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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive



Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS De Soto County (LST-1171)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Oscar - Delta
NIOD

USS De Soto County (LST-1171) was transferred to Italy, renamed Nave Grado (L9890)
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba)
Bottom Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba) - Vietnam Service Medal


LST-1171 De Soto County Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 15 September 1956, at Avondale Marine Ways, Inc. Avondale, LA.
  • Launched, 28 February 1957
  • Commissioned USS De Soto County (LST-1171), 10 June 1958, LCDR. Daniel A. York in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS De Soto County participated in the following campaign:

    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Summer - Fall 1969 9 to 11 September 1969

  • Decommissioned, 17 July 1972, and loaned to Italy, renamed Nave Grado (L9890)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1992
  • USS De Soto (LST-1171) earned one campaign star for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by the Italian government in 1989
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,560 t.(lt) 7,823 t (fl)
    Length 445'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 16' 8"
    Speed 17.5 kts.
    Complement 10 Officers, 174 Enlisted
    Troop Capacity 575
    Boats four LCVP landing craft
    Cargo Capacity 28 medium tanks or vehicles to 75 tons on 288" long tank deck
    Liquid Cargo Capacity 100,000 gal. (US) diesel or jet fuel, plus 7,000 gal. petrol for embarked vehicles
    Armament 3 twin 3"/50 gun mounts
    Propulsion 6 Nordburg diesel engines, 2 shafts, controllable pitch propellers

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS De Soto County (LST-1171)
    De Soto County
    1016117123
    298k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway, 21 October 1959, location unknown.
    US National Archives photo # USN 1044988, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Mike Smolinski
    De Soto County 96k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway, circa 1965, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Tommy Trampp
    De Soto County 30k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway in the Caribbean Sea, circa 1958 Pete Reenstra
    USS De Soto County LST-1171 web site
    De Soto County 149k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1964.
    Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret.
    De Soto County 134k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) moored at Toledo OH. while preparing to receive visitors during the ship's Great Lakes tour in 1964
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, September 1964.
    Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret.
    De Soto County 201k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) cruises Lake Michigan with the Norwegian tall ship Christian Radich, during the De Soto County's Great Lakes tour in 1964.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1964.
    Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret.
    De Soto County 25k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway, date and location unknown. Pete Reenstra
    De Soto County LST-1171
    Web Site
    De Soto County 1074k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) moored outboard of USS Mountrail (APA-213) at Genoa, Italy, 31 December 1967. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    De Soto County 73k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    ARD-18 374k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) at Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp. shipyard, circa 1967-68. Note ARD-18 undergoing conversion to the Medium Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock Endurance (ARDM-3) and USS Truckee (AO-147) in the background.
    US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Ron Reeves
    ARD-18 364k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) at Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp. shipyard, circa 1967-68. Note ARD-18 undergoing conversion to the Medium Auxiliary Repair Dry Dock Endurance (ARDM-3).
    US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Ron Reeves
    De Soto County
    1016117124
    66k USS De Soto County (LST-1171) underway in October 1964 with an Amphibious Force Command Ship (Probably either USS Pocono (AGC-16) or USS Taconic (AGC-17)), location unknown.
    U.S.M.C. photo from the William C. Reed Collection (COLL/5634) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division
    Robert Hurst
    Nave Grado (L9890)
    De Soto County 67k Ex-USS De Soto County (LST-1171) in Italian service as Nave Grado (L9890) at Brindisi, 9 March 1986, during Exercise Sardinia-86. Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
    De Soto County 92k Nave Grado (L9890) under way, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst

    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. York, Daniel August10 June 1958 - ?
    02LCDR. Foulds, Donald Duane, USN (USNA 1948-B)no dates
    03LCDR. Bremer, Woodson Palmer? - 15 July 1963
    04LCDR. Mann Jr., Horace Desmond (Skip), USN15 July 1963 - 30 September 1965
    05LCDR. Ridge, James Joseph, USN30 September 1965 - 8 March 1968
    06LCDR. Maulin, William Howard8 March 1968 - 6 February 1970
    07LCDR. Friedsam, Bruce Alexander6 February 1970 - 1972
    08LCDR. Bonham, Charles Leonard1972 - 17 July 1972
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves


    For more photos and information about USS De Soto County, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • Crew and Miscellaneous Images
  • Welcome Aboard Pamphlet
  • The USS LST Ship Memorial
  • LST Home Port
  • State LST Chapters
  • United States LST Association

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

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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 September 2023