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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Wood County (LST-1178)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Oscar - Juliet
 NIOJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic)
LST-1171 DeSoto County Class Tank Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, 1 October 1956, at American Shipbuilding, Lorain, OH.
  • Launched, 14 December 1957
  • Commissioned USS Wood County (LST-1178), at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA., 5 August 1959, LCDR. Maxton M. Midgett in command
  • Decommissioned, 1 May 1972
  • Temporary custody transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the Nation Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 16 February 1989
  • Final Disposition, scrapped, July 2002, at Transforma Marine, Brownsville, TX.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,560 t.
    Length 445'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 18'
    Speed 17 kts.
    Complement 170
    Troop Capacity 410
    Armament 3 twin 3"/50 gun mounts
    Propulsion six Cooper-Bessemer diesel engines, replaced September 1969 with six Fairbanks Morse diesels, two propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Wood County/LCU-1612 76k USS Wood County (LST-1178) seen marrying up with LCU 1612 and another LCU to form a causeway to the beach, date and location unknown. CDR. Lou Chirillo, USN, Ret.
    Wood County 87k USS Wood County (LST-1178) beached, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, November 1963    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Wood County 8k USS Wood County (LST-1178) underway in the Kiel Canal with USS Tucumcari (PGH-2) secured to her main deck, circa March 1971 to February 1972 LST Home Port
    Wood County 64k USS Wood County (LST-1178) moored pierside at Copenhagen, Denmark, date unknown. Note USS Tucumcari (PGH-2) secured to her main deck
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1971    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Wood County 366k USS Wood County (LST-1178) underway, date and location, with pontoons side mounted port and starboard.
    US Navy photo    		 Christopher E. Case, courtesy Robert G. Merritt PO3 USN USS Wood County
    View the USS Wood County (LST-1178)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    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
    LST-1171 Class
    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 17 July 2009