USS Union ( AKA - 106 ) USS " Union " ( AKA - 106 ) was a of the United States Navy , the fourth ship with this name , and served as a commissioned ship for 25 years and 1 month . She was laid down as a Type C2 - S - AJ3 ship named " North Carolina " ( MC 1697 ) on 27 September 1944 by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company , Wilmington , N . C . ; launched on 23 November 1944 and renamed " Union " at the time of launching ; sponsored by Mrs . William Olive Burgin ; moved to the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co . at Hoboken , N . J . , to undergo conversion into an attack transport for use by the United States Navy ; and commissioned on 25 April 1945 , Comdr . Hartwell T . Doughty in command . Service history . World War II and afterwards , 1945 . After provisioning and receiving ammunition on 6 May , " Union " proceeded to Norfolk , Virginia , for shakedown training . She returned to the Norfolk Navy Yard on 15 May for availability and loading before departing for Pearl Harbor . On 27 May , the ship left Norfolk for the Canal Zone and arrived at Hawaii on 18 June 1945 . After unloading her cargo and undergoing availability for repairs , " Union " left Honolulu on 16 July en route to Eniwetok and Guam . Stopping briefly at Eniwetok on 24 July , " Union " proceeded to Guam where she arrived on 2 August 1945 . The ship received orders to transport cargo to Leyte in the Philippines and got underway on 20 August . Upon arrival , she was directed to unload and proceed at once to Cebu where she loaded and transported units of the Americal Division to Japan as part of Transport Squadron ( TransRon ) 13 , consisting of some 22 ships . The group steamed into Yokohama harbor on 8 September , and she unloaded her cargo and the Army personnel . Two days later , " Union " got underway for a turnaround trip to the Philippines . She was diverted to Okinawa to pick up repatriated prisoners of war for Guam where she arrived on 16 September . " Union " remained at Guam through 2 October when she set course for Tsingtao , China , to transport marines for occupation duty . On 24 October 1945 , " Union " anchored at Manila , then made a round trip to Subic Bay with to pick up landing craft replacements for the entire squadron . The ship departed Manila Bay on 30 October for Haiphong , French Indochina , to embark elements of the 52nd Chinese Nationalist Army for transportation to Chinwangtao , North China . Having disembarked the troops and equipment on 12 November , " Union " proceeded to Taku , China , and remained there until she received orders on 1 December . The following day , she set course for Manila Bay , Philippines , thence to San Pedro , California , via Pearl Harbor . She arrived in California on 29 December . 1946 – 1950 . " Union " operated out of San Diego conducting local operations between periods of upkeep . Caught in the tremendous postwar personnel turnover , " Union " sometimes operated with less than 50 men on board . In early September 1946 , she was called upon to transport typhoon relief supplies to Guam . Some ports visited were Pearl Harbor ; Guam ; Saipan ; Samar Island , Philippines ; Tsingtao , and Taku , China . Her amphibious expertise contributed to her success during Operation " Shaft Alley " in Samar and also in resupplying marines at Guam and Peking . Christmas morning of 1946 found " Union " anchored off Taku Bar where she celebrated the New Year . Throughout January and February 1947 , " Union " conducted operations at Samar Island , Philippines ; Tsingtao , China ; and Guam . On 23 February , she departed Samar for San Diego via Pearl Harbor . The ship arrived at San Diego on 22 March , then sailed to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for a scheduled overhaul . On 14 May , the ship departed Puget Sound for San Diego via San Francisco and began preparing for " Barex - 47 , " the 1947 Point Barrow supply expedition . After loading at Port Hueneme , " Union " and departed for Seattle on 7 July . On 30 July , the expedition left Seattle for the purpose of delivering supplies to agencies north of the Arctic Circle . After unloading at Point Barrow and Wainwright , Alaska , she loaded empty oil drums and old ammunition at Kodiak , Alaska , and delivered her cargo to Seattle on 24 August . Personnel shortages throughout the Navy necessitated the ship ' s restricted mobility status for about eight months after she returned to San Diego on 6 September 1947 . During the summer of 1948 , " Union " repeated the Point Barrow resupply trip . On 26 July 1948 , " Barex - 48 " got underway from Seattle . " Union " returned to San Diego on 24 August and finished out the year conducting local operations , which included Operations " Satanic " and " Demon . " On 10 January 1949 , " Union " departed San Diego for " Microex - 49 , " a cold weather amphibious operation off Kodiak and Whittier , Alaska . The ship returned to San Diego on 25 February and conducted a month of local operations before undergoing overhaul at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , Bremerton , Washington , from 31 March to 10 May 1949 . Returning to San Diego , " Union " prepared for a third Point Barrow trip . The off - loading at Point Barrow , Alaska , was accomplished from 3 to 6 August . On 16 August , " Union " arrived back at Port Hueneme , California , and then proceeded to San Diego . She spent the remainder of 1949 in San Diego conducting local operations with the exception of Operation " Miki , " a major amphibious exercise in the Hawaiian area held during the month of October . " Union " departed Pearl Harbor on 7 November and arrived at Seattle , Washington , for a one - day stay . She returned to her home port on 21 November and operated in the San Diego area until 22 May 1950 when she set course for Yokosuka , Japan , arriving on 6 June . Korean War , 1950 – 1953 . The Korean War began on 25 June 1950 . On that day , " Union " was underway conducting landing exercises at Sagami Wan , Honshū , Japan . She stopped briefly at Yokosuka before arriving at Sasebo on 3 July for repairs . Repairs and training continued at Yokosuka until " Union " sailed to Yokohama on 11 July to embark Army troops and equipment for transportation to Pohang , Korea , on 18 July . Having delivered her cargo , the ship returned to Yokosuka on 25 July and conducted various exercises until 4 September when she arrived at Kobe , Japan , to reload . On 11 September , " Union " got underway for Jinsen , Korea , where boat landings took place four days later amidst mortar , machine gun , and rifle fire . On 21 September , " Union " departed for Sasebo , Japan , with seven casualties on board . After delivering the casualties , " Union " travelled to Kobe , Japan , arriving on 4 October . She set course for Inchon , Korea , that day and arrived four days later to unload marines and equipment . She stopped at Yonghung Man Kosen , Korea , for five days before arriving at Yokosuka on 2 November . " Union " then got underway for San Diego , California , returning to her home port on 22 November 1950 . " Union " then proceeded to the San Francisco Naval Shipyard for a regular overhaul which lasted from 1 December 1950 to 14 February 1951 . She returned to San Diego on 24 February and operated in her home port area until 5 July . At that time , she set sail for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , Bremerton , Washington , for a month of repairs . The next assignment for " Union " was the first of two resupply trips to the Pribilof Islands of St . Paul and St . George in the Bering Sea , the homeland of the largest fur - seal herd in the world . Her primary mission was to deliver tons of supplies to personnel of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries who worked on the two small islands . The ship arrived back at San Diego on 4 September . Later in September , " Union " sailed to Subic Bay , Philippines , carrying heavy earth - moving equipment . She then began forward area amphibious training with the 45th Army Division off the island of Hokkaidō , Japan . During December , the ship sailed to Hong Kong and lifted Allied troop replacements to Inchon , Korea . " Union " returned to Sasebo , Japan , on 22 December and remained in port through 15 January 1952 . On 19 January 1952 , the ship returned to Yokosuka , Japan , and conducted operations between Yokosuka , Chigasaki , and Sasebo until March of that year . On 19 March 1952 , " Union " helped to shift a battalion of marines from Sokcho Ri , a harbor on the east coast of Korea , to the west coast . After the lift was accomplished , the ship returned to Yokosuka , Japan , on 5 April . After a trip to Buckner Bay on 19 April and several round trips between Yokosuka and Sasebo , she embarked troops and landed them on the island of Koje - do on 21 May . " Union " departed Yokosuka on 14 June for San Diego via Pearl Harbor . She arrived at San Diego on 2 July 1952 and spent the remainder of the summer in local operations and upkeep . In September , she sailed north to ban Francisco for a regular shipyard overhaul by Mechanix , Inc . , which lasted from 25 September to 24 November 1952 . " Union " spent the remainder of the year in the San Diego area . The first half of 1953 was spent in refresher training and local operations in the San Diego area . On 14 July , " Union " sailed for her fifth cruise to the Orient . The war in Korea was concluded by a truce on 27 July , and " Union " arrived at Yokosuka , Japan , on 9 August . She received orders to Korea and transported North Korean prisoners of war from Koje - do to Inchon in two trips which fully occupied the month of August . From September through November , " Union " divided her time between Japan , Korea , and Hong Kong . The ship got underway for the United States on 1 December 1953 and returned to San Diego on 19 December 1953 , in time for a leave and upkeep period over the holidays . 