USS Wexford County (LST-1168) - Vietnam War Service

Vietnam War Service

In August 1965, Wexford County again deployed for the Western Pacific and spent September 1965 in Da Nang, South Vietnam. Subsequent stops were made in Chu Lai and Qui Nhon, South Vietnam, and at Hong Kong. In December 1965, Wexford County returned to San Diego for the duration of the year.

Wexford County was involved in local operations from January through April 1966 and provided services for the Amphibious School, Coronado, California. In late April, she steamed to Newport, Oregon, to participate in Newport's Loyalty Day celebration. On 1 May 1966, Wexford County returned to San Diego. On 12 July 1966, she arrived at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in Long Beach, California, for overhaul. She returned to San Diego on 9 November 1966 and began underway and refresher training on 27 November 1966. This training period ended on 16 December 1966.

Amphibious training for Wexford County commenced on 16 January 1967 and continued through 27 January 1967. She briefly returned to Long Beach for further repair, then continued on to Hawaii to participate in landing exercises on Moloka'i and to lift U.S. Marine Corps forces to San Diego. In June 1967, Wexford County sailed to San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, to embark U.S. Marine Corps troops bound for training at Camp Pendleton, California. She participated in various operations during July 1967, and, in late August, she repeated her stops along the United States West Coast to return Marine Corps units to their respective home ports.

After returning to San Diego in September 1967, Wexford County began a tender availability period. Amphibious exercises and deployment preparations lasted through October 1967. In early November 1967, she sailed for South Vietnam by way of Pearl Harbor and Yokosuka. In December 1967, Wexford County reached South Vietnam and assumed her duties.

On 4 January 1968, Wexford County arrived in Subic Bay, the Philippines, to off-load cargo and departed on 14 January 1968 to return to South Vietnam. She remained on station until 13 March 1968, at which time she left for Subic Bay, arriving there on 16 March 1968. She returned to Vietnam, via Hong Kong, on 5 April 1968 to rejoin forces off Vietnam.

Wexford County left Vietnam in early May 1968 and returned to San Diego via Taiwan, Yokosuka, and Pearl Harbor. She arrived in San Diego on 26 June 1968, after approximately seven and one-half months overseas. For the next two months, she was in a restricted availability status.

On 28 August 1968, she got underway for South Bend, Washington, to help celebrate the city's Labor Day festival. She returned to San Diego on 6 September 1968. Throughout September and October 1968, Wexford County carried out operations along the California coast. On 15 November 1968, she entered drydock at San Diego.

Wexford County got underway on 12 January 1969 with a task group headed for Mazatlán, Mexico, arriving on 18 January 1969. She spent two weeks there involved in various training exercises. In February and March 1969, Wexford County was again in San Diego for routine maintenance. She departed for exercises at Treasure Island, California, on 14 April 1969. She sustained heavy damage to a main engine and spent May 1969 undergoing repairs at San Diego.

A midshipmen cruise occupied the months of June and July 1969. August and September 1969 were devoted to exercises, and Wexford County spent the rest of 1969 in overhaul at San Diego.

The yard period ended on 20 February 1970. Inspections, training, and preparations for deployment occurred from March through May 1970; and, on 2 June 1970, the ship left for Pearl Harbor and Guam. Wexford County reached Guam on 25 June 1970, and, after taking on new cargo, she left for Subic Bay, Philippines, and then to Vietnam. After unloading a construction battalion and their equipment, she departed for Hong Kong, arriving there on 30 July 1970.

From 2 September 1970 through early November 1970, Wexford County was involved in numerous troop lifts, cargo transports, and exercises between Okinawa and Yokosuka and Numazu, Japan. On 2 November 1970, she detached and began the voyage back to San Diego via Subic Bay, Guam, Ponape, the Caroline Islands, and Pearl Harbor. She arrived at San Diego on 22 December 1970.

Wexford County received a Meritorious Unit Commendation and five battle stars for her Vietnam War service.