DeSoto County's Log
Doyle Neal sent this picture of DeSoto's
initial arrival in Little Creek. His wife and 2 children are the
ones just to the right of the tug. Wife has a dark blouse and
patterned skirt. He doesn't remember the date.
Nice Picture of the DeSoto
underway from Pete Reenstra.
Short history
DeSoto County (LST-1171) (q.v.)
was named after counties in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
She was laid down in September 1956 at Avondale, La., by the Avondale
Marine Ways, Inc.; launched on 28 February 1957; sponsored by
Mrs. C. Horton Smith; and commissioned on 10 June 1958, Lt. Comdr.
Daniel A. York in command.
For almost the entire length of her active service, DeSoto County
was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. She interspersed
operations off the east coast of the United States with frequent
deployments to the Carribbean and the Mediterranean. The tank
landing ship saw brief service in the Vietnam theater of operations
in 1969. Decommissioned on 17 July 1972, DeSoto County was transferred
to the Italian Navy where she served as Nave Grado (L9890).
DeSoto County earned one Meritorious Unit Com-mendation for service
with the 6th Fleet in the Medi-terranean and one battle star for
Vietnam service.
The following is a short history
of the Desoto County's participation in the Cuban Missle Crisis.
Twelve hours before the President
began his speech on worldwide radio and television, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff sent out detailed plans for conducting the quarantine
to all cognizant and interested commanders. The order listed prohibited
items, general rules for engagement between U. S. forces and ships
and aircraft of other registry or ownership, details for conducting
searches, a concept of the operations, and the plan for the defense
of Guantanamo naval base. The execution of the air quarantine
was ordered held in abeyance until directed by higher authority.
Throughout the day, CINCLANT
continued deployment and positioning of ships and other forces
to enforce the quarantine. Most of the units were proceeding to
a central rendezvous point at 27N, 68W to await station assignments.
These were Commander Task Force 136, in Newport News and with
Canberra, Lawrence, Keith, Soley, and Borie from Norfolk; Commander
Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Six in MacDonough from Charleston;
Commander Destroyer Squadron 26 in Dewey with Leary, Steinaker,
and J. R. Pierce from Norfolk, and Witek. COMDESRON 16 aboard
Bigelow, in company with McCaffery, W. C. Lawe, Sellers, Royal,
and Gearing from Mayport, was en route to 21N, 65W. The ASW carrier
Essex with Commander Carrier Division 18 aboard was en route from
Guantanamo for 26N, 68W, where she would join COMDESRON 24 in
Blandy with Sperry, Barry, and Keppler from Newport. Commander
Antisubmarine Warfare Force, Atlantic had positioned aircraft
at Roosevelt Roads and Bermuda to commence air surveillance.
Reinforcement of Guantanamo
began before noon with the arrival of the PHIBRON 8 ships Monrovia,
Rockbridge, Desoto County, and Liddle for off-loading of a Marine
Battalion Landing Team.
Capricornus arrived about
noon and Lindenwald in the evening to complete the landing of
1,600 officers and men. MATS and Marine aircraft also were delivering
personnel and equipment of a reinforced rifle battalion from the
West Coast and a Battalion Landing Team from Camp Lejeune, North
Carolina. Marines in Guantanamo now numbered 5,200 officers and
men, and the base's military Navy-Marine population totaled about
8,000.
The order to place all forces
worldwide on Defense Condition Three went out one hour before
the President's speech except for those in CINCEUR , which were
put in a military precautionary posture.
The President had used the
term "quarantine" instead of "blockade", because
the latter term could have been interpreted as an act of war.
The proposed interdiction was aimed solely at offensive weapons
and every effort was to be made to not have other nations consider
the action as a warlike act.
The evacuation of dependents
and other noncombatants from Guantanamo was virtually completed
by the time the President went on the air. The operation began
at 1100Q when the base commander dispatched special officer messengers
to the housing areas to alert dependents for the evacuation. The
deadline for removal of the noncombatants was 1900Q. The housing
areas were cleared of dependents at 1530Q. The last evacuation
ship cleared her moorings at 1630Q. In the surface contingent,
1,703 were loaded aboard Upshur; 351 in Duxbury Bay, 286 in Hyades,
and 92 in Desoto County. Hospital patients, dependents at Leeward,
and certain other noncombatants were evacuated by air commencing
about 1400Q. Air evacuees totaled 378 and were flown out in five
GV and one R4Q aircraft. The first plane took off at 1400Q and
the last about 1900Q.
CNO sent a personal message
to the evacuees which the base commander read over the ships loudspeakers:
"The calm and serene manner in which you have accepted the
threat of possible personal danger while living in Guantanamo
has been viewed with admiration and respect.
Now our judgment dictates
that you should leave the scene of an increasing danger to your
own safety. I am sure you will accept this action with the same
fine spirit that has been so obvious throughout your stay at Guantanamo.
Rest assured that we will do all possible to provide for your
welfare in the days ahead."
Former DeSoto Crew member, Pete Reenstra,
has devoted his web site to remembering the DeSoto County. It features history,
ship and crew pictures. Here is a link to his Great Page.