USS Vernon County (LST-1161) - Pacific Operations, 1958-1964

Pacific Operations, 1958-1964

In 1958, Vernon County was transferred to the United States Pacific Fleet, sailing via the Panama Canal to her new assigned home port, San Diego, California. She operating from San Diego for over a year and a half, conducting regular periods of underway training and local operations off the Southern California coast.

Vernon County changed home ports again in 1960. On 16 June 1960, she departed the United States West Coast bound for her new home port, Yokosuka, Japan. Together with seven other tank landing ships, Vernon County comprised Amphibious Squadron (PhibRon) 9. They reached Yokosuka on 6 August 1960.

Vernon County subsequently formed an integral part of the amphibious forces supporting the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), participating in SEATO's Operation Tulungan in May 1962. In so doing, she became one of the first American amphibious vessels to transport U.S. Marines to Thailand.

Her first years in Yokosuka saw her participate in many major amphibious exercises, including those named "Pony Express" and "Sharp Edge." After an upkeep period in June 1962, Vernon County transported U.S. Marines from Subic Bay in the Philippines, to Iwakuni, Japan; she paid a port call at Karatsu, Japan, reportedly the first American man-of-war to visit Karatsu since the Korean War (1950-1953).

February 1963 saw Vernon County at Kobe, Japan. In March 1963 she visited Tspying and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and she spent much of April 1963 at Subic Bay. In June 1963, she participated in Operation Flagpole, a joint United States Seventh Fleet-Republic of Korea (ROK) naval exercise. Before returning to Yokosuka, she called at Shimonoseki, Japan; Naha, Okinawa; and Keelung, Taiwan.

After her return to Yokosuka and subsequent refresher training at Numazu, Japan, Vernon County took part in Operation Litgas in company with other SEATO naval units. Subsequently returning to Hong Kong, via Yokosuka, she visited Kobe in mid-July 1964.