' 11" fwd, 9' 10" aft (landing w/500 ton load)
    Speed 12 kts. (maximum)
    Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons
    Complement
    7 officers, 104 enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    16 officers, 147 enlisted
    Boats 2 LCVP
    Cargo Capacity (varied with mission - payloads between 1600 and 1900 tons)
    Typical loads
    One Landing Craft Tank (LCT), tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment and military supplies. A ramp or elevator forward allowed vehicles access to tank deck from main deck
    Additional capacity included sectional pontoons carried on each side of vessel amidships, to either build Rhino Barges or use as causeways. Married to the bow ramp, the causeways would enabled payloads to be delivered ashore from deeper water or where a beachhead would not allow the vessel to be grounded forward after ballasting
    Armament (varied with availability when each vessel was outfitted. Retro-fitting was accomplished throughout WWII. The ultimate armament design for United States vessels was
    2 - Twin 40MM gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    4 - Single 40MM gun mounts
    12 single 20MM gun mounts
    Propulsion two General Motors 12-567, 900hp diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Harnett County (LST-821 / AGP-821)
    Munsee 222k Harnett County (LST-821) moored outboard of YD-33 and aft of Munsee (ATF-107) and Achomawi (ATF 148) at Navy Yard Mare Island, 28 March 1946.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1248-46    		 Darryl Baker
    Achomawi 183k Harnett County (LST 821) and YD-33 are aft of Achomawi (ATF 148) alongside Munsee (ATF-107 at Navy Yard Mare Island, 28 March 1946.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1249-46    		 Darryl Baker
    Harnett County 62k Harnett County (LST-821) in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1966-70. View of Harnett County's main deck from a UH-1B helicopter of Navy Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three HA(L)-3 Seawolf. Pete Harlem
    Harnett County 164k Harnett County (LST-821) in South Vietnamese waters, date unknown LST Home Port web site
    Harnett County 83k Harnett County (LST-821) in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1967-70. Photo courtesy Ed Pietzuch HAL-3 Seawolf
    RVNS My Tho (HQ-800)
    Harnett County 68k Ex-Harnett County (LST-821) underway while in South Vietnamese service as My Tho (HQ-800) .
    Harnett County 70k My Tho (HQ-800) at anchor at Nha Be RVN, 1971 © Richard Leonhardt
    BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57)
    Harnett County 57k Ex-Harnett County (LST-821) in Philippines service as BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57) at A.G.& P. Shipyard at Batangas. Vessel was grounded in Ayungin Island (Second Thomas Shoal) in the disputed Spratleys group of islands sometime in 1999. It is reportedly being used as an outpost by the Philippine Navy up to the present. Edison Sy
    Additional Ships Patches
    Harnett County
    Contributed by Joe Radigan    		 Harnett County
    Contributed by Joe Radigan
    View the Harnett County (LST-821/ AGP-821)
    DANFS History entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Patrol Gunboat Reunion Association
    Navy Seawolves - USS Harnett County
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 November 2007