USS Harnett County (LST-821)

USS Harnett County (AGP-821) in South Vietnamese waters, c. 1967–1970. Atop her flight deck is a Sikorsky H-34 "Choctaw" helicopter (left) and a Navy Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) "Seawolf" UH-1B Huey gunship.
History
Name:	USS LST-821
Builder:	Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company, Evansville, Indiana
Laid down:	19 September 1944
Launched:	27 October 1944
Commissioned:	14 November 1944
Decommissioned:	March 1946
Renamed:	USS Harnett County (LST-821), 1 July 1955
Recommissioned:	20 August 1966
Decommissioned:	12 October 1970
Reclassified:	AGP-821, 1970
Honors and awards:	1 battle star (World War II) 9 battle stars, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, 3 Navy Unit Commendations (Vietnam)
Fate:	Transferred to South Vietnam, 12 October 1970
South Vietnam
Name:	RVNS My Tho (HQ-800)
Acquired:	12 October 1970
Fate:	Transferred to the Philippines, 5 April 1976
Philippines
Name:	BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57)
Acquired:	5 April 1976
Decommissioned:	1999
Fate:	Deliberately grounded in 1999; turned into an advance outpost at Second Thomas Shoal (South China Sea)9°47′27.64″N 115°51′24.00″E / 9.7910111°N 115.8566667°E / 9.7910111; 115.8566667Coordinates: 9°47′27.64″N 115°51′24.00″E / 9.7910111°N 115.8566667°E / 9.7910111; 115.8566667
Status:	Decommissioned (2000), used as an outpost as of 2014
General characteristics
Class and type:	LST-542-class tank landing ship
Displacement:	1,625 long tons (1,651 t) light 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full
Length:	328 ft (100 m)
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	Unloaded : 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft Loaded : 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
Propulsion:	2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed:	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried:	Two LCVPs
Troops:	16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement:	7 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:	1 × single 3"/50 caliber gun 8 × 40 mm guns 12 × 20 mm guns

The USS LST-821, renamed the USS Harnett County (LST-821), USS Harnett County (AGP-821), My Tho HQ-800 (Vietnam) and finally LT 57 Sierra Madre (Philippine Navy) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Harnett County, North Carolina and was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. She served the US Navy in World War II and the Vietnam War. She was transferred to South Vietnam's Republic of Vietnam Navy, which named her RVNS My Tho (HQ-800).

After the Vietnam War, Harnett County was transferred to the Philippine Navy, which named her BRP Sierra Madre (LT-57). In 1999 the Philippine government deliberately had her run aground on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands to serve as an outpost of the Philippine Marine Corps to assert Philippine sovereignty in the country's dispute with China over the ownership of the Spratly Islands. She still serves that function.

USS LST-821 was laid down on 19 September 1944 at Evansville, Indiana by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 27 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson, Sr.; and commissioned on 14 November 1944 with Lieutenant C. J. Rudine, USNR, in command.

During World War II, LST-821 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from April through June 1945. Following the War, she performed occupation duty in the Far East until early December 1945. LST-821 returned to the United States and was decommissioned in March 1946 and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet. On 1 July 1955 all remaining LSTs were given names of U.S. counties; LST-821 was named USS Harnett County (LST-821).