About this Unit
USS Terrell County (LST-1157) was a United States Navy tank landing ship commissioned in 1953. She served primarily in the Pacific Fleet, supporting amphibious operations and logistics during the Cold War era. Terrell County saw extensive service during the Vietnam War, delivering troops, vehicles, and supplies to combat zones along the Vietnamese coast. After nearly two decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1972 and later transferred to the Spanish Navy.
Historical Facts
• Commissioning and Namesake: USS Terrell County (LST-1157) was commissioned on 2 July 1953 and named after Terrell County, Texas, following the tradition of naming tank landing ships after counties in the United States.
• Part of the LST-1156 Class: She belonged to the De Soto County-class of tank landing ships, which featured improved accommodations and capabilities over earlier LSTs.
• Pacific Service: After shakedown, Terrell County was assigned to the Pacific Fleet, operating out of San Diego and later Long Beach, California.
• Vietnam War Support: The ship played a vital logistics role during the Vietnam War, transporting troops, vehicles, and supplies to various combat and support zones along the Vietnamese coast.
• Operation Market Time: She participated in Operation Market Time, the coastal surveillance and interdiction operation designed to stop the flow of supplies to the Viet Cong by sea.
• Mobile Base Platform: Terrell County often served as a floating base for riverine patrol boats (PBRs) and SEAL teams, supporting "brown-water navy" operations in the Mekong Delta.
• Rescue Mission: In 1966, the ship performed a notable rescue operation, saving 14 men from the burning Norwegian freighter SS Blue Master off the coast of Vietnam.
• Amphibious Exercises: The LST regularly participated in large-scale amphibious exercises with U.S. Marines and allied forces in the Pacific, honing beach assault and logistics skills.
• Decommissioning and Transfer: After being decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in May 1972, the ship was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy, where she served as RVNS My Tho (HQ-800).
• Aftermath and Legacy: Following the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, the vessel escaped to the Philippines with South Vietnamese refugees and was later transferred to the Philippine Navy, where she was renamed BRP Basilan (LT-85).
