>From the "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships," 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.419





MONROE COUNTY



	A county in each of the following states:  Alabama, 

Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 

Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, 

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.





LST-1038

Displacement:  1,625 t.

Length:  328'

Beam:  50'

Draft:  14'1"

Speed:  12 k.

Complement:  119

Armament:  8 40mm; 12 20mm

Class:  LST-511



	LST-1038 was laid down 29 October 1944 by the Dravo 

Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa.; launched 6 January 1945; sponsored 

by Mrs. Elwood Printz; and commissioned, at New Orleans, 5 

February 1945, Lt. Julius Wood in command.



	Following shakedown exercises along the Florida gulf 

coast, LST-1038 returned to New Orleans for availability 

then steamed to Gulfport, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., taking on 

side-carry pontoons at the former and cargo ammunition at 

the latter.  Loaded by 15 March, she departed for the Panama 

Canal en route to the western Pacific.  Steaming 

independently, she arrived at Ulithi 4 May, departing again 

on the 8th with convoy UOL-11, then headed west to the 

embattled Ryukyus.  On 16 May, she sighted Kerama Retto and, 

after reporting to CTG 31.15, commenced supplying ammunition 

to fleet units as necessary, primarily DDs and DMSs.  The 

constant threat of Japanese air attack kept the crew alert 

at all times, bringing them to general quarters at least 

once every day for the next month.  On 10 June, she shifted 

her operating area to Nakagusuku Wan, Okinawa, where she 

carried out similar ammunition supply ship missions for CTG 

31.19 until the end of the month.  She then got underway for 

Leyte, arriving 6 July to begin availability.



	Two days after the formal surrender, in Tokyo Bay, 2 

September, LST-1038 cleared Subic Bay en route to Luzon 

where she took on personnel attached to headquarters, XI 

Army, for transportation to Wakayama, Honshu, for occupation 

duty.  Disembarking her passengers on the 25th, she returned 

to the Philippines to take on further occupation troops.  

During the next 2 months she completed two more troop lifts, 

one from the Philippines, the other from Okinawa.  On 27 

December, she sailed for Saipan, thence steamed to Tinian 

where she took on cargo for Guam.  Arriving there 10 January 

1946, she sailed again, 2 February, heading for the Russells 

for temporary duty under ComMarianas in connection with 

rollup of ocean bases in that area.



	Detached from the Pacific Fleet in the spring, LST-1038 

headed back toward the Panama Canal and duty on the Atlantic 

coast.  In May she reported to the 3d Naval District and for 

the next 3 years served as a training vessel for naval 

reservists in the New York area.  In 1949, she was ordered 

south for inactivation.  Decommissioning in June, she 

entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, berthing at Green Cove 

Springs, Fla.  Renamed MONROE COUNTY 1 July 1955, she 

remained in Florida until 1958, when she was struck from the 

Naval Register on 1 November 1958.



	LST-1038 received one battle star for her World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com