LST-1170 was laid down on 21 April 1953 at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., by the Christy Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 22 May 1954; sponsored by Mrs. Joseph R. McCarthy; and commissioned on 15 December 1954, Lt. Comdr. Max Wells in command.
Following shakedown training, LST-1170 was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. On 1 July 1955, the tank landing ship was redesignated Windham County (LST-1170) (q.v.) after counties in Connecticut and Vermont. She operated along the east coast of the United States and in the Caribbean and made one deployment to the Mediterranean before being transferred to the Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet, in 1958. In 1960, the ship's home port was shifted from San Diego to Yokosuka, Japan, and she spent the remainder of her active service in the Far East. Commencing in 1965, Windham County performed extensive service in the Vietnam theater. On 1 June 1973, Windham County was decommissioned and transferred to the Turkish Navy where it served as Ertugrul (L401).
LST-1170 earned one Presidential Unit Citation, three Navy Unit Commendations, three Meritorious Unit Commendations, and 14 battle stars for Vietnam service as Windham County.
