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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive


Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Tom Green County (LST-1159)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Echo - Hotel
NCEH
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (5) - Navy Unit Commendation (2)
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits, Vietnam)
Third Row - Vietnam Service Medal (12) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Personnel Awards

Purple Heart: (3 KIA - FN Stephen C. Sharp, 29NOV68; CSSN Raymond J. Krekelberg, 21JAN69; CS2 Ray L. Sharp, Ridgeway, 21 JAN69)

USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) was transferred to Spain, renamed Conde del Venadito (L-13)
LST-1156 Terrebonne Parish Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 2 September 1952, at Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME.
  • Launched, 2 July 1953
  • Commissioned USS LST-1159, 12 September 1953, LCDR. Stephen J. Nemeth in command
  • Named USS Tom Green County (LST-1159), 1 July 1955
  • During the Vietnam War USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) served continuously in country and in contiguous waters, with the exception of overhaul periods, from early 1965 to late 1969 participating in the following campaigns. (Dates listed do not include underway transit times within the contiguous waters along the Vietnam coast as defined by the US Navy and so specified by the Vietnam Service Medal.)

    Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Advisory Campaign
    9 March to 4 April 1965
    14 to 18 April 1965
    3 to 11 May 1965
    22 to 28 May 1965
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    2 April to 7 June 1968
    Vietnam Defense
    6 to 15 July 1965
    13 to 19 August 1965
    3 to 11 September 1965
    31 October to 14 November 1965
    26-November to 14 December 1965
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    25 August to 3 September 1968
    17 to 18 September 1968
    27 September to 17 October 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    15 January to 21 February 1966
    24 to 27 April 1966
    3 to 9 and 15 to 26 May 1966
    23 to 27 June 1966
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VII
    16 December 1968 to 25 January 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    22 to 25 August 1966
    23 to 30 September 1966
    8 to 13 October 1966
    11 November to 5 December 1966
    11 to 23 January 1967
    7 to 12 March 1967
    16 to 28 May 1967
    Vietnam Summer-Fall
    1 July to 19 August 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    9 June to 10 July 1967
    Winter-Spring
    3 to 7 and 16 November 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    21 to 28 February 1968
    22 March to April 1968
     

  • Decommissioned, 5 January 1972, at San Diego CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976
  • Transferred, (sold), 1 May 1978, to Spain under terms of the Security Assistance Program, renamed Conde del Venadito (L-13) (named after a distinguished Spanish naval officer of the 18th-19th Century, later viceroy of Mexico)
  • Decommissioned and struck from the Spanish Naval list by Order 613/08326/90, 29 May 1990 (B.O.D. # 113)
  • USS Tom Green County (LST 1159) earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with twelve campaign stars (only ten are documented) for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications
    Displacement
    2,590 t (lt)
    5,800 t.(fl)
    Length 384'
    Beam 55'
    Draft 17'
    Speed 14 kts
    Complement
    Ships company and staff officers 16
    Ships company enlisted 189
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 380
    Boats
    three LCVPs
    one LCPL
    Armament
    three twin 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    four GM 16-278A Diesel engines
    two controllable pitch propellers, 6,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS LST-1159
    Tom Green County 38k Launching of LST-1159 at Bath Iron Works, Bath ME., 2 July 1953. The design of this LST class is a modification of two experimental ships constructed in the latter part of WWII Ed Lange LST-1159 Web Site
    Tom Green County 20k USS LST-1159 on the Kennebec River ME., circa September 1953 Ed Lange LST-1159 Web Site
    Tom Green County 34k USS LST-1159 at sea, circa September 1953 Ed Lange LST-1159 Web Site
    Tom Green County 159k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) under way 5 September 1955, location unknown.
    US US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 67827.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Tom Green County 182k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) under way during the 1950s, location unknown.
    US National Archives Photo # USN 1045200 from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Tom Green County (LST-1159)
    Tom Green County 234k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) beached at Okinawa in 1961. Note unidentified LSD in background, and Marines disembarking from LCVP.
    Photo by Leslie J. Mangin II, United States Marine Corp.
    Robert Hurst
    Tom Green County 29k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) and USS Westchester County (LST-1167), circa May 1960-December 1962, Hong Kong. Courtesy Jim Harp
    via Ed Lange
    LST-1159 Web Site
    Tom Green County 24k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159), date and location unknown LST Home Port
    Tom Green County 72k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) underway with a tug alongside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Habds" magazine, September 1970.
    Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Tom Green County 120k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) underway in 1965, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Robert Hurst
    Tom Green County 135k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) lays off the coast of South Vietnam with other U.S. Seventh Fleet amphibious ships supporting operations in South Vietnam, March 1967.
    US National Archives Photo # K-36238 by JOC Jim F. Falk, now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Tom Green County 44k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) on the Mekong River, South Vietnam, circa 1968 Tom Sparkman
    Tom Green County 45k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) on the Mekong River, South Vietnam, circa 1968 Courtesy Jim Harp
    via Ed Lange LST-1159 Web Site
    Tom Green County
    1016115930
    23k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) underway near Cat Lai, South Vietnamese, circa 1971.
    Photo by John W. Berry
    Tommy Trampp
    Tom Green County 142k Overhead view of USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) under way during the early 1970s, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 83479-KN. Courtesy of J. H. Potter, Hoboken, N. J., 1975.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Tom Green County
    NH 85849-KN
    172k USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) under during the 1970s, location unknown.
    US US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 85849-KN and NH 85848-KN.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Tom Green County
    NH 85848-KN
    190k
    Conde del Venadito (L-13)
    Harlan County 20k
    Namesake

