USS Park County 1077 Photos Album
Below are photos of the USS Park County 1077 submitted by US LST Baord Member Mike Kempf. We encourage you to send in your photos to support@nehemiahcommunications.com or USLST Association c/o Nehemiah Communications, 101 Rice Bent Way #6, Columbia, SC 29229.
USS Park County departing San Diego, Point Loma in the background, 1966
Drawing of the deck layout of LSTs.
USS Park County during modernization overhaul for service in Vietnam, February, 1966.
USS Park County during modernization overhaul for service in Vietnam, February, 1966 at Willamette Iron and Steel Company, Portland, OR
USS Park County during modernization overhaul for service in Vietnam, April, 1966 at Willamette Iron and Steel Company, Portland, OR
USS Park County on a floating dry dock prior to recommissioning, Mike Kempf
Recommissioning Ceremony, April 6, 1965, Portland Oregon. Captain John Dobrosky assumes command of the USS Park County (LST-1077). Also in attendance is Mrs. Katie Brown, (pictured above) representing the citizens of Cody and Park County Wyoming. Katie and the citizens of Park County, Wyoming continued their support of the crew throughout the Vietnam conflict by sending Christmas cards each year, each signed by a citizen of Cody, as well as cookies. To quote her obituary, “She would become the self appointed ship mother for the next 5 1/2 years.”
Recommissioning Ceremony
Recommissioning Ceremony
Day of recommissioning, Capt. Dobrosky with Cleve Bradley EM1 and his family.
Ryan Firefish Presentation – San Diego May ’67, LST gunners sink drone target boat…
USS Park County with bow doors open.
View of the tank deck looking forward toward the closed bow door ramp
View of the forward twin 40MM gun mount
View of the Scullery.
View of the ship’s store
Stern view of the USS Sutter County following name change by the Park County Stern Paint Crew
Two hard working Park County enginemen, one has fallen asleep (Dewey Carey) while leaning back in a chair in the escape trunk of the auxiliary engine room. Note the coffee cup and book in his lap. The other engineman is Bill Bailey. Those were very long very hot days and nights standing generator watches and working to maintain the equipment. Most days would run 12 plus hours
Auxiliary Engine (Generator) Room
Auxiliary Engine (Generator) Room.
Hammond Vietnam Conflict cover page
Hammond Vietnam Conflict Map
Coastline, Vung Tau, South Vietnam
Pier at Vung Tau, local children watching the action
Don Shambeau FT3 of Milwaukee, taking a break
View of the Bridge of the USS Sutter County steaming in parallel with the Park County during High Line operations on February 4, 1967. The Park County was relieving the Sutter during Operation Market Time in support of Swift boats that were patrolling the mouths of the Mekong rivers. The LSTs served as the mother ship for 4 swift boats that served 24-hour rotational shifts aboard the boats, interdicting vessels that were attempting to deliver arms to the Viet cong.
Park County High Line Operations with the USS Sutter County
Park County High Line Operations with the USS Sutter County
USS Park County High Line Operations with the USS Sutter County
View of the Sutter County during High Line operations
Sutter County during High Line operations
Stu Bauer, GM3
Sunset South China Sea
Sunset South China Sea
Swift Boat PCF 96 returning to patrol duty after rendezvousing with the Park County for reprovisioning, minor repairs, and a fresh crew.
Mike Kempf IC2, sitting over the front of the forward gun tub while underway, replacing a defective masthead light
Electrician Mates, Bruce Holman (L) and Dave Valencia (R) with Mike Kempf IC2 in the Electrical shop moving landing craft batteries
Collision of the SS Guam Bear, Apria Harbor, March 1967. It was a Sunday morning and word was passed requesting volunteers to take an LCVP with supplies to the sinking ship. The Bear had been hit by an outbound tanker. When we got to the site the Bear was hard aground to the stern. The ship ended up being a total loss, refloated and towed to sea and scuttled.
Fishing nets - Qui Nhon
Qui Nhon
Qui Nhon
Joey Heatherton with the Bob Hope Show at Anderson AFB, Guam, December. 1966.
Bob Hope with Joey Heatherton
Mike Kempf with Don Shambeau on liberty in Guam standing in front of a former WWII fortification
Local Vietnamese children playing at Da Nang
Park County beached at the deep-water port at Da Nang off-loading supplies
Captain Dobrosky with XO Jim Daniels on the bridge.
Jim Pack SN on watch on the bridge - sea detail in the wheelhouse
Park County Chief Engineer Eddie Knot (L) and Operations Officer Dan Parks (R) with a Marine M.Sgt
Welma Obrien SF1 with Cleve Bradley EM1 (soon to be chief) and Richard Pieles SFM2 chatting on the main deck. 1967 Underway – smokem if you gottem
Rick Capello GM3 testing nap time on the LCVP
Mike Kempf, Larry Keith and Dewey Carey catching some rays off the coast of Vietnam.
On the Signal Bridge, Godfry James (Fulton) SM2, an unidentified shipmate and Cliff Griffin EM3.
Signalman Godfry (Fulton) James SM2
Beneto Cruz YN2 with George Lyngheim PN3 on the main deck the morning of recommissioning in Portland, OR in April 1966.
Park County Band, Jule Boyer on Trumpet, Jeff Capelette on Guitar
Park County beached, location unknown
Gee!! I Wish I were a MAN I’d Join the NAVY - United States Navy Recruiting Poster
Promotion Ceremony: Rick Capello GM3, Joe Taisipic SFP2, Unknown, Procopoo Padilla BM3, Bob Kincaid BM2, Tom Shelton GM3, John Ivey GM3.
Promotion Ceremony: Unknown, Jack Cruse RD3, Mike Chandler CS3, Unknown, Jack Cooper BM2, Procopoo Padilla BM3, Unknown, Unknown
Promotion Ceremony: Captain Dobrosky congratulating Chuck Holman EM2.
Promotion Ceremony: Bill Strawman SH2, Soli (Tofi) Ofoia RM1, Larry Mulford YN2, Ed McCarthy CS3 , Daniel Kinske.
David Van Auken GMG3 and crewmember of the Park County ’68-69, presents the last US flag to fly over the USS Park County to a representative of Park County, Wyoming, which was one of the two counties for which the ship was named. The flag was lowered for the last time at the close of the decommissioning ceremony in San Diego in September of 1971, by John Steep and will now be displayed in Cody, WY with other memorabilia of the ship