USS Wexford County ( LST - 1168 ) USS " Wexford County " ( LST - 1168 ) , previously USS " LST - 1168 " , was a United States Navy landing ship tank ( LST ) in commission from 1953 to 1971 , which saw service in the Atlantic , Caribbean , and Pacific and served in the Vietnam War . . Construction and commissioning . USS " LST - 1168 " was laid down on 27 February 1952 by the Christy Corporation , Sturgeon Bay , Wisconsin . She was launched on 28 November 1953 , sponsored by Mrs . Philip K . Wrigley , and commissioned on 15 June 1954 with Lieutenant Commander Victor Vansant in command . Atlantic and Caribbean service . Following commissioning , " LST - 1168 " was assigned to the United States Atlantic Fleet with a home port at Norfolk , Virginia . She spent the remainder of 1954 in training , shakedown , upkeep , and independent ship exercises . On 14 February 1955 , " LST - 1168 " departed Norfolk for a three - month tour of duty in the Caribbean , operating from the Vieques Island , Puerto Rico . While in the Caribbean , the ship visited San Juan and Ponce , Puerto Rico and St . Thomas , United States Virgin Islands . Upon returning to Norfolk in May , she engaged in exercises and spent the summer of 1955 on United States Naval Reserve cruises and midshipmen training exercises . Her name was changed from USS " LST — 1168 " to USS " Wexford County " ( LST - 1168 ) on 1 July 1955 . In late 1955 , " Wexford County " entered the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , for overhaul and remained there into April 1956 . She completed overhaul and arrived at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek , Virginia Beach , Virginia , on 4 April 1956 . The ship then participated in United States East Coast operations until July 1956 , when she deployed to the Caribbean . After stops at Vieques Island and Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico , she returned briefly to Little Creek , then set out for the United States West Coast via the Panama Canal . Pacific service . " Wexford County " arrived at Long Beach , California , on 2 September 1956 and spent the rest of 1956 conducting routine operations off the California coast . In January 1957 , " Wexford County " reported to Long Beach for overhaul and remained there until April 1957 . She departed for San Francisco , California , on 4 April 1957 and entered an upkeep period which lasted until 20 June 1957 . She arrived at San Diego , California , on 22 July 1957 , where she continued operations along the California coast . " Wexford County " departed for Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , and her first deployment to the Western Pacific on 23 January 1958 en route to Yokosuka , Japan . From Yokosuka , the ship made stops in Hong Kong ; Sasebo , Japan ; and Inchon , South Korea . On 24 June 1958 , she left for San Diego and arrived there on 18 August 1958 . After several months of activity , she went into upkeep on 5 December 1958 at Long Beach . On 29 January 1959 , " Wexford County " departed for Yokosuka again via Hong Kong and Okinawa . She arrived at Yokosuka on 24 March 1959 . The ship made several shuttles between Yokosuka and Sasebo , Japan , and Naha , Okinawa . She left Yokosuka for San Diego , arriving there on 7 June 1959 . The remainder of 1959 was spent in exercises off the coast and routine upkeep . During the next several years , " Wexford County " was involved in numerous routine operations along the California coast . A highlight of these years was a deployment to Guam , for which she departed San Diego on 2 January 1962 . After steaming 5 , 480 nautical miles ( 10 , 149 kilometers ) , she arrived on 23 January 1962 . She conducted operations for reconnaissance and installation of weather stations in the eastern Caroline Islands . The ship returned to San Diego on 1 September 1962 . On 10 July 1963 , she commenced overhaul at the Naval Station in San Diego , California , which lasted through late November 1963 . January and February 1964 found " Wexford County " engaged in training . She was in a restricted availability status during March and April 1964 . In May , she participated in Exercise Pine Tree , in which she served as a secondary control ship . During July 1964 , she was in landing ship tank training . This was followed by Exercise Sea Bar , held near Fort Lewis , Washington , in conjunction with the United States Army . In this exercise , " Wexford County " acted as primary control ship . Returning to San Diego in mid - September , " Wexford County " entered upkeep for several weeks . She then took part in amphibious exercises with United States Marine Corps forces . Upon completion of various training exercises , the ship entered a Christmas holiday upkeep period . In early 1965 , " Wexford County " took part in Operation Bubble Ops and Operation Silver Lance , which were at that time the largest peacetime amphibious operations ever conducted in the Pacific Ocean . Shortly after , she departed for Okinawa and Yokosuka , Japan . Following a brief stay , she sailed in early May 1965 for San Diego . During June and July 1965 , she carried out local operations . 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 star s for her Vietnam War service . Decommissioning and transfer to Spain . " Wexford County " spent 1971 in preparation for transfer to Spain . She was decommissioned on 29 October 1971 and transferred to the Spanish Navy through the Security Assistance Program that same day , although she was not stricken from the Navy List until 1 November 1976 . In the Spanish Navy , she served as " Martin Alvarez " ( L 12 ) from 1971 until 1995 , when she was decommissioned and sold for scrapping .