USS Terrell County ( LST - 1157 ) USS " Terrell County " ( LST - 1157 ) , originally USS " LST - 1157 " , was a built for the United States Navy in 1952 . Named for Terrell County , Texas , and Terrell County , Georgia , she was the only U . S . Navy vessel to bear the name . She was later lent to Greece and subsequently sold to Greece , being renamed HNS " Oinoussai " ( L - 104 ) in Greek service . Early career . USS " LST - 1157 " was laid down on 3 March 1952 at Bath , Maine , by Bath Iron Works and launched on 6 December 1952 , sponsored by Mrs . John H . Spiller . She was commissioned on 14 March 1953 with Lieutenant Commander L . I . Reynolds in command . Following shakedown training and operations out of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek at Virginia Beach , Virginia , " LST - 1157 " departed Morehead City , North Carolina , on 25 September 1953 with a full load of United States Marines and amphibious vehicle s for transfer to the United States Pacific Fleet and arrived in San Diego , California , on 25 October 1953 . Assigned to Amphibious Forces , Pacific Fleet , " LST - 1157 " operated out of San Diego into February 1954 before getting underway for the $ 3 . She soon took part in moving natives from northern islands in the Marshall Islands to new homes in southern islands in May and June 1954 . This lift involved the shipment of lumber for new homes , schools , and churches , as well as of the personal belongings and livestock of the natives . She returning to a routine of local operations on the United States West Coast upon arrival at Port Chicago , California , on 2 July 1954 . " LST - 1157 " was renamed USS " Terrell County " ( LST - 1157 ) on 1 July 1955 . " Terrell County " departed the U . S . West Coast on 9 September 1955 for her first Western Pacific ( WestPac ) deployment . She operated out of ports in Okinawa and Japan before returning to the U . S . West Coast and resuming local operations . " Terrell County " s second Western Pacific deployment commenced on 13 August 1957 . In the succeeding months , she steamed a total of 25 , 600 nautical miles ( 47 , 411 kilometers ) , conducted three amphibious landing exercises and four troop lifts , and transported 500 vehicles and 1 , 500 men in five beachings and nine " marriages " to landing causeway sections . She also served as flagship for Landing Ship Squadron One . The sudden flare - up of tension halfway around the world in Lebanon in 1958 temporarily interrupted " Terrell County " s routine . She sailed for Pearl Harbor and conducted emergency exercises in the Hawaiian area before the Middle Eastern crisis abated . Departing the U . S . West Coast on 15 April 1959 , " Terrell County " headed across the Pacific Ocean for her third Western Pacific deployment . She subsequently returned to San Diego in November and began an extensive overhaul . On 16 June 1960 , " Terrell County " departed the U . S . west Coast for her fourth Western Pacific cruise . In July , 1960 her permanent home port was changed from San Diego to Yokosuka , Japan . In the Far East , " Terrell County " participated in a wide variety of operations with beachings and landings of embarked United States Marines and their equipment . Occasionally , maneuvers with warships of other Southeast Asia Treaty Organization ( SEATO ) member countries took place in locales ranging from Thailand to South Korea and from Borneo to the Philippine Islands . Liberties at Hong Kong and Tokyo brightened a sometimes uneventful deployment while typhoon evasions , too , were common occurrences . Vietnam War service . On 4 August 1964 North Vietnam ese torpedo boat s reportedly attacked the destroyer s and in the Gulf of Tonkin , off Vietnam . " Terrell County " proceeded to Iwakuni , Japan where she remained on alert until 20 August 1964 , when she headed for Yokosuka and extended upkeep . Next , local operations in Japanese and Korean waters occupied " Terrell County " through the end of 1964 . Underway training began the ship ' s new year in 1965 and lasted through February and into March 1965 . On 12 March 1965 " Terrell County " departed the Ryūkyū Islands , bound for South Vietnam . She arrived at Danang four days later , unloaded embarked men and cargo , and then returned to Yokosuka for major overhaul . The ship returned to Vietnamese waters following the refit and transported Marine Air Control Squadron 9 to the American base at Chu Lai , South Vietnam , before returning to Japanese waters . Operational commitments subsequently overrode refresher training out of Yokosuka in July , forcing the ship to embark Naval Beach Group 1 . Dispatched to Okinawa on 1 August 1965 , " Terrell County " evaded a typhoon en route and made port to load Regimental Landing Team 7 before sailing on the 9 August 1965 for Chu Lai . Remaining at that American base from 15 August to 17 August , the ship evaded two typhoons en route back to Japanese waters before she reached Yokosuka on 25 August . Following further refresher training and an upkeep period , " Terrell County " got underway for South Korea on 21 October 1965 and arrived at Pusan , South Korea , on 23 October 1965 . She embarked elements of the Republic of Korea ' s " Tiger " Division , marking the first time that a Korean expeditionary force had been sent abroad in nearly 1 , 000 years . Departing Pusan on 25 October 1965 , " Terrell County " arrived at Qi Nhon , South Vietnam , on 2 November 1965 and debarked the South Korean troops . " Terrell County " operated in support of " Operation Blue Marlin " from 4 to 17 November 1965 ; included in this deployment was a landing near Chu Lai and a trip to