USS La Moure County (LST-1194)

• Namesake: USS La Moure County (LST-1194) was named after LaMoure County in North Dakota, following the Navy tradition of naming tank landing ships (LSTs) after U.S. counties. • Ship Class: She belonged to the Newport-class of tank landing ships, a revolutionary design that replaced the traditional bow door with a 112-foot aluminum ramp over the bow for faster and safer offloading. • Commissioning: The ship was commissioned on 17 December 1971 at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. • Speed Record: Newport-class LSTs, including La Moure County, could reach speeds up to 20 knots, making them the fastest LSTs ever built for the US Navy. • Operational Role: She played a vital role in amphibious operations, able to carry tanks, vehicles, cargo, and up to 431 troops directly onto shorelines without port facilities. • Cold War Service: Throughout her career, the ship participated in numerous Cold War exercises in the Atlantic and Caribbean, including NATO exercises and joint training with allied nations. • Humanitarian Missions: La Moure County was also involved in humanitarian operations, such as disaster relief efforts in the Caribbean and Central America. • Grounding Incident: On 12 September 2000, the ship ran aground off the coast of Chile during a training exercise, suffering severe damage that led to her decommissioning. • Decommissioning: USS La Moure County was officially decommissioned on 17 November 2000 due to the extensive damage from the grounding incident. • Final Fate: After being removed from service, the vessel was used as a target and sunk in 2001 during a live-fire training exercise, ending her nearly 30-year naval career.