 USSHarnett County (AGP-821) in South Vietnamese waters,c. 1967–1970. Atop her flight deck is aSikorsky H-34 Choctawhelicopter (left) and a Navy Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) "Seawolf"UH-1B Hueygunship. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSLST-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 | USSHarnett County (LST-821), 1 July 1955 |
| Namesake | Harnett County, North Carolina |
| Recommissioned | 20 August 1966 |
| Decommissioned | 12 October 1970 |
| Reclassified | AGP-821, 1970 |
| Honors & awards |
|
| Fate | Transferred to South Vietnam, 12 October 1970 |
 South Vietnam | |
| Name | RVNSMy Tho |
| Namesake | Mỹ Tho |
| Acquired | 12 October 1970 |
| Identification | HQ-800 |
| Fate | Transferred to thePhilippines, 5 April 1976 |
 Philippines | |
| Name | BRPSierra Madre |
| Namesake | Sierra Madre |
| Acquired | 5 April 1976 |
| Identification | LT-57 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | LST-542-classtank landing ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft |
|
| Propulsion | 2 ×General Motors12-567diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders |
| Speed | 12knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2LCVPs |
| Troops | 16 officers, 147 enlisted men |
| Complement | 7 officers, 104 enlisted men |
| Armament |
|
BRPSierra Madre (LT-57) is anLST-542-classtank landing ship that is an active duty[2] commissioned vessel under thePhilippine Navy.[3][4]
Originally known asUSSLST-821, it was renamed toUSSHarnett County (LST-821/AGP-281), built for theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II. She was named forHarnett County, North Carolina and was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. She served the United States Navy in World War II and theVietnam War. She was transferred toSouth Vietnam'sRepublic of Vietnam Navy, which named herRVNSMy Tho (HQ-800).
After the Vietnam War,Harnett County was transferred to the Philippine Navy, which named herBRP Sierra Madre. In 1999, the Philippine government deliberately had her run aground onAyungin Shoal in theSpratly Islands to serve as an outpost of thePhilippine Marine Corps to affirm the Philippines'exclusive economic zone amid itsdispute with China over the Spratly Islands, and she still serves such function as of 2025[update].
USSLST-821 waslaid down on 19 September 1944 atEvansville, Indiana by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company. The ship waslaunched on 27 October 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Hugh Robertson Sr.LST-821 wascommissioned on 22 November 1944.[5]
During World War II,LST-821 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater, spending most of the remainder of World War II ferrying supplies around Western Pacific ports likeEniwetok,Okinawa,Iejima,Ulithi, andGuam in advance of the plannedinvasion of the Japanese home islands.LST-821 earned onebattle star for her World War II service. Following Japan's surrender in September 1945, the ship supported the occupation of the country. On 11 December she sailed back to the United States where she was decommissioned and placed into reserve on 8 July 1946.[5]
On 1 July 1955 all remaining LSTs were given names ofU.S. counties;LST-821 was named USSHarnett County (LST-821).[5]
Recommissioned on 20 August 1966 at theMare Island Navy Yard,Vallejo, California,[citation needed]Harnett County saw extensive service during the Vietnam War. Along with the other tank landing shipsGarrett County,Hunterdon County, andJennings County, Harnett County was updated to be a floating base in the Mekong Delta as part of theMobile Riverine Force. As part of this refit, the ship was equipped with a landing area and maintenance facilities forUH-1B Seawolf gunships,patrol boat (PBR) mooring facilities, and more modern communications equipment. The ship would support ten PBRs and two gunships, and could provide close fire support with its 40mm guns.Harnett County reported for this role on 12 January 1967 and was redesignated asPatrol Craft Tender (AGP-821) for the duration of its service, until late 1969. On 12 October 1970, the ship was decommissioned in Guam.[5]
Over the course of her service in Vietnam, the crew ofHarnett County was awarded twoPresidential Unit Citations for "extraordinary heroism" and "superb" performance. The ship also received an additional nine battle stars and threeNavy Unit Commendations.[5]
The United States transferredHarnett County to theRepublic of Vietnam Navy under theSecurity Assistance Program on 12 October 1970 and renamed RVNSMy Tho (HQ-800).My Tho would continue to serve in the riverine war until April 1975. At that point, thefall of Saigon was seen as inevitable.[5]
During the fall of the South Vietnamese capital,My Tho was fully loaded with more than 3,000 refugees from the city and set sail downriver towards the sea. She joined a fleet of other South Vietnamese ships to rendezvous withUSSKirk (DE-1087). The situation aboard the ship was desperate, with food and medical supplies running so low that a helicopter left the ship and landed aboardKirk in order to resupply. The flotilla arrived atSubic Bay in thePhilippines where the refugees were disembarked. In exchange for the assistance in harboring the South Vietnamese, the United States brokered an agreement by which it would ensure that all operable ships moored at Subic Bay would transfer ownership to the Philippines.[5]
The ship sat moored at Subic Bay for nearly a full year. The Philippine Navy officially acquired the ship on 5 April 1976 and renamed her BRPDumagat (AL-57). She was quickly renamed again to BRPSierra Madre (LT-57) after theSierra Madre mountain range. The ship continued to operate as an amphibious transport for the next decades through the 1990s.[5]
In 1999, the Philippine Navy intentionally ran her aground on theSecond Thomas Shoal in order to maintain the Philippines' territorial claim in the area. Since then a detachment ofFilipino marines have been continuously stationed on boardSierra Madre to provide a military presence at the site. The Chinese coast guard frequently patrols the area and attempts to prevent the monthly resupply of these Filipino marines.[6] In 2013,The New York Times visited the site and reported on the life of the handful of marines stationed there, and the vessel's role in thegeopolitics of the South China Sea. It was inferred thatSierra Madre would never sail again, but had gained importance due to her role as an outpost in theSpratly Islands dispute.[7]
On 11 March 2014, the Philippine government protested to the Chinesechargé d'affaires in Manila that the Chinese Coast Guard had on 9 March prevented two civilian vessels hired by the Philippine Navy from exchanging personnel on, and delivering supplies to theSierra Madre.[8] This was the first time that Chinese forces had interfered with resupply. On 13 March, the Philippines conducted an aerial resupply mission to the marines.[9] On 1 April 2014, the Philippine Navy succeeded in getting a fishing boat with resupply and replacement marines past the Chinese blockade.[10][11]
In September 2014,Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, reporting for theBBC, visitedSierra Madre which remained blockaded by the Chinese coastguard. At this time supplies for the garrison of 11 Filipino marines were dropped by air. The ship was described as in a poor condition: "The ship's sides are peppered with massive holes. Waves slosh through them right into the ship's hold."[12]
In July 2015,Philippine Navy spokesman Colonel Edgardo Arevalo said that they were doing maintenance repair on the ship to ensure its minimum habitability.[13]
In November 2021, Chinese Coast Guard ships blocked two civilian boats resupplying the vessel.[14]
On February 6, 2023, the Chinese Coast Guard used what the Philippines Navy described as a military grade laser to temporarily blind crew.[15] On 6 August 2023, Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannon at a Philippine Coast Guard ship resupplying theSierra Madre.[16] Increased encounters with Chinese patrols has coincided with a change in foreign policy from Philippines PresidentBongbong Marcos who has increased cooperation with the US military. In February 2023, he announced an expansion of theEnhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.[17]
In October 2023, repairs and retrofitting to the BRPSierra Madre started. The Philippine government aimed to improve the living conditions inside the ship by repairing the existing sleeping quarters, adding a modern kitchen, and access to the internet.[18][needs update]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
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