La Moure County LST-883

La Moure County

(LST-883~: dp. 1,625, 1. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'1" s. 12 k.
colt 226; a. 8 40m,m., 12 20mm.; cl. LST-511 )

LST-883 was laid down by Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, Ind., 16 November 1944, launched 30 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. L. D. McBride, and commissioned at New Orleans, La., 23 January 1945, Lt. Winfleld H. Cook in command.

After shakedown off the Florida coast, LST-883 departed New Orleans for the west coast 28 February and arrived San Pedro 26 March. Steaming via Seattle, Wash.. the landing ship reached the Hawaiian Island 1 May and trained there until sailing for the western Pacific the 24th. She carried seabees via the Marshalls and the Marianas to battle-torn Okinawa where she arrived 26 June. After discharging men and equipment, she embarked veterans of the 6th Afarir're Division and sailed 10 July. Steaming via Guam, she reached Pearl Harbor 5 August.

During the rest of August she joined in amphibious training operations in the Hawaiian Islands. Following the surrender of Japan, she departed Pearl Harbor 3 September, with occupation forces for Japan. She debarked troops at Sasebo, Kyushu, 25 September, before sailing for the Philippines the 28th. She arrived Lingayen Gulf 5 October, and between 26 October and 4 November transported Army engineers to Nagoya, Honshu. From Japan she arrived Saipan 14 November and operated in the Marianas during the remainder of the year.

LST-883 steamed to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, between 15 and 20 January 1946. During the next 3 months she made cargo and passenger runs to Mindoro, Mindanao Luzon, and Samar. She decommissioned at Samar 20 April 1946, was placed in an in-custody status, and was transferred to the Army 2-3 August for use in Japan.

Reacquired by the Navy 1 July 1950, LST-883 recommissioned at Yokosuka, Japan, 26 August, Lt. Charles M. Miller in command. In response to President Truman's order to repel Communist aggression in Korea, she embarked Marines and Army troops, loaded combat stores, and departed Kobe, Japan, 10 September. She sailed for Inchon, South Korea, as part of an amphibious attack force.

Assigned to TG 90.3 LST-883 arrived off the Inchon seawalls 15 September while a eoneentrated air-sea bombardment pounded enemy shore installations. Later that afternoon, she closed the beaches and, despite heavy mortar and machinegun flre, debarked troops on Red Beach. As American naval and ground forces carried out the vital Inchon invasion, which spearheaded an Allied offensive northward, LST-883 discharged emergency supplies and dueled with enemy guns. She remained off Inchon until sailing for the eastern Beast of Korea 15 October. For daring bravery and herole performance of duty off Red Beach, the aggressive and intrepid LSTs of TF 90.32, including LST-883, received the Navy Unit Commendation.

Arriving Wonsan 25 October, LST-88S made coastal troop and cargo runs from Wonsan to Humgnam until returning to Yokosuka 22 November. After Chinese Communist armies moved southward into North Korea later that month, she departed Japan 9 December for the massive amphibious evacuation of Hungnam. Between 15 and 27 December she completed two runs out of Hungnam to carry men and equipment to Pusan, thence, she returned to Japan New Year's Eve. She continued operations between Yokosuka and Pusan until 31 March 1951 when she sailed for the United States.

After arriving San Diego 29 April, LST-883 underwent overhaul at Bremerton from 16 May to 22 July. During August and September she operated along the west coast and on 2 October she departed San Francisco for the Far East, arriving Yokosuka 5 November. After operating nloug the Japanese coast, she arrived Inchon 28 December with a cargo of military vehicles. Between 28 December and 18 July 1952, she made numerous troop and cargo runs along the western coast of Korea, and between Korea and Japan. In addition, she joined in amphibious training exercises off Japan and Okinawa. Departing Yokosuka 25 July, she arrived San Diego 22 August, and during tbe next 10 months operated off the California coast.

Carrying men of the 3d Marine Division, LST~83 again deployed to Korean waters 15 June 1953. Steaming via Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka, she reached Pusan 27 July as the uncertain armistice which halted hostilities in this stalemated conflict was signed at Panmunjom. During August and September she carried troops and supplies froin Korea to Japan and transported enemy prisoners from IT.N. POW camps to Inchon. After returning to Yokosuka 24 September, she made coastal runs to Robe and Rure and supported amphibious operations off Okinawa during the next 5 months. Between 26 February 1964 and 27 March, she sailed from Japan to California via Pearl Harbor. She operated along the California coast out of San Diego during the remainder of 1954.

Departing San Diego 17 February I955, LST-883 arrived Japan 17 March to begin a 6-month deployment in the Far East. Renamed La Moure County 1 July, she operated with peacekeeping forces between Japan and Rorea until sailing for the west coast 20 September. Following her return to San Diego 19 October, she resumed coastal operations and amphibious training duty off southern California. She served out of San Diego during the next 2 years and in 1956 completed two amphibious training cruises to Hawaii.

La Moure Countv departed San Diego 9 January 1958 on her third deployment to the Far East since the Korean confliet. She arrived Okinawa 12 February for duty with the mighty 7th Fleet. Over the next 4 months sbe steamed to the Philippines, Korea, and Japan while operating with this powerful and highly mobile seaborne force for freedom. Departing the western Pacific 25 June, she operated along the west coast until deploying to the Far East 29 January 1959. Based at Yokosuka, she cruised the Japanese coast and participated in amphibious exercises of, Okinawa and South Korea. She then sailed from Yokosuka for the United States 19 May and arrived Long Beach 14 June. La Moure Countv decommissioned there 7 December 1959; her name was struck from the Naval Register 1 January 1960, and she was sold for scrapping to Zidell Explorations Corp., 30 November 1960.

La Moure County received one battle star for World War II service and seven battle stars for Korean service.