The Fourth Cruise


(from May 1960 to December 1962)

In July 1960 new orders dictated the tank landingship's change of home port from San Diego to Yokosuka and assigned Tom Green County as flagship of Landing Ship Division 92. Maintenance work was now conducted in Japanese yards, obviating returns to the United States for overhauls.

Air View-Yokosuka Naval Base

Local operations, interspersed with yard periods, and training exercises kept the tank landing ship engaged through 1962.

Following the ship's participation in Operations "Tulungan" (9 March to 9 April 1962) and "Lone Eagle" (14 to 23 October), at Subic Bay and Okinawa,respectively.

Subic Floating Dry Dock

Crew Comment
When I was on board, she was homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. We had our dependents there. I was on board when we operated out of Okinawa and during one of the practice exercises with the Marines, we had a bulldozer break loose in the tank deck. In an effort to control the machine, one of the Marines was caught in front and was cut in two.

We also lost about 4 or 5 tanks during that practice. They were the type that was supposed to go in the water as well as on land. They went off of the tank ramp, but did not come back to the surface. I do not recall whether they were recovered or not. - Sam Todd Tom Green County went on alert as events half-way around the world threatened peace. The presence of Russian IRBM's in Cuba brought on a head-to-head confrontation between the Soviet Union and theUnited States. Ready for any eventuality, the Navy prepared itself, world-wide.Tom Green County sailed for Naha on the 24th of October, moored at the LST ramp, and took on board marines and their equipment. After the crisis passed, the ship returned to her normal operating schedule, making for Iwakuni on the 27th to offload, before proceeding to Yokosuka.

Upkeep from 2 to 25 November at Yokosuka preceded the ship's type-training exercises through 29 November.

Tom Green County paid a port visit at Beppu, Japan,from 1 to 3 December before returning to her home port on the 7th.

BEPPU TOURIST ATTRACTIONS


SKYHELL
WATERHELL

Underway three days later, the ship made for Numazu, Japan, to load marines and materiel for transport to Okinawa and arrived on the 15th.

The tank landing ship off-loaded, headed for Japanese waters,and arrived at Yokosuka on 19 December before getting underway again on Christmas Eve for Tokyo.
Tom Green County departed the Japanese capital city on the 28th and returned to Yokosuka, where she spent the remainder of the year in upkeep status.

A number of shipmates have tried to locate LTCDR W. F. Casper, the Commanding Officer from 1960 through 1962. Jim Harp has found the following information and requested that it be placed on our web site.

He assumed command in 1960 USS Tom Green County. After 2 years on USS TOM GREEN COUNTY he served in several billets in the Washington area, including duty with the Navel Communication Station, Washington, the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, and defense communications engineering office, before assuming command of the Annapolis, he was commanding officer of the USS GEORGE K MACKENZIE, (DD-836). He assumed command of the USS ANNAPOLIS (AGMR-1) on Jan 9, 1967. He passed away in the 1970s. This is the end of the Fourth Cruise


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