Time Period: World War II through the Faubus Era (1941 - 1967) - Starting with U

USS Pulaski County (LST-1088)

The USS Pulaski County (LST-1088) was a tank landing ship that saw service in World War II and the Vietnam War. It was designated the USS Pulaski County on July 1, 1955, in honor of counties in seven U.S. states, including Arkansas. LST-1088 was one of a class of vessels—called Landing Ship, Tank—created to carry tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment, and supplies during military operations along coastal areas. Called “Large Slow Targets” by their crews, they were designed as shallow-draft vessels; when carrying a 500-ton load, LST-1088 drew only three feet eleven inches forward and nine feet ten inches aft. They carried pontoons amidships that could be used to create causeways when they had to debark their …

USS Razorback

The USS Razorback (SS-394) is a Balao-class submarine that saw service in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The name “Razorback” came from the Rorqual family of whales, which are characterized by throat grooves that extend from the throat to the flippers. This submarine, after a long and varied service, is now docked in the Arkansas River in North Little Rock (Pulaski County), as part of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. The USS Razorback was constructed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine in 1943–44 and was launched on January 27, 1944. Between 1944 and 1945, the Razorback completed war patrols in the Pacific, which included being a member of an offensive group conducting patrols east of Luzon in …

USS Saline County (LST-1101)

The USS Saline County (LST-1101) was an LST-542 Class tank landing ship built in 1944 that saw service in World War II and the Korean War. It was designated the USS Saline County on July 1, 1955, in honor of counties in five U.S. states, including Arkansas. LST-1101 was one of a class of vessels—called Landing Ship, Tank—created to carry tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment, and supplies during military operations along coastal areas. Called “Large Slow Targets” by their crews, they were designed as shallow-draft vessels; when carrying a 500-ton load, LST-1101 drew only three feet eleven inches forward and nine feet ten inches aft. They carried pontoons amidships that could be used to create causeways when …

USS Sebastian (AK-211)

The USS Sebastian was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War. The ship was named for Sebastian County and was part of the same class as the USS Chicot, USS Craighead, and USS Poinsett, all named for Arkansas counties. Construction on the ship began on August 10, 1944, and it was launched on December 21, 1944. Constructed by Leatham D. Smith Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, the Sebastian was acquired by the U.S. Navy on loan from the Maritime Commission on August 10, 1945. After undergoing conversion for military use in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was commissioned on September 11, 1945. The Alamosa class consisted of cargo ships …

USS Sevier (APA-233)

The USS Sevier (APA-233) was a 6,720-ton Haskell-class attack transport built in 1944 and named for counties in three states, including Arkansas. The Kaiser Company of Vancouver, Washington, laid down the hull for the USS Sevier on October 4, 1944, under a contract with the Maritime Commission. It launched on November 16, 1944. The Sevier was commissioned on December 5, 1944, under Captain A. R. Ponto. The ship was 455 feet long and 62 feet wide and could reach speeds of 17.7 knots. It had a crew of fifty-six officers and 490 sailors and could carry up to eighty-six officers and 1,440 men. The Sevier was armed with one 5-inch gun, one quad-40mm antiaircraft mount, four twin 40mm guns, and …

USS St. Francis River (LSMR-525)

The USS St. Francis River (LSMR-525) was an LSMR-501 Class landing craft medium (Rockets) that was built in 1945 and saw service in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. LSMR-525 was designated the USS St. Francis River on October 1, 1955, in honor of the St. Francis River, which flows through Missouri and Arkansas, and another river of the same name in Maine. The USS St. Francis River was one of a class of ships designed to provide fire support for combat operations ashore. The vessel weighed 520 tons, was 203.5 feet long and 34.5 feet wide, and could reach speeds of 13 knots. It was armed with one five-inch gun, four 4.2-inch mortars, and two 40mm antiaircraft guns. …

USS Stone County (LST-1141)

The USS Stone County (LST-1141) was an LST-542–class tank landing ship built in 1945 that saw service in the Pacific after World War II and in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was designated the USS Stone County on July 1, 1955, in honor of counties in Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi. LST-1141 was one of a class of vessels—called Landing Ship, Tank—created to carry tanks, wheeled and tracked vehicles, artillery, construction equipment, and supplies during military operations along coastal areas. Called “Large Slow Targets” by their crews, they were designed as shallow-draft vessels; when carrying a 500-ton load, LST-1141 drew only three feet eleven inches forward and nine feet ten inches aft. They carried pontoons amidships that could be used …

USS Van Buren (PF-42)

The USS Van Buren was a Tacoma-class patrol frigate launched in 1944 that served in the New Guinea campaign in the western Pacific during World War II. The USS Van Buren was the second U.S. naval vessel to bear that name. The first was an early nineteenth-century revenue cutter named for U.S. president Martin Van Buren. The World War II patrol frigate was named in honor of the city of Van Buren, the county seat of Crawford County. The Van Buren’s hull was laid down on June 24, 1943, by Consolidated Steel Corporation in Los Angeles, California. The vessel was launched on July 27. It was commissioned at Terminal Island on December 17 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Charles …