Navy veterans from the USS Tallahatchie County held their final ever reunion Saturday, Sept. 14, in Charleston.
A recognition reception was held that afternoon in the Charleston Arts Center and attendees were given a tour of the newly renovated Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort (CARE) building.
After the reception, the gentlemen gathered in front of Regions Bank to lower ceremonial flags from the USS Tallahatchie County that had been flown on the bank's flagpole. Charleston High School band director Tommy Johnson played Taps on his trumpet. At the conclusion of the poignant ceremony, the flags were presented to CARE.
The 34 veterans and their family members, along with members of the CARE board of directors, then traveled to the Tallahatchie County Club for a reunion dinner and program filled with memories and shipmate stories.
Since this was their last reunion as a group — biennial reunions began in 1992 — the veterans gifted their memorabilia from the USS Tallahatchie County to CARE.
“We are honored to receive these pieces of history that are very special to this group of gentlemen,” said Dana Clolinger, executive director of CARE. “Our CARE board is currently working to determine the best way to honor them with an exhibit that will be available for community viewing in the CARE Arts Center.”
Members of the USS Tallahatchie County also made a financial donation to CARE to support programs in Tallahatchie County.
The naval vessel that would become the USS Tallahatchie County was launched on July 19, 1946, as a “landing ship tank” — specifically, LST-1154 — an amphibious support craft designed to carry tanks, vehicles, cargo and landing troops directly onto a low-slope beach with no docks or piers.
On July 1, 1955, during renaming ceremonies at the U.S. Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Virginia, the vessel became the USS Tallahatchie County. U.S. Rep. Jamie Whitten, of Cascilla, effected the change to honor his home county.
For more than two decades, she saw widespread service in the Caribbean, later as an “advanced aviation base” ship, the AVB-2, until being decommissioned in 1970.
For a detailed history of the vessel, visit the privately maintained USS Tallahatchie County website at http://usstallahatchiecounty.com/history.html.
A collection of photos of the ship, and some of its crew members, may be found here.