Danang , South Vietnam , with support equipment on board . Once she completed this assignment , she received orders to proceed to Nha Trang and thence to Cam Ranh Bay for further operations . On 21 November she embarked South Korean marines and United States Army support units for transport to Tuy Hoa . Soon after reaching Tuy Hoa , " Terrell County " , with her troops still embarked , broached in the heavy surf and went aground . On 24 November the fleet tugs and succeeded in pulling " Terrell County " off the beach . Subsequently patched and pumped dry , she got underway on 2 December 1965 , under tow for Yokosuka , where permanent repairs could be made to her damaged hull . The restoration work was complete on 22 February 1966 , and the ship got underway for Naha , Okinawa . She embarked men and equipment of the Army ' s 1st Engineering Battalion and transported them to Vietnam . She completed the task on 7 March and then made another transport run from 14 March 1966 to 26 March 1966 , carrying American cavalry men from Naha to Saigon , South Vietnam . After coastal operations off Vietnam from 27 March to 5 May , " Terrell County " retired to Japan on one shaft , since her starboard shaft had ceased functioning . On 13 May , as she crept along toward Yokosuka , her lookout s sighted the Soviet merchant ship " Makhachala " two points abaft the starboard beam and closing . Both ships continued steady on their courses , as " Terrell County " assumed that the heavily - laden Soviet ship would stay clear . Finally , both ships were forced to maneuver radically to avert a collision . Shaft troubles continued to plague the landing ship but did not interfere with the completion of her transport and cargo missions . She continued these duties into the autumn of 1966 . In October 1966 , " Terrell County " sailed to Subic Bay to serve as the United States ' representative at the 22nd annual Leyte Gulf celebration , which commemorated the American landings of 1944 supported by an earlier breed of LSTs . Subsequently completing a Nuclear Weapons Acceptance Inspection ( the first ship in her squadron to do so ) , " Terrell County " conducted two more transport lifts — both to Chu Lai , Vietnam — before rounding out the year 1966 by joining Task Unit 76 . 0 . 7 as part of the Danang - Chu Lai shuttle . The ship remained with Task Unit 76 . 0 . 7 until 18 January 1967 , when she sailed for Okinawa . She proceeded from there to her home port , Yokosuka . Transport operations to Okinawa , intermingled with type and refresher training exercises , continued through the spring of 1967 . On 9 July " Terrell County " relieved landing ship tank as part of Amphibious Ready Group Bravo , TG 76 . 5 , then engaged in the midst of Operations " Beaver Track " and " Buffalo " . Given the mission of " sea - trailer " or contingency logistics , she carried ammunition , medical supplies , and vehicles assigned to the 2nd Battalion , 3rd Marine Division , the Marine units bearing the brunt of the fighting ashore . For two months , " Terrell County " supported operations in Quang Tri province , just south of the demilitarized zone ( DMZ ) , and conducted a series of landings in rapid succession : " Bear Chain " , " Kangaroo Kick " , and " Belt Drive " , before heading for Hong Kong on 19 September 1967 . Following visits to Okinawa and Subic Bay , " Terrell County " loaded ammunition and causeway sections and departed Yokosuka on 1 March 1968 , bound for Vietnam . However , while steaming in company with two of her sister ships , tank landing ships and , " Terrell County " lost two causeways which were torn loose by heavy seas . Returning to Yokosuka , " Terrell County " obtained replacement sections and embarked Amphibious Construction Battalion ( ACB ) 1 before getting underway again and rejoining " Washoe County " and " Westchester County " en route to South Vietnam . Arriving at Danang on 13 March , she delivered her causeways and proceeded to Tien Sha to unload her ammunition and to take on the gear necessary for her forthcoming operations . Joining the Amphibious Ready Group once again , " Terrell County " operated off My Thuy , South Vietnam , from 15 March to 12 April 1968 before retiring to Subic Bay . She rendezvoused with the off Vietnam on 29 April 1968 for operations on station in area " Alice " . Subsequently sailing for Hong Kong on 12 May for a five - day visit , " Terrell County " headed for Buckner Bay , Okinawa , to deliver cargo from Danang before moving to Yokosuka for an overhaul which lasted through the summer of 1968 . Training and drills occupied the ship well into the autumn of 1968 before she proceeded back to Vietnam . From 1 to 7 December 1968 , " Terrell County " conducted general drills and gunnery exercises before beaching at Vung Tau to load ammunition . On 10 December 1968 , she relieved " Washoe County " as support LST for Task Force 115 on " Operation Market Time " , the interdiction operation attempting to interrupt North Vietnamese logistics operations in South Vietnamese coastal waters . On 1 January 1969 " Terrell County " , still supporting Operation Market Time , was assigned additional duty as support ship for the fast Fast Patrol Craft ( PCF ) boats — which were aptly nicknamed " swift boats " — engaged in riverine operations off the lower Ca Mau Peninsula . Three days after undertaking this duty , the LST launched her LCVP s to participate in an assault north of Song Ong Doc , in conjunction with PCFs and Song Ong Due regional forces . When Viet Cong gunners opened fire on the allied force , " Terrell County " returned the fire , killing five Viet Cong soldiers and assisting