Pulaski County LST-1088

Pulaski County



(LST-1088: dp. 4,080,1. 328'0"; b. 50'0", dr. 14'1" s. 12 k.
cpl. 119; a. 8 40mm, 12 20mm; cl. LST-108i)

Pulaski County (LST-1088) WM laid down by the American Bridge Co., Ambridge, Pa., 16 December 1944, Iaunched 11 February 1945; sponsored by Mrs. A. J. Paddock, and commissioned at Algiers, La. as LST-1088 27 March 1945, Lt. Sheldon Potter III in command.

After shakedown off Florida, LST-1088 departed the Gulf Coast 6 May for the Pacific. She put in to Pearl Harbor Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan, Manila, and Lingayen Gulf before landing occupation troops at Wakayama, Honshu, Japan 28 October. She subsequently carried troops and cargo to Okinawa, Sasebo, Saipan, Pearl Harbor, and San Francisco arriving at the last named port 19 January 1946. In March she sailed for Portland, Oreg. where she underwent pre-inactivation overhaul, was decommissioned 29 August 1946, and berthed with the Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.

On 1 July 1955, LST-1088 was named Pulaski County (LST-1088). In 1961 Pulaski County was moved to the Reserve Group at Bremerton, Wash. On 21 May 1963, she recommissioned and was assigned to Reserve LST Squadron 2 homeported in Little Creek, Va. The ship underwent refresher training at San Diego from 17 June to 2 July, then sailed 20 July via the Panama Canal for Little Creek arriving 22 August. '

In January and February 1964, Pulaski County transported
obsolete ammunition from the ammunition denot at Earle, N.J. for disposal at sea. She then operated along the east coast from Florida to New York, and provided training services for the Army at Little Creek. In late February 1965 Pul~ki County supported a Project Gemini space flight. From 22 May through 25 August she supported Army troops during the Dominican Republic Operations.

In early 1966 Pula~ki County deployed from Little Creek to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. She sDent most of the year in the western Pacific, particularly off Vietnam, but also making port ealls at Okinawa and Japan. Her main duty was transporting cargo to Vietnam. She continued to operate in Vietnam and the Far East in early 1967. In July 1967 she was transferred to MSTS, and into 1970 remains with MSTS operated by a Civil Service crew.