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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.)

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
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
	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
	20k	USS LST-1159 on the Kennebec River ME., circa September 1953	Ed Lange LST-1159 Web Site
	34k	USS LST-1159 at sea, circa September 1953	Ed Lange LST-1159 Web Site
	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
	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)
	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
	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
	24k	*USS Tom Green County* (LST-1159)**, date and location unknown	LST Home Port
	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.
	120k	*USS Tom Green County* (LST-1159)** underway in 1965, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Robert Hurst
	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 CommandUS Naval History and Heritage Command
	44k	*USS Tom Green County* (LST-1159)** on the Mekong River, South Vietnam, circa 1968	Tom Sparkman
	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
1016115930	23k	*USS Tom Green County* (LST-1159)** underway near Cat Lai, South Vietnamese, circa 1971. Photo by John W. Berry	Tommy Trampp
	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
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
NH 85848-KN	190k		US Naval History and Heritage Command
Conde del Venadito (L-13)
	20k	*Namesake* *Conde del Venadito - Juan Jos� Ruiz de Apodaca y Eliza Gast�n de Iriarte L�pez de Letona y Lasquetti.* Born in C�diz, 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 Pe�a
	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 Pe�a
	76k	Conde del Venadito (L-13) at Barcelona, Spain, 26 March 1983	Photo by Fabio Pe�a
	69k	Conde del Venadito (L-13) at Barcelona, Spain, 26 March 1983	Photo by Fabio Pe�a
	66k	Conde del Venadito (L-13), Mahon, Spain, 17 February 1988.	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	64k	Conde del Venadito (L-13) Castellamare, Sardinia, during Exercise Sardinia-87	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	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
01	LT/LCDR. Nemeth, Stephen John, USNR/USN	12 September 1953 - 8 February 1956
02	LT/LCDR. Schweinefuss, Ralph Joseph, USN	8 February 1956 - 4 November 1957
03	LCDR. Itte, Charles Marius, USN	4 November 1957 - 23 JUne 1959
04	LCDR. Sipe, Richard Graham, USN	23 june 1959 - 22 November 1960
05	LCDR/CDR. Casper, William Frederick, USN	22 November 1960 - 12 October 1962
06	LCDR/CDR. Stephan, Charles Russell, USN	12 October 1962 - 12 September 1964
07	LCDR/CDR. Troutman Jr., Burl Abraham, USN	12 Sepetmber 1964 - 8 July 1966
08	LCDR/CDR. Dally, David Ferrall, USN (USNA 1953)	8 July 1966 - 13 April 1968 (Hospital)
09	LT. Phillips, Roger VanDorn, USN	13 April 1968 - 28 April 1968
10	LCDR. Riedemann Jr., Walter Joseph (Mick), USN	28 April 1968 - 14 July 1970
11	LCDR. Delpercio Jr., Michael, USN	7 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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 1 March 2024