    Conde del Venadito - Juan José Ruiz de Apodaca y Eliza Gastón de Iriarte López de Letona y Lasquetti. Born in Cádiz, 3 February 1754. Died in Madrid, 11 January 1835. Spanish nobleman, politician and sailor. 1st Count of the Venadito. 48th and penultimate viceroy of New Spain (20 September 1816-1820). Third Superior Political Chief of New Spain (1820-5 July 1821), and 16th Commandant General of the Spanish Royal Navy.
    Painting housed in the Naval Museum, Madrid.
    Fabio Peña
    Tom Green County 44k Ex-USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) in Spanish naval service as Conde del Venadito (L-13) at Barcelona, Spain, 26 March 1983 Photo by Fabio Peña
    Tom Green County 76k Conde del Venadito (L-13) at Barcelona, Spain, 26 March 1983 Photo by Fabio Peña
    Tom Green County 69k Conde del Venadito (L-13) at Barcelona, Spain, 26 March 1983 Photo by Fabio Peña
    Tom Green County 66k Conde del Venadito (L-13), Mahon, Spain, 17 February 1988. Photo by
    Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
    Tom Green County 64k Conde del Venadito (L-13) Castellamare, Sardinia, during Exercise Sardinia-87 Photo by
    Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
    Tom Green County 75k Conde del Venadito (L-13) off Valencia, Spain, June 1986 Photo by
    Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola

    USS Tom Green County (LST-1159)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Mobile Riverine Force Association, USS Tom Green County History
    Commanding Officers
    01LT/LCDR. Nemeth, Stephen John, USNR/USN12 September 1953 - 8 February 1956
    02LT/LCDR. Schweinefuss, Ralph Joseph, USN8 February 1956 - 4 November 1957
    03LCDR. Itte, Charles Marius, USN4 November 1957 - 23 JUne 1959
    04LCDR. Sipe, Richard Graham, USN23 june 1959 - 22 November 1960
    05LCDR/CDR. Casper, William Frederick, USN22 November 1960 - 12 October 1962
    06LCDR/CDR. Stephan, Charles Russell, USN12 October 1962 - 12 September 1964
    07LCDR/CDR. Troutman Jr., Burl Abraham, USN12 Sepetmber 1964 - 8 July 1966
    08LCDR/CDR. Dally, David Ferrall, USN (USNA 1953)8 July 1966 - 13 April 1968 (Hospital)
    09LT. Phillips, Roger VanDorn, USN13 April 1968 - 28 April 1968
    10LCDR. Riedemann Jr., Walter Joseph (Mick), USN28 April 1968 - 14 July 1970
    11LCDR. Delpercio Jr., Michael, USN7 July 1970 - 5 January 1972
    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
    USS Tom Green County (LST-1159) Commissioning Photos
    The USS LST Ship Memorial
    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
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    Last Updated 1 March 2024