USS Kirwin ( APD - 90 ) USS " Kirwin " ( APD - 90 ) , ex - DE - 229 , later LPR - 90 , was a United States Navy high - speed transport in commission from 1945 to 1946 and from 1965 to 1969 . Construction and commissioning . " Kirwin " was laid down as the " Rudderow " - class destroyer escort USS " Kirwin " ( DE - 229 ) on 14 February 1944 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and was launched on 15 June 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . Andrew J . Kirwin , the mother of the ships namesake , Lieutenant John J . Kirwin . The ship was reclassified as a " Crosley " - class high - speed transport and redesignated APD - 90 on 17 July 1944 . After conversion to her new role , she was commissioned on 4 November 1945 with Lieutenant Commander Lloyd G . Benson , USNR , in command . First period in commission , 1945 - 1946 . After shakedown in the Chesapeake Bay , " Kirwin " cleared Norfolk , Virginia , on 29 January 1946 , and arrived at Green Cove Springs , Florida , on 31 January 1946 . She was decommissioned there on 6 April 1946 and placed in reserve there on the St . Johns River in the Florida Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . Second period in commission , 1965 - 1969 . In the autumn of 1964 , the high - speed transport USS " Earle B . Hall " ( APD - 107 ) suffered a major engineering casualty that caused her to lose all power , and she was deemed not worth repairing . " Kirwin " was chosen to replace her . Accordingly , on 30 November 1964 , " Kirwin " arrived under tow at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek at Virginia Beach , Virginia , and was berthed alongside " Earle B . Hall " . There " Kirwin " underwent reactivation , with " Earle B . Hall " s crew readying her for recommissioning . On 15 January 1965 , after almost 19 years in reserve , " Kirwin " was recommissioned and " Earle B . Hall " was simultaneously decommissioned , with " Earle B . Hall " s crew transferring to " Kirwin . In February 1965 , " Kirwin " moved to Newport News , Virginia , for overhaul . She got underway for Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , on 6 July 1965 and spent the next five weeks on nuclear defense , antisubmarine warfare , and gunnery exercises . She visited San Juan , Puerto Rico , then returned to Little Creek , arriving there on 22 August 1965 . On 29 November 1965 , " Kirwin " departed for the Caribbean to join Task Force 184 for amphibious warfare and antisubmarine exercises . She returned to Little Creek on 16 December 1965 . In 1966 " Kirwin " operated out of Little Creek on training exercises along the United States East Coast and in the Caribbean until heading for the Mediterranean on 15 August 1966 . Arriving at Naval Station Rota at Rota , Spain , on 25 August 1966 , she visited Italy , Malta , Greece , Tunisia , Spain , and Morocco before returning to Little Creek on 3 December 1966 . " Kirwin " operated along the United States West Coast in 1967 . " Kirwin " was reclassified as an " amphibious transport , small " and redesignated LPR - 90 on 1 January 1969 . Final decommissioning and disposal . " Kirwin " was decommissioned in 1969 . She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 September 1974 and sold for scrapping on 11 August 1975 to J . R . Steel , Inc . , Houston , Texas , for $ 79 , 002 ( USD ) .