USS Calhoun County ( LST - 519 ) USS " LST - 519 " was an built for the U . S . Navy in World War II . She was later renamed USS " Calhoun County " ( LST - 519 after counties in eleven states in the United States " LST - 519 " was built by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company , Seneca , Illinois . Her keel was laid on 17 September 1943 . She was launched on 25 January 1944 . Placed in partial commission status at Seneca on 8 February , " LST - 519 " proceeded down the Illinois River into the Mississippi River and down to the Naval base at Algiers , Louisiana , directly across from New Orleans where she was fully commissioned on 17 February 1944 . A Coast Guard crew trained the LST ' s Navy crew on this river cruise from Seneca while the ship was en route to Algiers . Operational history . World War II . Following shakedown training on the way to Camp Bradford in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia , additional personnel reported aboard for more shakedown training on the Chesapeake Bay . With Lieutenant Frank L . Brimmer , USN , in command , " LST - 519 " departed the United States as part of Convoy UGS - 36 for North Africa . On 1 April 1944 , while off Cape Cher - chel , Algeria , the convoy was attacked by thirty Ju 88 and Do 214 bombers flying out of Southern France . Although all of the LST - 519 guns fired at the enemy , the ship was not credited with downing any of the attacking German aircraft . At Oran , Algeria , was secured to the main deck for transport to England . She arrived at Plymouth on 11 May 1944 . " LST - 519 " received two battle stars in World War II - one each for Convoy UGS - 36 and the D - Day landing at Juno Beach on 6 June 1944 . She was employed in shuttling tanks , other vehicles , supplies and troops to France . After delivering tanks , trucks , ambulances , railroad cars , ammunition and other supplies to the beaches of Normandy and Seine River ports and to the other ports of France , " LST - 519 " would return to England with wounded soldiers , damaged equipment or prisoners . Following the collapse of Germany " LST - 519 " was attached to the British 226th Section of the 25th Bomb Disposal Company , Corps of Royal Engineers . Her primary mission in May 1945 was to dispose of condemned ammunition from Kiel and Hamburg in deep water . " LST - 519 " made fifty - three round trips across the English Channel , second only to one other American LST . After hostilities ceased , " LST - 519 " departed Plymouth , England , on 9 July 1945 , arriving Norfolk , VA , on 25 July 1945 . Post World War II . On 5 December 1945 , the operational command of " LST - 519 " was transferred from the Amphibious Force to the Service Force . Mid - January , 1946 , found her in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for the first postwar Atlantic Fleet maneuvers . On the trip from Norfolk , " LST - 519 " transported on her main deck four LCM landing craft , each of which carried an LCVP inside . Present for the occasion were the , , cruisers , destroyers and fleet auxiliaries . " LST - 519 " was one of several LSTs that served as mother - ships to small boat crews who operated LCMs and LCVPs as liberty boats for the fleet anchored in the harbor . Leaving Cuba in mid - February for Searsport , Maine , on the Penobscot Bay , " LST - 519 " had to put in at Boston ' s Charlestown Navy Yard to repair storm damage suffered in a gale off Cape Hatteras . She then proceeded to Searsport , for her next assignment . At Searsport , a Liberty ship transload ed over 350 tons of obsolete 1 , 000 - and 500 - pound aerial bombs into a newly constructed temporary wooden bin on the main deck . Out past the continental shelf — about one hundred fifty miles offshore with a minimum depth of 1 , 000 fathoms — these bombs were dumped along with 5 , 280 bazooka anti - tank rounds . At least four such bomb - dumping missions were made before the " LST - 519 " was relieved by three other LSTs . Davisville , Rhode Island , was the next port of call . A tank deck full of steel pontoon cubes were transported to Norfolk Navy Yard where they were promptly assembled into large pontoon barges as soon as they were unloaded . On 15 July 1946 , the " LST - 519 " was transferred to the Commander , Eastern Sea Frontier for duty as a disposal vessel of defective and obsolete munitions . To facilitate dumping of ordnance , toxic and nuclear waste at sea , special equipment and bins were installed . After this , " LST - 519 " operated off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts , disposing of ammunition from Naval ammunition depots at Indianhead , MD ; Hingham , MA ; Yorktown , VA ; Charleston , SC ; Earle , NJ ; Fort Mifflin , PA ; New Orleans , LA and Newport , RI . In accordance with a Secretary of the Navy directive dated 12 May 1955 , " LST - 519 " was renamed USS " Calhoun County " ( LST - 519 ) effective 1 July 1955 . The 519 is the first ship with this name . The name honors a Calhoun County located in each of eleven states - Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Illinois , Iowa , Michigan , Mississippi , South Carolina , Texas and West Virginia . On the morning of 20 June 1956 , while dumping condemned ammunition from NAD Charleston , the " Calhoun County " experienced underwater explosions , caused by the detonation of several torpex - loaded torpedo warheads . Minor hull damage resulted , but there were no personnel casualties . Repairs were made at Savannah , GA . From 24 August to 23 October 1956 , " Calhoun County " underwent its regular shipyard overhaul at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard , Staten Island , NY . Major improvements effected during this period were the installation of a new radar and the renewal of most of the ammunition bin on the main deck . Following her overhaul , the " Calhoun County " reported to Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , for refresher training from 6 to 24 November 1956 . She received an overall mark of GOOD on her battle problem . " Calhoun County " was struck by the on 27 June 1959 in the vicinity of Sandy Hook , New Jersey . As the result , the 40 mm gun tub on the port side had to be removed and the degaussing system was placed out of commission . There were no personnel casualties . During April , 1960 , " Calhoun County " operated with TG 7 . 3 on a scientific mission in the vicinity of Roosevelt Roads , PR . A shipyard overhaul was completed in September , 1960 , after which she participated in underway training in the Norfolk , VA , area . In October , she was deployed to US Naval Station , Argentia , Newfoundland , for ammunition disposal . After four disposal trips , this command undertook an amphibious disembarking of an experimental team off the beach of LaPoille , Newfoundland . This was followed by a five day " good will " trip to Halifax , Nova Scotia . November , 1960 , through June , 1961 , the " Calhoun County " was engaged in routine dumping operations from Boston to Charleston . She was decommissioned 1 November 1962 after eighteen - and - a - half years of Naval service . Only one other LST of World War II class was in continuous commission longer than the " LST - 519 " . Her final duty was as a gunnery target for several warships . However , gunfire failed to sink her , so demolition charges were used to carry out the coup de grâce .