in the successful withdrawal of the assault forces . " Terrell County " then participated in other operations against the Viet Cong , firing on their positions along the banks of the Song Bp De River and the Duong Keo River , coordinating PCFs , aircraft , and ships ' batteries in firing on Viet Cong concentrations and staging areas . As a result of these operations , Viet Cong extortion from local South Vietnamese forester s and fishermen in the lower Ca Mau peninsula was substantially , albeit temporarily , curtailed . Relieved as " Market Time " support LST , " Terrell County " got underway on 5 February 1969 for the Philippines and arrived at Subic Bay on 11 February 1969 . Training and local operations in Japanese , Okinawan , and Philippine waters preceded yet another Vietnam deployment which commenced upon " Terrell County ' s " arrival at Vung Tau on 8 May 1969 . The next day , she relieved USS " WestChester County " and found that the tempo of operations in the lower Ca Mau peninsula had increased . With 50 men of the Mobile Strike Force embarked , as well as a U . S . Army scout helicopter and a U . S . Navy Underwater Demolition Team ( UDT ) detachment , " Terrell County " provided support for multifaceted operations designed to destroy Viet Cong factories , training and supply camps , and extortion stations . She remained on station in the Ca Mau region until 25 June . A visit to Hong Kong from 8 July to 24 July preceded " Terrell County " s sailing for Yokosuka and upkeep . The ship subsequently carried causeways to Danang , Vietnam before resuming duties as support LST for continued interdiction and pacification operations at her old haunt , Ca Mau . From 10 October to 25 November 1969 , " Terrell County " supported " Operation Seafloat " . With an embarked helicopter detachment , she undertook refueling and rearming of helicopters , and provided ammunition and services for PCFs , SEAL teams , and troops . She also undertook small boat and PCF maintenance , as well as providing numerous personal services — laundry and small stores , to name but two . During this period , " Terrell County " established regular mail deliveries to off - shore units by helicopter , the first such services provided in the Ca Mau vicinity . On 15 October she fired a gunfire - support mission against Viet Cong vessels . On 25 November 1969 , tank landing ship came alongside , and " Terrell County " entrusted her " Seafloat " support duties to " Vernon County " before sailing for Danang . Loading troops and equipment on 30 November 1969 , she got underway on 1 December 1969 to neutralize a threatened mortar attack before returning and refueling from . " Terrell County " then returned again to Vung Tau , relieving tank landing ship USS " Washoe County " as " Seafloat " support vessel , providing fuel , ammunition , and communications support for a brood of smaller craft . She also assisted the landing craft repair ship by receiving " Krishna " s stores from provision ships and delivering them , and by also serving as a platform upon which " Krishna " s mail and spare parts could be helicoptered in . " Terrell County " also provided repair and maintenance services for PCFs and smaller craft , such as PCR s . She remained at this duty through the spring of 1970 . When American forces invaded Cambodia in the spring of 1970 , " Terrell County " operated as " contingency LST " from 17 to 19 May 1970 . She then proceeded to Danang to pick up equipment and a " Seabee " causeway section for transport to Yokosuka . Soon after reaching Yokosuka , she commenced an upkeep period which lasted until 1 August 1970 . A trip to Hong Kong and a final deployment to Vietnam rounded out " Terrell County " s stay in the Far East . On 1 October 1970 the Panama - registered freighter lost all power and wallowed in heavy seas . " Terrell County " and " Washoe County " went to the ship ' s assistance , and " Terrell County " passed a towline to " Tung Yang " . By midafternoon on 2 October 1970 , " Tung Yang " rode at the end of the towline but , late the next day , the tow parted , and " Tung Yang " was once again adrift . The rescue and salvage ship , also in the area , soon retrieved the tow , and thus allowed " Terrell County " to proceed to Chu Lai . After loading U . S . Marine Corps and U . S . Navy vehicles , " Terrell County " departed Chu Lai on 6 October 1970 for Subic Bay . Arriving there on 8 October 1970 , she took on supplies and got underway on 9 October 1970 in company with her sister ship " Washoe County " and three Military Sealift Command ships . The two LSTs provided support services for these craft during the long voyage to the U . S . West Coast . The little convoy arrived at San Diego on 11 November 1970 . After off - loading her cargo on 13 November 1970 , " Terrell County " proceeded to San Francisco , California , for four days liberty before continuing northward . She reached Bremerton , Washington , on 24 November 1970 and was placed in " in commission , in reserve " status . Her inactivation work lasted into the new year . Decommissioning and transfer to Greece . On 25 March 1971 " Terrell County " was decommissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton and placed in the Reserve Fleet there . She was berthed at the Pier " D " Inactive Ship Facility at Bremerton . Transferred , on loan , to Greece under the Security Assistance Program , she was renamed " Oinoussai " ( L104 ) in Hellenic Navy service and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 November 1976 . Sold outright to Greece in March 1977 , " Oinoussai " was decommissioned by the Greek Navy on 20 March 2003 .