The History of the
LST 722  --  USS Dodge County
Compiled by Bob Tiffany

 
 

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba) - Philippines Liberation Medal

LST - 722 was laid down on 15 July 1944 at Jeffersonville, Ind., by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co. She was commissioned on 13 September 1944 and launched on 21 August 1944 sponsored by Miss Rosemary Furey. During World War II, LST-722 was assigned to the Asiatic- Pacific theater and participated in the following operations: Palawan Island landings-February and March 1945, and Mindanao Island landings-April 1945. Following the war, LST-722 performed occupation duty in the Far East until April 1946. She was decommissioned on 13 July 1946. Recommissioned on 16 November 1951, the ship was assigned to the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, for duty. On I July 1955, LST- 722 was redesignated Dodge County (LST-722) after counties in Georgia, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. She was decommissioned again on 3 January 1956. Dodge County was recommissioned once again in early 1960’s and participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis from 24 October, to 15 December 1962. Upon completion of this duty she was assigned again to the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. She was decommissioned for the last time and struck from the Navy list on 15 September 1974. She was then transferred, sold to Thailand, under the Security Assistance Program, 1 November 1975 and renamed “Prathong “. LST-722 earned one battle star for World War II service. 

Specifications:
Displacement 1,780 t. (lt), 3,640 t. (fl) 
Length 328' 
Beam 50' 
Draft unloaded, bow 2' 4" stern 7' 6", loaded bow 8' 2" stern 14' 1" 
Speed 12 kts. 
Complement 8-10 officers, 89-100 enlisted
Troop Accommodations approx. 130 officers and enlisted
Boats 2 LCVP 
Armament eight 40mm guns, twelve 20mm guns 
Propulsion 2 General Motors 12-567 Diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders 

Information Sources:
U. S. Naval Historical Center,
http://www.multied.com/Navy/patrol/26.html
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/160722.htm
 

From: Bob Tiffany [mailto:bobtiffany<at>cableone.net]
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 2:10 PM
To: Sheldon Aubut

Sheldon,
I found this picture of the old "Dodge County" LST 722, now belonging to the Thailand Navy, called "HTMS Prathong" LST 715. This picture was taken mid 2003 during a joint exercise called "Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training" (CARAT).

Four countries in Southeast Asia — Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, and Malaysia — participated in the U.S. Navy’s ninth annual exercise series.