USS Orleans Parish (LST-1069)

USS "Orleans Parish" (LST-1069) was an was taken in tow and delivered 29 May at San Francisco. Upon resuming her journey she transited the Panama Canal 5 July, visited Norfolk, unloaded her ammunition in New Jersey and decommissioned at Staten Island, New York 6 August 1956. The ship remained in the 3rd Naval District serving the Naval Reserve Training Program until transferred to the Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, Florida in September 1949. The outbreak of Communist aggression in Korea ended her retirement 2 years later. Recommissioning on 11 January 1952 preceded conversion as a mine squadron flagship and logistic support vessel. Helicopter landing, fueling, and repair facilities also permitted her to embark and control helicopters as demonstrated during 1955 LANTMINEX. Also during 1955, on 1 July, LST–1069 was named USS "Orleans Parish" (LST-1069), and in December, she made her first Atlantic crossing to take part in an Atlantic Fleet mine evaluation project at Port Lyautey, French Morocco. Her duties as flagship for MinRon 8 were interrupted from 16 December 1957 to 19 December 1958, while the ship was out of commission in reserve at Charleston, South Carolina. With additional communications equipment installed and other modifications she rejoined the fleet as the mine countermeasures support ship, USS "Orleans Parish" (MSC–6). Besides resuming participation in the annual Springboard, MinEx, and PhibEx exercises, on 20 November 1959 she departed Charleston escorting across the Atlantic several recently acquired Norwegian and Spanish minesweepers. After visiting Lisbon, Portugal she returned to her homeport 4 January 1960. That summer she conducted her first R.O.T.C. Midshipmen indoctrination cruise. During February, 1963 she paid her first visit to her namesake city at the height of the Mardi Gras festival. "Orleans Parish's" area of operation and assignment changed greatly when she decommissioned, 20 May 1966, and was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). Again designated USS "Orleans Parish" (LST–1069) and altered to serve as a cargo ship, she soon received a civilian crew and 12 September sailed for the Panama Canal and the Pacific. Her first voyage brought her to Guam; Subic Bay, Philippines; Vung Tau, South Vietnam; and Yokohama, Japan. She continued to sail in 1970 under the MSTS Far Eastern Command. Subsequently placed out of service, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 30 June 1975. The ship was sold to the Republic of the Philippines 1 September 1976; her final fate is unknown.

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ee also

* List of United States Navy LSTs