Ken Budd, a former crew man contributed this letter written by a Spanish crewman.
Juan Martinez-Esparza wrote:
Dear Mr. Budd:
I am Captain of the Spanish Marine Corps, coming from the Spanish Naval Academy. During 70's and 80's, every midshipman was to spend one month a year on board a ship for training purposes. Those years this task was acomplished by LST's.
The first Navy ship I boarded was the "Conde del Venadito", in June 1983. As marine midshipman I experienced the "Gator Navy" also for the first time. During that cruise we beached, launched and recovered LVTP's and so. But I also had to perform crew duties: I expended hours of night watch at the aft gun mount, steering the wheel....
I recall the "beach" when in leisure time (as we were anchored) the bow ramp was lowered (or being underway going down the bow hatch to the space between bow doors and the ramp).
It was astonishing seeing from the bridge the ship bending with certain sea states, or feeling that bumping and rattling when a big wave was rammed.... But the hardest part was getting used to the motion: we called that very special behavior "cuchareo" ("spooning"), because resembled the motion of a spoon when you use it: pitch, roll and yaw at the same time. We used the troop bunks, and during the night you could hear the movement of liquids in the ballast and fuel tanks.
As I was commisioned 1st Lieutenant, I was assigned to a tank Coy. And again I stepped those decks, feeling the rumble of the keel and watching the opening of "my scenario" as the ramp lowered on the beach. As you can see, I also feel her like something very familiar.
Years later I became helicopter pilot, and one day I watched that very known silouette at an scrapping facility. Day after day, when I overflied her I was able to see how the decks disappeared, watching from the air the tank deck, the galley, the engine room...until she became a pile of junk. I went to that facility and I manage to get a porthole. After cleaning and polising, I have it fitted to a round window in my home.
But there is a happy end! In a Navy repair facility near the Brigade I am assigned to , I discovered that "shoe-box silouette again! She did not have any number, so I do not know wether that ship is the "Velasco" or the " Martin Alvarez" or "Conde del Venadito". But I do not want to know it, so I can "be sure" she is still afloat.
I will be very happy to provide you all the information I can gather, but it may take a little time. Right now I am in Madrid, trying to become major if I am succesful with the course I am...suffering?!.
Please feel free to e-mail me with any question or request.
Sincerely, Juan Esparza.
This is the last photo I have of our proud ship while she was serving in Spains Navy.
So ends the story of our ship. A ship that provided us with food, shelter, friends, and an adventure during our youth. Tom Green County, you have provided your crew with many memories and in honor of those memories of my ship and my shipmates I salute you "Tom Green County - Lst 1159", as I say goodbye. BRAVO ZULU
