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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by, left Lloyd King, right Mike Smolinski

USS Polk County (LST-1084)
ex
 USS LST-1084 (1945 - 1955)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Oscar - Kilo
 NAOK
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
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (4) - Vietnam Service Medal (4) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
LST-542 Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 27 November 1944, at American Bridge Co. Ambridge, PA.
  • Launched, 19 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS LST-1084, 19 February 1945, LT. Lawrence E. Prehn in command
  • During World War II USS LST-1084 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 13 August 1946 at Vancouver, WA., and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group
  • Recommissioned, 3 November 1950
  • During the Korean War USS LST-1084 participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    11 February to 17 March 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    20 to 30 April 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    28 April to 1 May 1951
    9 to 17 May 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 3 May and 17 to 30 May 1952
    13 August 1952
    24 August to 16 September 1952
    18 October 1952

  • Renamed USS Polk County (LST-1084), 1 July 1955
  • During the Vietnam War USS Polk County (LST-1084) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    9 January to 22 February 1966
    20 to 26 March 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    18 December 1968 to 2 January 1969
    18 January to 22 February 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    23 July to 23 August 1967     		Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 February to 15 March 1969
    23 March to 8 April 1969

  • Decommissioned, 30 October 1969, at San Diego CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Struck From the Naval Register, 15 September 1974
  • Final Disposition, sold, 1 December 1975, for scrapping by (DRMS) Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
  • USS Polk County (LST-1084) earned four battle stars for the Korean War and four campaign stars 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 Source/
    Contributed By
    USS LST-1084
    Polk County 814k USS LST-1084 commissioning crew photo, taken at American Bridge Co. Ambridge, PA., 6 February 1945. Paul S. Lambres for his father John A. Lambres (John S. Pellicarri S1/c, USS LST-1084)
    LSM-425 89k USS LST-1084 with USS LCT-1374 cradled on her main deck, and USS LSM-425 moored at Saipan, 1945. Al DeBacker
    Polk County 33k USS Polk County (LST-1084), ships plaque. Lloyd King
    Polk County 64k USS LST-1084 at anchor, location unknown, circa 1950-52. Lloyd King
    USS Polk County (LST-1084)
    Jerome County 91k From left to right USS Wexford County (LST-1168), USS Jerome County (LST-848), USS Polk County (LST-1084) and two unidentified LSTs conducting landing practice off San Diego, circa 1960s.
    Photograph received from USS Polk County (LST-1084), 1969.
    US Navy photo # NH 68713 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Polk County 16k USS Polk County (LST-1084) at anchor, date and location unknown. Bill McFerren, LST 1084 web site
    Polk County 17k USS Polk County (LST-1084) underway, date and location unknown. LST Home Port web site
    Polk County 84k USS Polk County (LST-1084) making way with bow doors open, circa 1964-65, location unknown. Submitted by Larry Lee for his step-father
    H.R. Adams CS1 USN, USS Polk County 1966 and 1967.
    View the USS Polk County (LST-1084)
    DANFS history entry located at the US naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    USS Polk County (LST-1084)
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    LST Home Port
    State LST Chapters
    United States LST Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 1 April 2009