USS Nye County

USS Nye County (LST-1067), ex-LST-1067, underway off Norfolk, Virginia, c. 1966.
History
United States
Name	LST-1067 (1945–1955) Nye County (1955–1973)
Namesake	Nye County, Nevada
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number	3457[1]
Laid down	24 January 1945
Launched	27 February 1945
Commissioned	24 March 1945
Decommissioned	13 August 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-1067 Code letters: NAIH
Renamed	Nye County, 1 July 1955
Recommissioned	22 May 1963, in reserve 21 December 1965, full commission
Decommissioned	27 March 1967
Honors and awards	two battle stars, Vietnam War
Fate	Assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS)
United States
Name	Nye County
Operator	MSTS
Acquired	27 March 1967
Stricken	10 June 1973
Identification	Hull symbol: T-LST-1067
Fate	Sold to Chilean Navy, 1 August 1973
Chile
Name	Comandante Araya
Acquired	1 August 1973
Out of service	14 December 1981
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-89
Fate	Sold for scrapping 29 March 1982
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light) 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load) 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Full load: 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft Limiting 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) Maximum navigation 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m)
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,800 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed	11.6 kn (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph)
Range	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 x LCVPs
Capacity	1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons
Service record
Part of:	LST Flotilla 33
Awards:	World War II American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal Navy Occupation Service Medal w/Asia Clasp Vietnam War Combat Action Ribbon National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Nye County (LST-1067) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Unlike many of her class, which received only numbers and were disposed of after World War II, she survived long enough to be named. On 1 July 1955, all LSTs still in commission were named for US counties or parishes; LST-1067 was given the name Nye County, after a county in Nevada.

LST-1067 was laid down on 24 January 194,5 at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 27 February 1945; and commissioned on 24 March 1945.^{[3] [2]}

Upon completing shakedown along the Virginia coast, LST–1067 sailed to Davisville, Rhode Island, to load materials of war. Departing 16 May 1945, she steamed via the Panama Canal, first to Pearl Harbor, and then with additional cargo, to Guam, arriving 19 July. A second logistic voyage from the Hawaiian Islands to the Marianas occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Japanese surrender. She then embarked occupation forces at Leyte, and landed them on Honshū, Japan, 2 November. Turning eastward for the long trip to the United States, LST–1067 arrived at San Francisco, on 6 January 1946, and decommissioned at Portland, Oregon, on 13 August 1946.^[4]

Named Nye County 1 July 1955, the landing ship recommissioned "in reserve" 22 May 1963, and was assigned to the newly created RESLSTRON 2 based at Little Creek, Virginia. The value of this squadron during the Dominican Republic crisis brought a full commissioning 21 December 1965, and new duties in the Western Pacific.^[4]

Though based at Sasebo, Japan, Nye County spent much time between April 1966 and March 1967, offloading supplies at critical points along the central coast of South Vietnam. Ordered to Pusan, Korea, she decommissioned 27 March 1967, and was turned over to the Military Sea Transportation Service. Manned largely by a Korean crew, she continued to sail in Far Eastern waters in 1970,^[4] as USNS Nye County (T-LST-1067).^[2]

She was later sold to Chile, 1 August 1973, where she was renamed Commandante Araya (LST-89). She was taken out of service 14 December 1981, and sold for scrapping 29 March 1982.^[2]

Nye County earned two battle stars for the Vietnam War.

• Photo gallery of Nye County at NavSource Naval History