USS Whitfield County (LST 1169) Memorial
Last Updated: 11/13/06


   THE USS WHITFIELD COUNTY'S BELL, PLAQUE, FLAG AND OTHER ITEMS WENT ON DISPLAY IN THE WHITFIELD COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN DALTON, GEORGIA ON DECEMBER 13TH. THE ACTUAL DEDICATION CEREMONY TOOK PLACE ON JUNE 12TH. THE FOLLOWING PICTURES CAPTURE SOME OF THE ACTION.

Published with the permission of the Daily Citizen

Parts of decommissioned Navy ship named for Whitfield may come home
By: J. Daniel Cloud, The Daily Citizen November 16, 2003
In the Vietnam War, the name "Whitfield County" carried a very different connotation than it does now, as hundreds - even thousands, at different times - of American sailors lived on the USS Whitfield County in Southeast Asia.
The ship, officially designated by the United States Navy as tank landing ship LST-1169, was a 384-foot-long craft whose bow lowered like a drawbridge, allowing vehicles and personnel directly onto the shore or onto a dock.
Now, 30 years after the ship was decommissioned by the Navy in 1973, some memorabilia from - and parts of - the ship could be destined for the county for which it was named.
County commissioners are expected Monday to sign a letter to the curator of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C., asking that the ship's bell, flags, insignia plaque and any other materials be stored in the Whitfield County Courthouse.
"As part of our recognition of veterans, our courthouse lawn contains a war memorial, POW, MIA and KIA American flag receptacles for those from Whitfield County that have served, and an eternal flame monument to veterans," says the letter, which awaits signatures of the commissioners.
The ship's memorabilia would be a welcome addition to the county's collection of historic materials, officials said.
"I think most people in this area, myself included, probably had no idea that there was a ship named after Whitfield County," commissioner Mike Cowan said Friday.
"Any items of historic or cultural significance that are able to be displayed in Whitfield County would be a great addition to our displays at the courthouse," Cowan said. "Anything with historical significance like that is a real quality of life issue, as far as being able to display that and have it for people in Whitfield County to see and enjoy."
A group of veterans who served on the USS Whitfield County contacted county officials in late October to inform them that some materials from the ship might be available.
Carl Forbes of West Virginia recently organized the first reunion of sailors who served on the USS Whitfield County during its 20-year history in the U.S. Navy.
The reunion, in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 9-12, drew 10 sailors who served on the ship in the 1960s, Forbes said.
Forbes served his first tour of Vietnam on the ship from June 1965 to June 1967, and later served on two other ships until his four-year stint was up.
"What we're trying to do is get anyone who served on it from the time it was commissioned in 1953 until the time it was decommissioned in 1973 to get together with us, to talk about mutual experiences," he said.
In the process, Forbes and others in the group are searching for more of their former shipmates.
Forbes said he started with 18 names and now has a database of 62 names and addresses of those who served on board, and the search continues.
Hundreds of such reunions are held every year, drawing alumni of various ships back together, Forbes said.
"If the Whitfield County people do a dedication for the ship on some military holiday, or whatever they decide to do, there is a group of us who would be willing to come down and be a part of such a ceremony," he said.
"We could bring photos and talk about the history of the ship and we would love to take part in a dedication ceremony at some point."
"I think that would be great," Cowan said. "When we get to that point, maybe we could get them to write a short brief history of their connection with the ship, and maybe have those histories archived with the items from the ship."
In brief, the history of the ship is this:
The ship was launched on Aug. 22, 1953, in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., had shakedown training in the Gulf of Mexico through October 1954, then cruised to the Tidewater area of Virginia, her home port.
The next few years included runs through the Caribbean to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other ports; an overhaul in Norfolk, Va.; a trip through the Panama Canal; a year in San Diego, Calif.; and her first trip to the Western Pacific, specifically to Yokosuka, Japan, in 1957.
From Yokosuka, the ship went on to Okinawa and the Philippines, then back to San Diego in early 1958.
The ship's second deployment to the Western Pacific began in April 1959, when the ship left for Pearl Harbor. She went on to Korea, Japan and Okinawa that year, returning to San Diego in November.
The ship left American shores in 1960, and her home port was changed to Yokosuka, Japan. The USS Whitfield County spent the next 13 years in the Far East, with much time in Vietnam, delivering personnel and materials and both firing on - and being fired upon by - Vietnamese forces.
The ship was decommissioned while in Yokosuka in March 1973, and was "struck from" the Navy list in 1977.
After Vietnam, the Navy "just didn't need that particular type of ship anymore," Forbes said. "The ship would actually run right up on the beach, lower the doors at the bow and the vehicles or other cargo could just drive right out. And they didn't need that capability anymore."
The USS Whitfield County was "sold to the Hellenic navy, the Greek Navy, in 1977," said Mike Coughlin of North Dakota, who served on the ship throughout 1964 and '65.
In addition to corresponding with American naval personnel who were on the ship, Coughlin said he is in frequent contact with a Greek sailor who was on the ship when it was taken out of service and decommissioned.
To add to the bell, flags, insignia and other official memorabilia of the ship, Coughlin is having a model made of the USS Whitfield County to put in the collection if it is housed here in the county for which it was named.
And he looks forward to being a member of the group that comes here to tell Whitfield Countians about their namesake Naval vessel.
"I would certainly come down, and we have others living in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and other Southern states," Coughlin said. "I think we could get a good group there for some kind of ceremony."