1954 – 1959 . January through April 1954 found " Union " engaged in local operations and upkeep in the San Diego area . On 26 April , she sailed for San Francisco via Port Hueneme , California . From 3 May to 2 July , " Union " underwent a regular overhaul at the Todd Shipyards Corp . , Alameda , California . The ship returned to San Diego on 11 July and spent the summer in refresher training . On 1 October , " Union " joined Amphibious Squadron 1 ; and , on the 23rd , she departed for a sixth Western Pacific ( WestPac ) deployment . " Union " arrived at Yokosuka , Japan , on 10 November and underwent voyage repairs . She visited the Japanese ports of Osaka and Sasebo and celebrated Christmas at sea en route to Korea . While training Korean Marine Corps and Navy units , " Union " ushered in the New Year at Chinhae . In January 1955 , " Union " proceeded to Subic Bay , Philippines , via Sasebo , Japan . After a restricted availability at Subic and a visit to Hong Kong , " Union " departed in February for the Tachen Islands where she and other ships assisted in the evacuation of Chinese Nationalist troops and refugee civilians . Having landed the evacuees at Keelung on 13 February , " Union " visited Hong Kong , Yokosuka , and Beppu , Japan . After loading men and equipment of the 1st Marine Division at Inchon , " Union " departed on 3 April for a quick turn - around trip to San Diego . She returned to Pusan , Korea , on 20 May and arrived back at San Pedro , California , on 12 June with Marine air group personnel and equipment . " Union " spent the month of January 1956 participating in Operation " Cowealex " which called for a landing on Umnak Island in the Aleutians . Rough weather necessitated changing the landing site to Unalaska Island in Makuskin Bay . The ship returned to San Diego on 9 February and conducted local operations . " Union " then left California en route to Pearl Harbor to participate in a landing exercise , " Hawrltlex 1 – 56 " which concluded on 11 April . She arrived at San Diego on 23 April and spent the months until November taking part in local operations and undergoing upkeep . Late in August , " Union " made a brief trip to Vancouver , British Columbia , to represent the United States Navy in the Pacific National Exhibit . On 13 November 1956 , the ship sailed for San Francisco and an overhaul at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard at Hunters Point . Having completed her regular overhaul , " Union " returned to San Diego on 27 January 1957 and conducted refresher training . She then took part in a number of amphibious exercises off Coronado Roads . In early June , " Union " turned in her 5 inch stern gun and her 20 millimeter mounts to the Naval Repair Facility , San Diego . In July , she participated in Operation " Workhorse , " a local landing exercise . On 23 August 1957 , " Union " got underway for WestPac via Pearl Harbor . She arrived at Yokosuka , Japan , on 12 September and underwent restricted availability . " Union " then visited Kure , Nagoya , and Chigasaki Beach before returning to Yokosuka to pick up Marine Corps cargo for Naha , Okinawa . On 4 November , she sailed for Subic Bay , Philippines . " Union " spent the remainder of the year in cargo - carrying tasks which took her to Taiwan , the Philippines , Hong Kong , and Okinawa . Christmas and New Year ' s Day were spent in Subic Bay , Philippines . The year 1958 began with a week - long visit to Hong Kong , after which she proceeded to Yokosuka . On 5 February , " Union " departed Yokosuka for Okinawa to prepare for Operation " Strongback , " a major 7th Fleet amphibious assault exercise at Dingalen Bay , Luzon , Philippines , in which destroyers , cruisers , and carriers took part in screening , gunfire , and air support tasks . D - day was 1 March , and " Union " returned to San Diego , via Pearl Harbor , on 2 April . April , May , and June 1958 were occupied with leave , upkeep , and local operations in the San Diego area . " Union " underwent a material inspection during July , and a resupply expedition to the Pribilof Islands scheduled for August was cancelled due to the Lebanon crisis which broke in early July . During September , the ship took part in " Phiblex 2 – 59 , " a full - scale landing exercise for the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton . After spending October in the San Diego area , " Union " sailed on 10 November for San Francisco and another regular yard overhaul . After off - loading cargo and ammunition , she arrived at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for overhaul which lasted from 17 November 1958 to 16 January 1959 . " Union " returned to San Diego in 25 January . Shortly thereafter , she underwent refresher training , followed by amphibious training commencing on 17 March which completed her " working up . " On 16 April , " Union " sailed for WestPac . On 22 April , she was detached and proceeded independently to Guam , thence to Subic Bay , Philippines . Throughout June , " Union " remained in the vicinity of Okinawa . She participated in Exercise " Reconnex 1 – 60 " off Irimote Jima , Japan , from 20 to 28 June . On 10 July 1959 , " Union " and embarked the 3rd Anti - Tank Battalion and sailed for Numazu , Japan , to commence the first phase of Operation " Tankex . " Other ports which " Union " visited in connection with the operation were Kobe and Joji . In September , " Union " performed three weeks of duty as station ship in Hong Kong . On 1 November 1959 , " Union " set sail for San Diego via Pearl Harbor . She arrived at San Diego on 24 November and ended the year with a leave and upkeep period for the holiday season . 