Wood County (LST-1178)

 

Wood County (LST-1178) (q.v.) was named after counties in Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. She was laid down on 1 October 1956 at Lorain, Ohio, by the American Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 14 December 1957; sponsored by Miss Margaret Acker-man; and commissioned on 5 August 1959, Lt. Comdr. Maxton M. Midgett in command.

 

Following commissioning, Wood County was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. For 13 years, the tank landing ship alternated between operations on the east coast of the United States and deployments to the Caribbean and Mediterranean for participation in large scale amphibious training exercises. On 1 May 1972, Wood County was decommissioned and assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet at James River, Va.