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Some Tidbits
SUMTER fitted out at Philadelphia and then held sea trials in the Virginia Capes area. On 21 August, she got underway for the Panama Canal, via Norfolk, Va., Charleston, S.C., and Montego Bay, Jamaica. The canal was transited on 7 September 1970; and the LST continued to Long Beach, her home port, after a port call at Acapulco, Mexico. She operated along the California coast until 30 June 1971 when she deployed to the 7th Fleet in the western Pacific.
SUMTER returned to Long Beach on 18 June. In July and August, she made a cruise to British Columbia and then resumed local operations from her home port. She had a restricted availability period at the Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, from 21 November 1971 until 7 January 1972 when she returned to sea for refresher training. The ship continued local operations until she again deployed to the western Pacific, on 31 March, for a tour that did not end until 6 December 1972 when she returned to Long Beach for an upkeep period.
SUMTER sailed from Long Beach on 6 January 1973, for the east coast of the United States. The canal was transited on 19 January; and she arrived at Little Creek, Va., her new home port, on the 29th. The following six months were spent in periods of upkeep and independent steaming cruises.
On 29 August 1973, SUMTER sailed to Morehead City, N.C., where she embarked marines, and then steamed east to join the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. She called at ports in Spain, Turkey, Sardinia, Italy, Crete, and Greece before returning to Little Creek on 10 December 1973.
On 12 February 1974, SUMTER sailed to Morehead City to onload marines for exercises in the Caribbean and returned to Little Creek on 8 March. In April, she made a voyage to Boston and, the following month, held additional exercises in the Caribbean before returning to her home port on 3 July. SUMTER stood out of Little Creek on 16 August 1974, enroute to the Mediterranean and her second tour with the 6th Fleet.
In January 1975, the LST was still serving with that fleet.
SUMTER was decommissioned on 30 September 1993. Leased to Taiwan on 11 March 1997, she was refitted at Newport News, renamed CHUNG PING (Hull No. 233) and commissioned in the Taiwanese Navy on 8 May 1997.
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