However, the eruption of hostilities in the Far East late in June 1950 – when communist North Korea invaded South Korea – took the attack cargo ship back to the Orient. On 14 August, "Winston" stood out of Hampton Roads, bound – via the Panama Canal and the California coast – for the western Pacific. She transited the canal on the 19th and arrived in San Diego on the 27th. On 1 September, the ship embarked upon a non-stop voyage to Kobe, Japan, which she reached on the 16th. After two days at Kobe, "Winston" continued her voyage to the combat zone off the coast of Korea. On 26 September, she and the other units of Transport Division (TransDiv) 11 landed reinforcements at Inchon where, only 11 days before, the United States Navy had landed troops in a classic combined operation which forced communist forces to withdraw from much of South Korea. She continued participation in that operation for five days before retiring to Sasebo, Japan. Two weeks later, she returned to Inchon to reembark Marines for the landings at Wonsan carried out between 25 and 31 October. Completing her part in that operation, the attack cargo ship began a shuttle service between Pusan and the combat areas ferrying fresh troops and supplies – first to Wonsan and, later, to Hŭngnam.