USS FRANCIS MARION LPA 249 ex APA 249

LPA 249   FRANCIS MARION   Antwerpen   07 10 1978                                                    G.GYSSELS

LPA 249   FRANCIS MARION
FLAG : U.S.A.
TYPE : PAUL REVERE - CLASS AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT 
LAUNCHED : 13 February 1954 as the SS PRAIRIE MARINER
COMMISSIONED : 06 July 1961 as APA 249 FRANCIS MARION
DECOMMISSIONED : 14 September 1979

She was lauched on 13 February 1954 as the SS PRAIRIE MARINER and was delivered on 25 May 1954 to the Maritime Administration and placed her on 06 January 1955 in the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
Acquired by the Navy on 16 March 1959, she was converted to a APA ( Attack Transport ) at Baltimore, Maryland and commissioned on 06 July 1961 as the APA 249 FRANCIS MARION.
On 01 January she was redesignated as a Amphibious Transport LPA.249.
Decommissioned on 14 September 1979 she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 01 January 1980.
Sold and transferred to SPAIN on 11 July 1980 and recommissioned as the SPS ARAGON L 22.

LPA 249   FRANCIS MARION   Antwerpen   07 10 1978 b                                       G.GYSSELS