USS Harnett County (LST-821) was an built for the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Named after Harnett County, North Carolina

Harnett County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 91,025 people, 33,800 households, and 24,099 families residing in the county. The population density was 153 people per square mile . There were 38,605 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile...

, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS LST-821 was laid down on 19 September 1944 at Evansville, Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...

 by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 27 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson, Sr.; and commissioned on 14 November 1944 with Lieutenant C. J. Rudine, USNR, in command.

Service history

During World War II, LST-821 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto

Battle of Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...

 from April through June, 1945. Following the War, she performed occupation duty in the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

 until early December, 1945. LST-821 returned to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and was decommissioned in March, 1946 and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet. On 1 July 1955 all remaining LSTs were given names of U.S. counties

County (United States)

In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...

; LST-821 was named USS Harnett County (LST-821).

Recommissioned on 20 August 1966, Harnett County saw extensive service in the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, participating in the following campaigns: the Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II (12 January to 31 May 1967); the Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III (1 June to 12 July 1967 and 17 August 1967 to 29 January 1968); the Tet Counteroffensive (30 January to 27 February 1968); the Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV (9 April to 30 June 1968); the Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V (1 July to 1 November 1968); the Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI (2 to 4 November 1968 and 8 December 1968 to 22 February 1969); the Tet/69 Counteroffensive (23 February to 7 May 1969); Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 (4 August to 31 October 1969); Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970 (1 November 1969 to 22 January 1970 and 17 February to 30 April 1970); the Sanctuary Counteroffensive (1 May to 30 June 1970); and the Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII (1 to 21 July 1970).

Redesignated a Patrol Craft Tender, USS Harnett County (AGP-821) in the spring of 1970, she was decommissioned 12 October 1970 at Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

. The ship was transferred to South Vietnam under the Security Assistance Program on 12 October 1970 and renamed RVNS My Tho (HQ-800).
My Tho was one of the flotilla of thirty-five Republic of Vietnam Navy

Republic of Vietnam Navy

The Republic of Vietnam Navy was the naval force of the former Republic of Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. The early fleet consisted of boats from France. After 1955 and the transfer of the armed forces to Vietnamese control, the fleet was supplied from the United States...

 ships that sailed for Subic Bay

Subic Bay

Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...

 after the fall of Saigon

Fall of Saigon

The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...

 in April 1975. She was transferred to the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 on 5 April 1976, her final fate is unknown.

LST-821 earned one battle star for World War II service. Additionally, Harnett County earned nine battle stars, two awards of the Presidential Unit Citation, and three awards of the Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Unit Commendation

The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...

for the Vietnam War.