USST-LST-287 on 25 August 1953
History
United States
Name	LST-287
Builder	American Bridge Co.,Ambridge
Laid down	30 August 1943
Launched	31 October 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Agnes Johnston
Commissioned	15 December 1943
Decommissioned	13 June 1946
Reclassified	T-LST-287, 29 May 1951
Identification	Callsign: NGCA
Honors & awards	SeeAwards
Fate	Transferred toPhilippines, 13 September 1976
Philippines
Name	Samar Oriental
Namesake	Samar Oriental
Acquired	13 September 1976
Commissioned	13 September 1976
Decommissioned	1992
Stricken	1992
Identification	Hull number: LT-502
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class & type	LST-1-classtank landing ship
Displacement	4,080 long tons (4,145 t) full load 2,160 long tons (2,190 t) landing
Length	328 ft (100 m)oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft Landing at 2,160 t: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW)Electro-Motive Diesel12-567Adiesel engines 1,700 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk mainreduction gears 2 ×Propellers
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range	24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 or 6 xLCVPs
Capacity	2,100 tons oceangoing maximum 350 tons main deckload
Troops	16officers, 147enlisted men
Complement	13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament	Varied, ultimate armament 2 × twin40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 4 × single 40 mm Bofors guns 12 ×20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

USSLST-287 was aLST-1-classtank landing ship in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II. She was transferred to thePhilippine Navy asRPSSamar Oriental (LT-502).^[1]

LST-287 waslaid down on 30 August 1943 atAmerican Bridge Co.,Ambridge,Pennsylvania.Launched on 31 October 1943 andcommissioned on 15 December 1943.^[2]

During World War II,LST-287 was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East theater. She then participated in theInvasion of Normandy from 6 to 25 June 1944.

She wasdecommissioned on 13 June 1946.

Transferred to theMilitary Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 29 May 1951, and placed in service asUSNST-LST-287.

On 19 August 1953, she and theUnited States Army tugLT-1953 extinguished a fire on the abandoned Danish cargo shipElse Basse. They subsequently towed her in to St. Georges Bay.^[3]

LST-287 was struck from theNavy Register and transferred to thePhilippines.

She was acquired by thePhilippine Navy on 13 September 1976 and renamedRPSSamar Oriental(LT-502).

On 19 April 1974, a 20-day marathon on bicycles named Tour ofLuzon-Visayas with 200 participants boarded the ship at South Harbor in order to continue the marathon inTolosa.^[4]

BRPSamar Oriental was moored atPoro Point,La Union,Luzon Island on 2 September 1991.

In 1992,BRP Ilocos Norte (LT-98), BRPSamar Oriental (LT-502), andBRP Tawi-Tawi (LT-512) were stricken.^[5]

LST-287 have earned the following awards:

• American Campaign Medal
• Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1battle star)
• World War II Victory Medal

• United States. Dept. of the Treasury (1962).Treasury Decisions Under the Customs, Internal Revenue, Industrial Alcohol, Narcotic and Other Laws, Volume 97. U.S. Government Printing Office.
• Moore, Capt. John (1984).Jane's Fighting Ships 1984-85. Jane's Information Group.ISBN 978-0710607959.
• Saunders, Stephen (2009).Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group.ISBN 978-0710628886.
• Fairplay International Shipping Journal Volume 222. United Kingdom: Fairplay Publishing Limited. 1967.

• World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
• Ships built in Seneca, Illinois
• 1943 ships
• LST-1-class tank landing ships of the United States Navy
• LST-1-class tank landing ships of the Philippine Navy
• Naval ships of Operation Neptune

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from September 2021