About this Unit
USS Thomaston (LSD-28) was a Thomaston-class dock landing ship commissioned by the United States Navy in September 1954. Named after Thomaston, Maine, the vessel played a critical role in amphibious operations, including extensive service during the Vietnam War where she supported troop landings, transported equipment, and participated in riverine and coastal missions. Over her three decades of active service, USS Thomaston was involved in numerous training exercises and humanitarian missions across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The ship was decommissioned in September 1984, leaving a legacy of versatility and dependable support to U.S. naval amphibious forces.
Historical Facts
• Namesake: USS Thomaston (LSD-28) was named after Thomaston, Maine, a town with a rich shipbuilding history and the site where the USS Ranger, John Paul Jones’s flagship, was constructed during the Revolutionary War.
• Class Leader: She was the lead ship of the Thomaston-class dock landing ships, a class of eight designed to support amphibious operations by carrying landing craft and troops.
• Commissioning: USS Thomaston was commissioned on 17 September 1954, at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, with Captain William H. Rowen in command.
• Innovative Design: Unlike her predecessors, the Thomaston-class featured a longer well deck and improved accommodations, enabling the transport of heavier and more numerous landing craft, vehicles, and troops.
• Vietnam War Service: Thomaston played a significant role during the Vietnam War, participating in multiple amphibious assaults and support missions, including Operation Deckhouse IV and the famous Operation Double Eagle in 1966.
• Apollo Recovery: In 1966, the ship served as a secondary recovery vessel for the Gemini X and Gemini XI space missions, ready to assist if the primary recovery ships could not reach the returning capsules.
• Humanitarian Missions: In addition to combat duties, Thomaston supported humanitarian efforts in the Pacific, providing disaster relief and medical assistance to island communities struck by typhoons and other emergencies.
• Arctic Operations: The ship participated in Operation Blue Nose, crossing the Arctic Circle and supporting supply missions to remote northern bases, earning her crew the rare “Blue Nose” designation.
• Decommissioning and Fate: After a distinguished career, USS Thomaston was decommissioned on 3 September 1984 and later struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1992. She was sold for scrap in 2011, concluding her nearly 30-year service history.
• Legacy: USS Thomaston received eight battle stars for her Vietnam War service, a testament to her crew’s valor and the ship’s crucial role in amphibious warfare and naval history.
