Harnett County LST-821

Harnett County

A county in central North Carolina.

(LST-821 : dp. 1,625 ; 1. 328' ; b. 50' ; dr. 11' ; s. 12 k;
Cpl. 266; a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm.; cl. LST - 11)
LST - 21 was laid down by Missouri Valley Bridge Iron Works, Evansville, Inc., 19 September 1944, launched 27 October, sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson Sr.; placed in partial commission 14 November for the cruise down the Mississippi River; and commissioned at New Orleans 22 November, Lt. C. J. Rudine in command.

After shakedown off Florida, LST-821 departed New Orleans 27 December for the West Coast arriving San Diego 18 January 1945. Sailing on to San Francisco and Pearl Harbor, where she loaded additional cargo, LST-821 arrived Entwetok, Marshall Islands, 7 March. For the next 5 weeks she operated in the vicinity of Entwetok, Ulithi, and Guam before sailing to Okinawa.

The campaign against the enemy held fortress of Okinawa was well under way v.,hen LST-821 arrived 18 April. Five days later she unloaded her cargo Of men, vehicles, and supplies off Ie Shima. On the 24th she embarked 183 men of' the 77th Infantry Division and transported them to the west coast Or Okinawa, then returned to Ulithi 5 May for a short overhaul.

For the rest of the war she shuttled troops and equipment among the U.S. bases in the Pacific, as American forces prepared for a possible assault on the Japanese homeland. Japan's acceptance Or Allied peace terms precluded any invasion of Japan, and LST-821 continued operations with the occupation forces in the Far East until 11 December when she sailed for the United States.

The landing ship arrived San Diego 7 January 1946; sailed to Portland in early April and decommissioned at Vancouver, Wash., 8 July 1946. She remained in the Pacific Reserve Fleet for the next 20 years, and was named Harnett County 1 July 1955.

Harnett County recommissioned 20 August 1966 to help meet the large and growing demand for ships in the Vietnam war. After shakedown training off San Francisco Bay, she departed for duty with the Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, that continued into 1967.

LST-821 received one battle star for World War II service.