USS La Salle ( AP - 102 ) The first USS " La Salle " ( AP - 102 ) of the United States Navy was the lead ship of her class of transport ships in use during the latter part of World War II . The ship was laid down on 29 April 1942 under Maritime Commission contract as the Type C2 ship SS " Hotspur " by Moore Dry Dock Company , Oakland , California , launched on 2 August 1942 , sponsored by Mrs . Naomi S . Kehoe , acquired by the Navy on 18 March 1943 , and commissioned as " Hotspur " on 31 March 1943 , Comdr . Fred C . Fluegel in command . Service history . Renamed " La Salle " on 6 April 1943 , she left Port Hueneme , California , on 14 April with Seabee s for Guadalcanal , returning to San Francisco on 10 July . On 7 August , she departed from Port Hueneme , California , carrying contingents of United States Navy Argus Units 7 , 8 and 9 , the Ninth Special Construction Battalion and the Fifth Special Medical Unit all bound for operations in the South Pacific . From there she steamed to Wellington , New Zealand , arriving on 27 October . There and in the New Hebrides , she conducted simulated attacks and landing boat exercises with marines in preparation for the assault on Tarawa , for which she sailed on 13 November with Task Force 53 . She arrived off the invasion beaches on 19 November , and was shelled by enemy shore batteries early the next morning , suffering no serious damage . She cleared Tarawa the 24th and steamed to San Diego , where she arrived on 13 December to prepare for the invasion of the Marshalls . " La Salle " left the west coast on 13 January 1944 and arrived off Kwajalein eight days later to land men of the 4th Marine Division . " La Salle " left the atoll on 8 February for Pearl Harbor , then later made several reinforcement movements . From Pearl Harbor she sailed on 11 May with troops for the invasion of the Marianas , arriving on D - Day , 15 June to witness the pre - invasion bombardment before landing her marines . She retired from the battle zone on 23 June and reached Pearl Harbor on 24 July . She then proceeded to Guadalcanal in August where rehearsals for the capture of the Palaus ended on 8 September . She arrived off the Palaus on 15 September and made a feinting attack to keep enemy troops occupied in the northern islands during the attack on Peleliu itself . She landed her troops on the beaches of Angaur the 17th and departed on 23 September for Manus , where she embarked 1 , 373 troops of the Army 1st Cavalry Division for the Leyte invasion . " La Salle " reached the northern transport area off Leyte on 20 October , and all troops and cargo were ashore by nightfall . She retired to the Palaus and then to Guam , where she embarked reinforcements for transport to San Pedro Bay on 23 November . The vessel next loaded 934 troops at Sansapor , New Guinea , and sailed on 30 December for Luzon . On the morning of her departure , she assisted in shooting down an enemy " Jake " . She unloaded on 9 January at Lingayen Gulf , and then returned to Leyte . On 29 January 1945 she arrived off Luzon to discharge 731 troops in order to block Japanese retirement into the Bataan Peninsula . She departed the same day and put into San Pedro Bay on 1 February to prepare for the invasion of Okinawa , off which she arrived from Ulithi on 11 April . She fought off heavy suicide attacks during the next five days , and retired unscathed on 16 April , steaming for Guam and a Seattle overhaul . Between September 1945 and June 1946 , " La Salle " made four " Magic Carpet " voyages , and one passage in January to deliver occupation troops to Yokosuka . She decommissioned at Seattle on 24 July 1946 and was returned to the Maritime Commission the following day . " La Salle " received eight battle star s for World War II service .