Home Page of Pete Reenstra
(Updated March 22, 2009)

Dedicated to the memory of the
USS DeSoto County LST 1171


1962

1962

1969

1970

Medals earned by the DeSoto County through the years
See 1171 History for descriptions


This is the floating bathtub I spent 3.5 years on - home base, Little Creek, Va. 
While I was on board, the DeSoto County cruised the Mediterranean in 1962,
   visiting Spain, Italy, Greece, Sardinia, Corsica, and a couple other islands.
The Caribbean, however, was our second home, and San Juan our main liberty
   port.  We also visited Bermuda, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, and St. Thomas.
We played a big part in the Cuban missile crisis, delivering Marines to
   Guantanamo Bay, and evacuating dependent wives and children.
On other cruises, we took Seabees to Nova Scotia and Scotland, and visited
   Ireland.
I left the DeSoto County the day before she embarked on a cruise of the Great
   Lakes in 1964.  I should have taken that cruise!  But...

 
DeSoto Map

1171 History
Updated 05/30/06

 Italian Service

 1171 Gallery
Updated 10/27/05

Great Lakes Cruise
Updated 3/5/03

Gator Gallery
Updated 10/27/05

 My Service

Sign My
 Guest Book

Read My
  Guest Book

 

DeSoto patches are available!
And they look great!
  Order yours today
$7.50 each + .50 postage

Visit our page for
 DeSoto County Memorabilia
All profits go to the AAFA

Class Map
  Class Info

1171 Class Reunion
Oct., 2000

Class Gallery
Updated 4/29/04

AAFA
Updated 11/15/06

 Reunion 2003
 

 LST 325 Pictures
(New)

9/11 Memorial

Patriot's Page

 

Join our AAFA Discussion


Vital Statistics of the DeSoto County
  •     Contract awarded to Avondale Marine Ways of Louisiana on June 1, 1955.
  •     Her keel was laid on Sept. 1, 1956, and she was launched February 28, 1957.
  •     She was delivered to the U.S. Navy on June 7, 1958, and commissioned on June 10, 1958.
  •    She was decommissioned on July 17, 1972, having served for over 14 years.
  •    She was diesel powered, and capable of 17 knots.
  •    She was 455 feet long; 62 feet at the beam; and drafted 16.8 feet.
  •    Her displacement empty - 3560 tons   When full - 7,820 tons, plus a few.
  •    And, trusting my memory, the crew consisted of 13/14 officers, and 140/160 enlisted men.
  •    The DeSoto County carried up to 650 Marines and their trucks, tanks, supplies.
  •    The DeSoto County was named after counties in Ole Miss., Louisiana, and Florida.


 Armed Forces Tribute

Let us never forget to thank our vets


- Many of us were involved in the Cuban Crisis, Viet Nam, and the entire Cold War -
- So these two items are of great interest -

COLD WAR MUSEUM gets a home. The Fairfax County, VA Park Authority has given land at the former
Lorton complex to the museum to build a permanent home. It is on the site of a former Nike missile base.

The American Amphibious Force Association membership fully supports the
Congressionally authorized award of the Cold War Service Medal to
Honorably discharged U. S. Military Veterans of the Cold War
between 02 September 1945 and 26 December 1991.
Won't you consider supporting this effort also?
Please read and sign the petition here.
Thank you


 

Important quotes to remember, especially today!!!

"If history teaches us anything, it teaches that simpleminded appeasement
or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly.  It means the betrayal
of our past, and the squandering of our freedom."

    President Ronald Reagan
                                     March 3, 1983
 

"National defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman."

                     President John Adams
 

"There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change.
It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wounds,
death and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

                                                       Gen. George S. Patton, Jr.
 
 


 

AAFA Reunion 2009
Annapolis, MD

Details when available on AAFA page.
Also, visit our other web site dedicated to the
American Amphibious Force Association.
Gatorforce.com
A GATEWAY TO THE AMPHIBIOUS FORCES. IT WILL CARRY INFORMATION
ABOUT THE MODERN AMPHIBOUS FORCES AND POST WW2 LSTS (THE BIG T’S).
THERE ARE PAGES FOR THE AMERICAN AMPHIBIOUS FORCE ASSOCIATION
AND EFFORTS TO PRESERVE AMPHIBIOUS VESSELS WILL BE SHOWCASED.
Please visit Dirk's website.

Welcome home, LST 325!
 325 Memorial Page

Please consider donations to the continuing restoration and
maintenance of the 325.
Fundraising information can be found at:
 The LST Memorial Page

Pictures of the 325 in Mobile
Larry Adamik, AAFA member,
visited the 325 in 2003.  Here's a few of his pictures.


 


I am proud to have had my page chosen by Military.com
as a distinguished military page.  Thank you.

Gator Pages

Home Port, Little Creek, VA

 

This site commemorates the Navy's first Amphibious Training Base,
Solomons, Maryland

 "Largest US Navy Warship Collection on the 'Net"

Find your ship in the Amphibious section

We are part of the LST WebRing


 
 

Gator's Discussion pages

LST Home Port Discussion

 LST Sailors Talk Deck

AAFA Members Discussion

Military Discussion

 Military.com Forums

Other great 'Gator' Links

  WWII LST Listing
 LST 1110
 Brown Water LST
 LST 454
 LST 519
 LSD 32
 LST 1084
 LST 1176
 Gators in Nam
 LST History
 Whitfield Cty LST 1169
 Navy History - LSTs
 U.S.Navy Email
  LST 1126

Find Shipmates


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American Veterans Search


 

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