USS Snohomish County sails on a former sailor’s Web site

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, March 24, 2005

Blow me down, we used to be famous. There was a ship named the USS Snohomish County (LST 1126).

Petty Officer 3rd Class Calhoun “Buddy” Benton served on the ship from 1953 to 1957 as an electrician’s mate. The South Carolina native loves that long-gone ship. He said he hopes to someday find an anchor or bell to put in a museum to honor this county’s namesake.

Many amphibious ships such as the Snohomish County were built during that period but were never named and were decommissioned after World War II, then sold or given to other countries, he said.

During WWII, Benton said, it was decided that a new type of ship was needed for amphibious warfare. More than 1,000 landing ship tanks were built. Many of them were used in the 1944 D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.

Benton, who was 19 when he went aboard, compiled a history of the ship, which served in WWII and the Korean War. Here are some highlights:

1954: The ship made its fourth trip to the western Pacific Ocean.

1955: July 1, 1955, was named the USS Snohomish County (LST 1126). This was the first time landing ship tanks were given names.

Dan Bates / The Herald Fifth-graders Michelle Mosman (left) and Ana Robles lead former student Carole Johanesen and Johanesen’s former sixth-grade teacher Amy Strandell on a tour of Everett’s View Ridge Elementary School Thursday.

1956: Made its fifth tour to the western Pacific.

1957: Left its home port of San Diego and headed for Japan.

1958: Hosted a Christmas party for an orphanage in Kure, Japan.

1959: Port visits included Sasebo, Japan; Subic Bay, Philippines; and Chin Hai, Korea.

1960: Underwent amphibious training in San Diego.

1961: Participated in Operation Greenlight, one of the largest joint operations ever on the West Coast.

1962: Transported supplies to an atomic bomb test site. Although miles away, some sailors were able to see the effects of nuclear explosions on Christmas Island.

1963: Transported 24,750 tons of Marine and Army vehicles and equipment, and 6,600 troops, and steamed 12,177 miles, all without missing a single commitment.

1964: Back from Hawaii, returned to a busy schedule of local operations.

1965: The Snohomish County began its first Vietnam operations in March, delivering Marines to Da Nang.

1966: Served in Japan, Hawaii, China and Vietnam.

1967: Selected by Commander Naval Support Activity to participate in the initial beaching of landing ship tanks in Cua Viet River Basin near Dong Ha, Vietnam.

1968: Visited Newport, Ore., welcoming 2,500 visitors on board during Loyalty Day.

1969: More time in Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines.

1970: On Feb. 28, the USS Snohomish County celebrated its 25th anniversary of continuous service.

On April 22, 1970, the ship left Japan for Guam on its final voyage. Upon arrival in Guam, the Snohomish County was declared unfit for sea. It was decommissioned July 1, 1970, and sold for scrap to the Chin Ho Fa Steel &Iron Co. Ltd. of Taiwan.

“There are no landing ship tanks in the Navy,” Benton said. “The last one was given away a couple of years ago.”

Benton’s research is available at http://lst1126.com. He would like his Web site to be linked to the Snohomish County Web site’s history section so people can learn about the ship, he said.

In June in Whitfield County, Ga., artifacts from the USS Whitfield County will be give to a group that plans to display the ship’s bell, a model and its history.

“Sure would be nice if the Snohomish County would do something similar,” Benton said.

It’s probably too late to get the bell or anchor, but we can preserve the ship’s memory.

Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.