USS Gage ( APA - 168 ) USS " Gage " ( APA - 168 ) is a " Haskell " - class attack transport late of the US Navy . She was built and used during World War II . She was of the VC2 - S - AP5 Victory ship design type . " Gage " is named after Gage County , Nebraska . " Gage " is the sole remaining example of the 117 ship " Haskell " - class . World War II service . " Gage " was built under United States Maritime Commission contract by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation , Portland , Oregon ; launched 14 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . H . L . Edmunds ; acquired by the Navy 4 November 1944 ; and commissioned 12 November 1944 , Comdr . L . J . Alexanderson , USNR , in command . After shakedown out of San Diego , California , " Gage " sailed from San Francisco 17 January 1945 for the South Pacific . Following the landing of a military civil affairs group at Kaurimarau , Russell Islands , she arrived off West Kokum Beach , Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands , 4 February 1945 with 298 Marines and military cargo . She became a unit of Division 34 , Transport Squadron 12 , and spent the ensuing weeks in amphibious warfare maneuvers in the Solomons . On 15 March 1945 , the attack transport departed Guadalcanal for Ulithi , the staging base for the Okinawa invasion . From there she sailed to Hagushi Beach , Okinawa , where she joined in the initial assault 1 April 1945 conducted under cover of heavy naval gun and plane bombardment . Through five grueling days and nights of almost continual " Flash Red " alerts against Japanese suicide planes , " Gage " landed marines of the 3rd Battalion , 4th Marine Regiment , 6th Division ; a Navy construction battalion ; a medical company , and combat equipment . Her mission completed 5 April , she proceeded via the Marianas and Hawaii to San Francisco , where she arrived 11 May 1945 . Here " Gage " embarked the men and equipment of an Army Air Corps Casuals and landed them at Manila , Luzon , Philippine Islands , 12 June 1945 . " Gage " reported for duty with Amphibious Group 9 at Leyte 22 June 1945 and was dispatched to New Guinea . After embarking troops at Langemak and Humboldt Bay s for transport to Iloilo , Panay Island , P . I . , she steamed to San Francisco , Calif . , where she arrived 2 August 1945 . The announcement of Japanese capitulation found her under repair in Todd ' s Dry Dock at Seattle , Washington . " Gage " stood out from Seattle 21 August 1945 with 1 , 724 Army casual replacements who disembarked at Saipan in the Marianas 5 September . Thirteen days later she departed with some 1 , 500 marines whom she landed late in October as part of the occupation forces at Hiro Wan , Honshū , Japan . Homeward bound , she served as the " Magic - Carpet " for 1 , 700 Army veterans embarked at Okinawa and Manila . She reached Portland , Oregon 14 December 1945 . The attack transport made a " Magic - Carpet " voyage from San Francisco to Yokosuka and back ( 10 January to 25 February 1946 ) ; followed by one to Samar , P . I . , and back ( 4 April to 10 May 1946 ) . She again departed San Francisco 28 May 1946 to support Navy occupation forces at the Chinese ports of Tsingtao and Tientsin and the Japanese ports of Yokosuka and Sasebo . " Gage " departed Sasebo 26 June ; embarked Army veterans in the Marianas and Hawaii ; then transited the Panama Canal for Norfolk , arriving 29 July 1946 . She remained in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard until decommissioning 26 February 1947 . " Gage " was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet and was inactive until her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1 October 19581 . She was transferred the same day to the Maritime Commission Reserve Fleet and at present is berthed in James River , Virginia . Present status . " Gage " was slated to be used as a target in SINKEX 2004 . This was cancelled pending historical review , and she remains in the James River Reserve Fleet . There was an effort underway to preserve " Gage " , the last ship remaining in the " Haskell " - class configuration , as a museum ship . The 29 February 2008 MARAD Inventory listed " Gage " with the status " Historic Hold " ( previously she was listed for " Disposal " ) . The 30 April 2009 Inventory had her back in " Disposal " status . The USS Gage left the James River Reserve Fleet on 23 July 2009 , and was towed to Brownsville , Texas , where she is currently undergoing scrapping by ESCO Marine , Inc . The 31 October 2009 Inventory still lists her . Some items from the ship were salvaged to be used in the restoration of USS Texas ( BB - 35 ) , a museum ship now moored near Houston , Texas . Award . " Gage " received one battle star for World War II service .