Barbour County (LST 1195) - Naval Cruise Book

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Barbour County 's Beginning Construction of USS 'BARBOUR COUNTY QLST 1 1957 was begun on August 15, 1970 in keel-laying ceremonies at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California. She was christened and launched on May 15, 1971. BARBOUR COUNTY was delivered to the navy on February 3, 1972, commissioned on February 12, 1972, and assigned to the Amphibious Forces of the Pacific Fleet. Westpac Story BARBOUR COUNTY began its ninth Westpac deployment on June 5, 1989. Training began immediately and continued throughout the transit. BARBOUR COUNTY'S first operation on June 13, 1989 was to support a USMC Midpac exercise which involved the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Approximately 200 marines were embarked including COL Fulford. The ship conducted AAV launches and helicopter operations to support the exercise. Following Midpac, BARBOUR COUNTY continued west and crossed the international date line on June 22, 1989 to enter the realm of the Golden Dragon. BARBOUR COUNTY began July by offloading 8 AAV's at Ourawan, Okinawa and then proceeded to Kin Red Okinawa to offload a USMC Hawk Battery and embarked 267 personnel from the Third Marine Division. On July 4, 1989 BARBOUR COUNTY moored at the British port HMS Tamar for a week of liberty in I-long Kong, She then proceeded to Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines on July 12 for a week of upkeep. Following the upkeep, BARBOUR COUNTY steamed to Kin Red and arrived on July 27 to offload the marines from the Third Marine Division. BARBOUR COUNTY teamed up with the USS SAN BERNADINO CLST-1189i in Okinawa to conduct exercise Valiant Mark 89-7 which climaxed with a landing at Green Beach Subic Bay on August 8, 1989. BARBOUR COUNTY left Subic Bay on August 11, and began the transit to Singapore. Enroute, she crossed the equator at longitude 106 03.30,'E and entered the realm of King Neptune. Prior to crossing the equator, the Trusty Shellbacks prepared the Slimy Wogs for their first trip across the line. BARBOUR COUNTY arrived in Singapore on August 16, for a week of liberty. BARBOUR COUNTY next enjoyed an additional four days of liberty in Phuket Thailand. BARBOUR COUNTY returned to Subic Bay following an exercise in Lemut Malaysia. The deployment climaxed during October with Valiant Blitz which was part of the largest peacetime exercise seen in the Pacific since World War Il. D-Day at Tok Sok Ri Korea was on October 21. BARBOUR COUNTY launched wave two which landed in the center of the beach right on time. BARBOUR COUNTY steamed in company with aircraft carriers, battleships, amphibious ships, and allied ships, and conducted every evolution that the ship is capable of doing. Amidst the work the ship managed to fit in a few short visits to Pusan and Pohang Korea. Following Valiant Blitz, BARBOUR COUNTY participated in a tactical offload at Ourawan and Kin Red, Okinawa and returned to Subic Bay on November 5 for the last time. She left Subic on November 11, picked up 68 marines from the Third LAI Brigade in Okinawa and began the long transit home. The civilian Tigers embarked in Pearl Harbor on November 28 and joined the last week of the deployment. The USS BARBOUR COUNTY returned to San Diego at 1000 December 5, 1989 to a long awaited homecoming.

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Command Master Chief QMCM KS VW AD Meek U ,J f 5 S Y i f 4 Q ff ' W QMCM QSWJ Alan D Meek a natxve of Nashua Montana enlxsted m the nav in J 1 y anuary 962 HIS duty stauons mclude NAS Whrtmg Field FL U35 Holland KAS 32l COMNAVACTS UK USS CHILTON fLPA 381 ClNCPAC PLT staff USS RAMSEY IFFG 21 USS CONSERVER IAFS 393 I-farhuw' master Pearl Harbor HI USS L Y SPEAR CAS-363 Navagataon school dnrector FTC Norfolk VA Master Chuef Meek is the semor enlxsted advrsor to the Captam He reported aboard rn September 1987 banging wxth hmm 26 years of naval serviw Master Chief Meek IS authorlzed to wear the Navy Commendation Medal N A h avy c aevement Medal with two gold stars Merxtonous Commendation wxth one bronze star Battle Effncrency E ribbon wxth one E Good Conduct Medal with four bronze stars Natrona! Defense Medal, Armed Forced Expedntmonary Medal Humamtanan servlce medal Deployment R bb 1 on w1th two bronze stars and is enlisted surface warfare quahfxed Master Chlef Meek rs marrxed to the former Mary Costell of Bnghouse Westyorkshlre England . I ' ' l X X , r Q ,el V , V-fy 3.4 fy-L-L ,K 4,1 In X ' ' 2 1 r f Q. r, , ff I- 0 , Q t , r , , .1 , 2 Q: A 7 ' p ' I , 7 f f f V, 3 -7 if z - - - f I Q' W ,Vi , - . , M M 1 , 3 r ,i , , 1 1 1 f I 1 r r M M ' 1 r 2 I - - - - - w uv ,f ' ,f f f ' , 'L- fg 4 .' ' '- 1 r Q' f . -- as n - sc n , ' f, i Q . v 1 L ' 'V ' , '97 'ff f fr , 2 , .' r f V V ,

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