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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Marion County (LST-975)
ex
USS LST-975 (1945 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Kilo - Uniform
NKKU

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Second Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (6)
Third Row - Philippines Liberation Medal - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Marion County (LST-975), transferred to South Vietnam, renamed RVNS Cam Banh (HQ-500),later acquired by the Philippines, renamed BPR Zamboanga Del Sur (LT-86)

LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 1 December 1944, at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA.

Launched, 6 January 1945

Commissioned USS LST-975, 3 February 1945, LT. David S. Stanley in command

During World War II USS LST-975 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS LST-975 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
20 to 26 September 1945
23 to 29 October 1945

Decommissioned, 16 April 1946, at Subic Bay, P.I.

Turned over to the US Army for Far East operations

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Returned to US Navy custody and reinstated in the Naval Register

Placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation System (MSTS), 1 July 1950 as USNS T-LST-975

Recommissioned, 28 August 1950 USS LST-975, LT. Arnold W. Rarer in command.

During the Korean War USS LST-975 participated in the following campaigns:

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
North Korean Aggression 18 September to 2 November 1950	First UN Counter Offensive 27 February to 3 April 1951
Communist China Aggression 3 to 18 November 1950 19 December 1959 to 19 January 1951	Second Korean Winter 4 to 30 April 1952
Inchon Landing 15 to 17 September 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 1 May 1952 8 to 21 July 1952 11 August to 16 September 1952

Named USS Marion County (LST-975), 1 July 1955

Decommissioned, 10 May 1956

Placed in service as USNS Marion County (T-LST-975) by MSTS

Placed out of service 26 September 1957, and laid up in the MSTS ready reserve fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Transferred under the Military Assistance Program to the Republic of Vietnam, 12 April 1962, renamed RVNS Cam Banh (HQ-500)

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1963

Following the fall of Saigon on 29 April 1975, RVNS Cam Banh (HQ-500) escaped to the Philippines

Transferred to the Philippine Navy, 17 November 1975, renamed BPR Zamboanga Del Sur (LT-86)

Current Disposition, believed to be active as part of the Philippines Navy as of 2004

USS LST-975 earned six battle stars for Korean 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 LST-975
	73k	*LST-975* on the building ways ready for launching at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 6 January 1945.	Steven Loomis
	73k	LST-975 hits the water for the first time as she is launched at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 6 January 1945.	Steven Loomis
	62k	LST-975 under tow as she is moved to her fitting out dock at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 6 January1945.	Steven Loomis
	79k	USS LST-975 commissioning ceremony at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 3 February 1945, Navy chaplain offering a prayer.	Steven Loomis
	73k	The crew of USS LST-975 at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., Hingham, MA., 3 February 1945. The Executive Officer, Lt. Nelson, standing in front of the officers and men of the crew during the commissioning ceremony.	Steven Loomis
	584k	USS LST-975 underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret) USS LST-975 1950s.
	1013k
RVNS Cam Banh (HQ-500)
	56k	Ex-*USS Marion County* (LST-975) in South Vietnamese service as RVNS Cam Banh (HQ-500)** at anchor, circa 1963, location unknown. South Vietnamese Navy photo from Vietnam.com	Tommy Trampp
	137k	*RVNS Cam Banh* (HQ-500)** moored pierside, date and location unknown. Photo from Vietnam.com	Tommy Trampp
BPR Zamboanga Del Sur (LT-86)
	63k	Ex-*USS Marion County* (LST-975) in Philippine Naval service as BPR Zamboanga Del Sur (LT-86)** while in dry dock at A.G.&P. Drydock in Bauan, Batangas, Philippines, 7 January 1995.	Edison Sy