Information on the history of the USS Whitfield County was taken from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, a publication of the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C.
USS Whitfield lives on, to be dedicated tonight
By Misty Watson, mistywatson@daltoncitizen.com June 13, 2005 

Bobby Moore saw the 384-foot-long ship docked in the Philippines during the Vietnam War and said he had to go on board.

While serving in the United States Navy carrying supplies into Vietnam from the Philippines, Moore saw a ship with the name of his home across it - the USS Whitfield County.

The USS Whitfield County, named for Whitfield County, will be dedicated at the courthouse tonight at 7 at the county Board of Commissioner's meeting.

Several members of the USS Whitfield County Association will be at the dedication ceremony to preserve the history of the ship.

Association coordinator Carl Forbes recently acquired items from the USS Whitfield County after its decommissioning and stored them in the Navy warehouse in Washington, D.C. Other items, such as the ship's bell, flag and ship's plaque, are on loan to Whitfield County and were placed on display in the courthouse for public viewing on Dec. 13, 2004.

Forbes and other members of the association will bring a scale model of the ship along with a panel of the ship's ribbons and awards to be presented at the courthouse at 300 W. Crawford St. in Dalton.

The USS Whitfield County, officially designated by the Navy as a "landing ship tank" LST-1169, was used from 1954 to 1973 by the Navy. The ship's bow lowered like a drawbridge, allowing vehicles and personnel directly onto the shore or onto a dock.

The association members "are proud of the Whitfield County ship and having served on it," Moore said. "They ought to be commended for trying to preserve its memory."

Association members say they don't know how the USS Whitfield County got its name, but they want Whitfield County residents to be proud of it.

"People in Whitfield County should appreciate knowing a warship was named after their county," said Mike Coughlin, of North Dakota, who served on the ship as an "engine man" for almost two years during the Vietnam War.

"Whoever thought 40 years later we would be here to dedicate it?" he asked. "You don't know how much you miss it until you aren't on it anymore. You'd have just had to be there and serve to realize why we are here. We come back here and do this because we don't want the memory to die."

Association members have a hospitality room in the Wellesley Inn at 417 Holiday Drive in Dalton. Everyone is welcome to come talk to former members of the ship and see pictures of it. The room will be open until Wednesday morning.

"I don't like flying, but I wouldn't miss this," Coughlin said. Coughlin and Forbes told the Daily Citizen in 2003 if a dedication ceremony was held, they would be there.

The ship was put into commission in New Orleans on Sept. 14, 1954 by plank owner Bob Twyford of Naples, Fla. In 1955 it was named for Whitfield County. LSTs were named for counties, battleships for states and cruisers for cities.

The USS Whitfield County "came to fame" during the Vietnam War when it was used to deliver personnel and materials, Coughlin said.

"This was a highly decorated war ship. It received the Combat Action Ribbon and 15 battle stars," he said.

When it was decommissioned in 1973, it was sold to the Hellenic Navy or the Greek Navy in 1977. Last year the ship was basically used for "target practice" and was sunk to the bottom of the Aegean Sea, Coughlin said.

For more information, visit www.1st1169.homestead.com.

Here's to the USS Whitfield County
Opinion Column June 19, 2005 

Last Monday area residents had the opportunity to thank several men whose commitment to and sacrifice for their country came under the banner of Whitfield County.

The men served on the USS Whitfield County, a 384-foot-long LST -- "landing ship tank" -- used by the Navy from 1954 to 1973. The ship's bow lowered like a drawbridge, allowing vehicles and personnel onto the shore or a dock.

The men, members of the USS Whitfield County Association, came here for a dedication ceremony with the Board of Commissioners. Coordinator Carl Forbes brought a scale model of the ship along with a panel of the ship's ribbons and awards. Other items, such as the ship's bell, flag and plaque, have been on loan to Whitfield County and displayed at the courthouse since December 2004.

The impact of seeing the Whitfield County name on a vessel defending this great nation is hard to overstate. Whitfield County native Bobby Moore saw the USS Whitfield County docked in the Philippines during the Vietnam War and said he just had to go on board.

Those who served on the ship have similar strong feelings.

"People in Whitfield County should appreciate knowing a warship was named after their county," said Mike Coughlin of North Dakota, who served on the ship as an "engine man" for almost two years during the Vietnam War.

We most certainly do. We celebrate those who served on the ship in times of peril, and we commend those who have worked so hard to make sure the legacy of the USS Whitfield County remains alive and available in its home county.

Association members say they are proud of the ship and having served on it. We are proud of them and salute their service.