USS Lanier ( APA - 125 ) USS " Lanier " ( APA - 125 ) was a of the US Navy . She was built during World War II and served in the Pacific Theater , seeing combat during the Battle of Okinawa . She was a Victory ship design type . " Lanier " was named for Lanier County , Georgia , which was named for poet Sidney Lanier . World War II Service . " Lanier " was laid down 25 June 1944 by the California Shipbuilding Corporation , Wilmington , California , under a Maritime Commission contract . She was a VC2 - S - AP5 Victory ship design type and her yard number was TR 8 and her hull number was MCV 39 . She was launched 29 August 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Earl English ; acquired by the Navy 22 December 1944 ; and commissioned the same day at Oakland , California , Comdr . Walter W . Rockey in command . After shakedown , " Lanier " departed San Francisco 23 February 1945 and arrived Pearl Harbor 2 March to practice landing operations . Loaded with 1 , 485 soldiers , she got underway 28 March and steamed in convoy with 11 other transports and five merchantmen for the Volcano Islands . Touching Eniwetok and Saipan , she reached Iwo Jima 20 April and discharged men and cargo . She returned to Saipan 22 to 24 April , took on board equipment and 1 , 442 troops , then sailed to Okinawa 2 to 6 May . There she landed reinforcements and embarked 66 battle casualties before returning to Saipan 8 to 13 May . On the next day she embarked 254 survivors from " Little " ( DD - 803 ) , sunk by enemy air attack while on radar picket duty west of Okinawa 3 May . Steaming to San Francisco 14 to 30 May , " Lanier " proceeded to Seattle 31 May to 2 June , embarked 1 , 442 troops , and departed 12 June for the Far East . She sailed via Pearl Harbor , Eniwetok , and Ulithi and reached Okinawa 24 July . She operated off Okinawa until 6 August , then carried 798 passengers via Ulithi to Guam , where she arrived the 14th . She embarked over 1 , 300 occupation troops the following day and sailed as part of Task Force 31 for occupation landings on Japan . She anchored in Sagami Wan 27 August , and during midwatch 30 August entered Tokyo Bay to begin landing operations off Yokosuka . Her landing craft carried troops in the first wave and landed them at Yokosuka Airport at 0920 . Steaming to Saipan 1 to 5 September , " Lanier " embarked marines of the 2d Division and carried them to Nagasaki , Kyūshū , 18 to 23 September . Sailing in convoy 26 September , " Lanier " reached Manila Bay , Luzon , 1 October and joined the “ Magic Carpet ” fleet . She proceeded to Saipan 16 to 21 October , embarked 1 , 851 homewardbound veterans , and departed the 22d for Seattle , Wash . , where she arrived 4 November . On 28 November she departed once more for the southwest Pacific . Reaching New Guinea 17 December , she embarked 1 , 598 troops at Hollandia , 532 troops at Finschhafen , and departed 21 December for the west coast . She arrived San Pedro 6 January 1946 . " Lanier " sailed for the east coast 19 January 1946 , and reached Norfolk 4 February . She decommissioned at Norfolk 5 March 1946 and was turned over to the War Shipping Administration 8 March . She was placed in the James River Reserve Fleet ( JRRF ) . Fate . In 1956 " Lanier " was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet as part of a Repair Program , GAA - American Hawaiian , and then returned . On 9 April 1973 she was sold to Union Minerals & Alloy Corp . , for US $ 111 , 560 , to be scrapped . Award . " Lanier " received one battle star for World War II service . Notable Crewmembers . Ace Reid ( 10 March 1925 - 10 November 1991 ) - - Machinist ' s Mate , First Class . Created the western cartoon , " " Cowpokes . " " His main character , Jake , was born on board the " Lanier " . Jake first appeared as " The Sorry Salt " in the ship ' s newspaper . Ace was on duty in the engine room during the tugboat - barge incident in Seattle .