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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:

Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaign
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)
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
	96k	*USS De Soto County* (LST-1171)** underway, circa 1965, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Tommy Trampp
	30k	*USS De Soto County* (LST-1171)** underway in the Caribbean Sea, circa 1958	Pete Reenstra USS De Soto County LST-1171 web site
	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.
	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.
	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.
	25k	*USS De Soto County* (LST-1171)** underway, date and location unknown.	Pete Reenstra De Soto County LST-1171 Web Site
	1074k	*USS De Soto County* (LST-1171) moored outboard of USS Mountrail (APA-213)** at Genoa, Italy, 31 December 1967.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
	73k	*USS De Soto County* (LST-1171)** moored pierside, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	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
	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
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)
	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
	92k	Nave Grado (L9890) under way, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. York, Daniel August	10 June 1958 - ?
02	LCDR. Foulds, Donald Duane, USN (USNA 1948-B)	no dates
03	LCDR. Bremer, Woodson Palmer	? - 15 July 1963
04	LCDR. Mann Jr., Horace Desmond (Skip), USN	15 July 1963 - 30 September 1965
05	LCDR. Ridge, James Joseph, USN	30 September 1965 - 8 March 1968
06	LCDR. Maulin, William Howard	8 March 1968 - 6 February 1970
07	LCDR. Friedsam, Bruce Alexander	6 February 1970 - 1972
08	LCDR. Bonham, Charles Leonard	1972 - 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

Last Updated 15 September 2023