U SS Grant County LST 1174

• Commissioning Date: USS Grant County (LST-1174) was commissioned into the United States Navy on 17 December 1957, serving as a tank landing ship (LST) during the Cold War era. • Name Origin: The ship was named after multiple Grant Counties located in the United States, rather than a single place or person, reflecting the Navy's tradition of naming LSTs after counties. • Class and Design: It was part of the De Soto County-class of tank landing ships, which featured improved accommodations and cargo handling facilities compared to earlier LST designs. • Cuban Missile Crisis: USS Grant County played a key role in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, participating in the naval quarantine and transporting Marines and equipment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. • Humanitarian Missions: Beyond combat roles, the ship was involved in disaster relief operations, such as providing aid to Haiti after Hurricane Flora in 1963. • Mediterranean Deployments: The ship regularly deployed with the Sixth Fleet, conducting training and amphibious exercises throughout the Mediterranean Sea. • Vietnam War Service: Although primarily stationed in the Atlantic, the USS Grant County made at least one deployment to the western Pacific, supporting operations during the Vietnam War. • Reserve Training Ship: In later years, she was assigned to the Naval Reserve Force, serving as a training platform for reserve personnel until her decommissioning. • Decommissioning: USS Grant County was decommissioned on 9 September 1973 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register the same day after nearly 16 years of service. • Final Fate: After decommissioning, the ship was sold for scrap in 1983, closing the chapter on a vessel that had served in both military and humanitarian capacities during its career.