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JoeCB · 11-08-2019, 10:11 PM

US Navy 69 -73 - USS Graham County LST 1176 / APG 1176. Looking at some of the other Navy vets postings we could have crossed paths somewhere along the line...
1931 Flamingo, you could well have been one on my instructors at Newport OCS school in 1970. Came out a shiny new Ensign and reported aboard The "Graco" in the Med. Did another Med cruise then shipped out again on the Graham Cty. with a load of Navy Sea Bees ( ACB-2) to support building the very first air strip on the then deserted island of Diego Garcia, middle of the Indian Ocean ( Jolly Roger and GaryWA) where you there in 1971. On this mission our little LST "steamed" independently (by ourselves) completely around the world... 41, 000 miles at a brisk 14 knots.
Upon return home , Little Creek, VA. the ship was converter to a Patrol Gun Boat Tender, we were assigned three Patrol Gun Boats (PG's). Escorted them across the Atlantic to new home port of Naples Italy. Where I was discharged as a civilian. All in all quite an adventure.

11-08-2019, 10:11 PM	#35
JoeCB Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Farmington MI Posts: 284	Re: Veterans Day US Navy 69 -73 - USS Graham County LST 1176 / APG 1176. Looking at some of the other Navy vets postings we could have crossed paths somewhere along the line... 1931 Flamingo, you could well have been one on my instructors at Newport OCS school in 1970. Came out a shiny new Ensign and reported aboard The "Graco" in the Med. Did another Med cruise then shipped out again on the Graham Cty. with a load of Navy Sea Bees ( ACB-2) to support building the very first air strip on the then deserted island of Diego Garcia, middle of the Indian Ocean ( Jolly Roger and GaryWA) where you there in 1971. On this mission our little LST "steamed" independently (by ourselves) completely around the world... 41, 000 miles at a brisk 14 knots. Upon return home , Little Creek, VA. the ship was converter to a Patrol Gun Boat Tender, we were assigned three Patrol Gun Boats (PG's). Escorted them across the Atlantic to new home port of Naples Italy. Where I was discharged as a civilian. All in all quite an adventure.