The USS Thomaston (LSD-28) was the flagship of her class of dock landing ships, laid down in 1953 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp. The vessel was launched and commissioned in 1954, and after shakedown, she joined the Pacific Fleet Amphibious Forces in 1955, provisioning stations. She participated in special operations in 1963 with the Amphibious Force of the 7th Fleet. In the Vietnam War, the ship conducted routine local operations, landed marines, and served as a primary control ship and boat haven. Following an extensive overhaul in 1967, the vessel joined the Amphibious Ready Group. For the next five years, she supported the war effort in Vietnam, conducting troop and cargo lifts. In 1976 the USS Thomaston underwent the most extensive overhaul on an amphibious ship. In 1980 and 1981, the ship and her crew received the Humanitarian Service Medal and began final deployment in 1984, completing 30 years of service and receiving 11 battle stars. The USS Thomaston was decommissioned in the same year and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1992. Asbestos exposure occurred due to the carcinogenic mineral's presence on Navy ships, and veterans are now at high risk of developing severe diseases many years after their service.
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