COMBAT PHOTOGRAPHY FROM PARADISE...1971

By the Boys Who Carried In
The Boys Who Built the Seahuts!
USS GRAHAM COUNTY
LST 1176
Many thanks to Roger Allie <lword@theofficenet.com>, who provided these photos.
See What They Did Next On Page 2!
 
 
 
 

This page is devoted to photos of the early days, as well as any other "first photos" anyone would care to share.
I'll update this page as I receive more of your photos.
Send me YOUR Photo NOW!

And here's a message from an REAL OLD shipmate on the GC:

DON EDWARDS <donascii@netzero.net>
Ted:
     When I went aboard the Graham County LST 1176,  in 1961, I made the 10th officer on board, when I transferred 18 months later, there were 15 officers and we didn't have primary billets for all. (I'm pretty sure there was one who didn't even have a collateral duty assignment - he was a good imitation of Ensign Pulver of Mister Roberts fame)
     If I can figure out how to get the pictures off color slides, I would be glad to share some real old salt stuff with you.
     For now, maybe a few word pictures. I was commissioned in OCS class 56 (nothing like the movie 'An Officer and a Gentleman" , we were in open wooden barracks 2 deck WWII vintage style in Newport RI) November 1961.  From there, I was sent to the LST 1176 in Little Creek Virginia, via communications school, crypto school and amphibious warfare school.  The ship's vehicle picked me up on or about 22 December 1961 and delivered me to the ship which was in the yards in Portsmouth VA. When I stepped into the wardroom, a slightly older ensign said "  my relief is here, I'm going on leave" .  However, a much older officer, (LTjg) offered to show me around.  We had the duty for the next 28 days, with one day off after about 18 or 19 days.  I thought the duties of an officer on that ship consisted of writhing deck logs, ship's log, dodging the snow mounds which covered the deck, breaking crypto messages (manually), drinking endless cups of coffee, declining proffered cigarettes, and hearing unmeaningful reports regarding the "engines".
     The Graham County was to have been the first of a "30 knot amphib fleet".  It had four engines (instead of the conventional six) and the those were of cast aluminum by Nordberg.  Unforfunately, the aluminum compound wasn't quite right and they kept burning out chunks in the cylinders when the vessel exceeded 24 knots, calling for replacement engines or rebuilding the engines - thus a life in the yards and endless schools, and low alcohol beer in the dives of Portsmouth, plus the ruination of some very fine sailors and collecing others who were not so very fine.  The worst thing, I discovered, for a sailor is to be aboard a ship sitting on a six month collection of coffee grounds.
     The ship made 2 cruises while I was aboard, the first was a Caribbean tour keeping an eye on Castro, and burning up engines while making a high speed run and limping back to the yards for engine rebuilding, and a shakedown run to Port Everglades, on which, we burned the engines, after which, Buships, decided to replace the aluminum with cast iron and consigned the 30 knot concept to the air navy.
     While we were in the yards that time, we underwent a FRAM, which significantly improved the communications capability, unfortunately, better than the rest of our squadron and the balance of the USN ("Mr. Edwards, I  can see the Admiral.  Why the hell can't I talk to him over your radios?" "Sir, just I moment and I'll have the signalmen set up flashing light or semaphore, sir")
     In May, I was detached and transferred to the NAAS Meridian Mississippi, where I enjoyed a tour as the public information officer while the navy was used as a search party in the Lyndon Johnson days.. But, that, as they say, is a story for another day.  The GC did survive and I was delighted to hear that it did sail and did serve some useful purpose in the Diego Garcia development.  Don Edwards

and another!