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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Meeker County (LST-980)
ex
USS LST-980 (1944 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Xray - Tango
NKXT

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (4-Vietnam) [02MAR68, 23MAY68, 14OCT68, 28JUN70] - - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (10) - Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry) (8) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

542-Class Tank Landing Ship:

Laid down, 9 December 1943, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.

Launched, 27 January 1944

Commissioned USS LST 980, 26 February 1944, LT. W. F. Westfall in command

USS LST-980 loaded LCT-654 onto her deck, 6 April 1944, at Norfolk, VA. unloaded LCT-654 at Plymouth (Jennycliff), England, 8 May 1944

During World War II USS LST-980 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944

USS LST-980 was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 19 May to 19 September 1949

Named USS Meeker County (LST-980), 1 July 1955

Decommissioned, 16 December 1955, at Green Cove Springs, FL.

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs

Transferred to Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Philadelphia, PA. in October 1961

Recommissioned, 23 September 1966, at Baltimore, MD.

During the Vietnam War USS Meeker County (LST-980 participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 22 April to 31 May 1967	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI 13 to 19 December 1968 11 to 21 January 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 1 to 2 June 1967 2 to 29 September 1967 22 to 24 October 1967 11 to 14 November 1967 25 November to 5 December 1967	Tet 69/ Counteroffensive 28 March to 21 April 1969
Tet Counteroffensive 21 February to 1 April 1968	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 27 to 30 January 1970 19 to 22 February 1970 14 to 19 March 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 2 April to 12 May 1968	Sanctuary Counteroffensive 24 to 30 June 1970
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 30 July to 19 August 1968 30 August to 24 October 1968	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 1 to 24 July 1970

Decommissioned, December 1970 at Bremerton, WA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1975

Sold for scrapping by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), 1 December 1975

Sold to Max Rouse & Sons, Beverly Hills, California, taken in hand by Marine Industries, Tacoma, WA. and converted for commercial use

Sold in 1976 to Landing System Technology Pte. Ltd., Singapore (Lauritz Kloster, Norway) and renamed MV LST 3

Arrived at Piraeus, Greece having been acquired by Maritime & Commercial Co. Argonaftis S.A., Panama (Greek flag), 30 June 1978 and renamed Petrola 143

Final Disposition, arrived in tow at Aliaga, Turkey for demolition by Seltas A.S., 7 August 1996

USS Meeker County (LST-980) earned one battle star for World War II service and ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:

Displacement

1,625 t.(lt)

4,080 t.(fl) (sea-going draft w/1675 ton load)

2,366 t.

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)

limiting 11' 2"

maximum navigation 14' 1"

Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)

Endurance 24,000 miles @ 9kts. while displacing 3960 tons

Complement

13 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

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 4,300 Bbls

Propulsion

two General Motors 12-567A, 900hp Diesel engines

single Falk Main Reduction Gears

three Diesel-drive 100Kw 230V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

two propellers, 1,700shp

twin rudders

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS LST-980
	85k	USS LST-980 unloads an LVT during "Exercise Camid III", for an "assault" on Bloodsworth Island in the Chesapeake Bay. US Navy photo # USN-705980 released 20 August 1948.	James D. Bass Jr.
	789k	USS LST-980 passing *YMP-2* as she enters Chesapeake Bay in 1953.	Derick S. Hartshorn
USS Meeker County (LST-980)
	92k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980)** underway, date and location unknown.	Dan Wilderman via Bob Flaugher
	117k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980) moored inboard of USS Caroline County (LST-525)** at Naval Station Guam in 1968.	Photo by Larry Roszkowiak
	52k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980)** at anchor in the harbor at Hong Kong, BCC, 23 August 1968.	Photo by Walter F. Loetell Jr., ETR-2 USS Sumner County, 1966 to 1968
	271k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980)** loading US Army 5th Calvary Division vehicles for trip to Chu Viet, South Vietnam, location unknown, circa 1967-68. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1968.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	71k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980)** arriving at Chu Viet, South Vietnam to off-load US Army 5th Calvary Division vehicles, circa 1967-68. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1968.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	186k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980)** off-loading US Army 5th Calvary Division vehicles at Chu Viet, South Vietnam, circa 1967-68. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1968.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	123k		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
	50k	*USS Meeker County* (LST-980)** at the LST ramp on the Cua Viet River, South Vietnam, 1969.	Photo by Joe Criscione

USS Meeker County (LST-980)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Westfall, W. F.	26 February 1944 - 4 April 1945
02	LT. Newhard, Walter G.	4 April 1945 - ?
	Decommissioned	16 December 1955 - 23 September 1966
03	LCDR. Clark, Frank E.	23 September 1966 - ?
04	LCDR. Buechler, Robert George	no dates
05	LCDR. Neuman, Dennis Earl	September 1968 - October 1969
06	LCDR. Van Slyke Jr., James Corbett	October 1969 - December 1970


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
The USS LST Ship Memorial
U.S. Navy Mobile Riverine Force
LST Home Port
State LST Chapters
United States LST Association

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 20 February 2015

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Meeker County (LST-980)ex USS LST-980 (1944 - 1955)

USS Meeker County (LST-980)
ex
USS LST-980 (1944 - 1955)