1960 – 1965 . During the first six months of 1960 , " Union " conducted local operations and necessary upkeep and repair periods in her home port area of San Diego . In February , she participated in Operation " Swan Dive , " a Marine landing at Camp Pendleton . In May , she took part in Operation " Big Top , " in which Marine air and naval surface units combined to land marines on Camp Pendleton beaches with an airlift of helicopter - borne troops among the initial assault waves . On 21 June , " Union " deployed to WestPac via Pearl Harbor . During the first part of the deployment , the ship made stops at Guam ; Okinawa ; Subic Bay , Philippines ; Hong Kong ; and Yokosuka , Japan , conducting various cargo - personnel lifts . In September , " Union " embarked the Army ' s 1st Battle Group of the 2nd Infantry at Inchon , Korea , for a practice exercise on the beaches of Pohang Dong , Korea , and returned to Inchon . In October , " Union " visited the Japanese ports of Kure , Numazu , and Kobe . She carried out a people - to - people program which included an orphans ' party , exchange of wardroom visits with Japanese officers , a tour of the ship by Japanese officers and petty officers , two visits for an evening meal by Japanese students from universities and colleges , a presentation of several utility items to a Numazu orphanage , and several softball games . During a second visit to Hong Kong in November , " Union " acted as station ship . In December , she completed her WestPac deployment and returned to San Diego . A Christmas leave period commenced on 22 December . The early weeks of 1961 were spent in leave and upkeep in anticipation of the regular overhaul commencing 15 February . Completed under four separate commercial repair contracts , the extended completion date was 26 April 1961 . May , June , and July were spent in the San Diego area , where " Union " underwent two intensive training periods followed by leave and upkeep . Departing San Diego on 4 August , " Union " was chartered by the Department of Commerce to make her second and the Navy ' s last resupply trip to the Pribilof Islands . Cargo off - loading operations commenced at St . George Island early on the 21st . Strong winds , high seas , and thick fog made this entire operation a challenge to seamanship and perseverance . The ship arrived at Seattle , Washington , on 3 September and disembarked passengers and cargo . The following year , the Department of Commerce would carry on this work with its own vessel , thus ending a Navy mission initiated in the 1920s by executive order of President Coolidge . After five weeks in San Diego preparing for deployment , " Union " sailed for her home port on 16 October . Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor , the ship took part in Operation " Silver Sword , " a landing exercise of 5 , 000 marines on the beaches of Maui . The landing commenced one minute after midnight on 30 October . On 15 November . Amphibious Squadron 1 sailed from Pearl Harbor . " Union " and broke off from the squadron and arrived at Sasebo on 28 November 1961 . After voyage repairs at Sasebo , " Union " steamed to Hong Kong where she served as station ship for the remainder of the year , 16 December 1961 through 14 January 1962 . " Union " was relieved as station ship on 15 January , and she sailed for Subic Bay , Philippines . After 10 days of upkeep , " Union " returned to her work of amphibious operations and participated in the " Away All Boats " exercise . The ship then sailed for Buckner Bay , Okinawa , to load a cargo of Marine Corps equipment . In February , " Union " learned that her deployment had been extended two weeks so she could participate in Operation " Tulungan , " a SEATO exercise in which the United States Navy and Marine Corps , the Royal Australian Air Force , and Philippine units took part . An unusually long operation , " Tulungan " lasted from mid - February to mid - April . " Union " left Yokosuka for San Diego on 17 April . After arriving in San Diego on 5 May 1962 , " Union " spent May and June in leave , upkeep , and training exercises in the San Diego area . On 26 July , she steamed for an interim overhaul lasting from 1 August to 7 September at Seattle , Washington . Refresher training commenced off San Diego on 5 October . On 27 October , " Union " got underway for the Panama Canal with Task Group ( TG ) 53 . 2 . Having transited the Panama Canal on 5 November , " Union " moored at Cristobal , Canal Zone , and later anchored at Limon Bay , Colon . " Union " arrived at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , on 30 November to take part in the Cuban quarantine . She conducted cargo operations at Roosevelt Roads and Vieques , Puerto Rico , and enjoyed liberty at Kingston , Jamaica . On 2 December , " Union " got underway for California via the Panama Canal . She arrived back at San Diego on 16 December and spent the remainder of 1962 in leave and upkeep . January 1963 was spent in preparing for and participating in amphibious operational training off Coronado , California . In February . " Union " got underway for the naval ammunition depot at Seal Beach , California , where the ammunition which had been on board for possible use during the Cuban crisis was off - loaded . The remainder of the month was spent preparing for Exercise " Steel Gate . " At the completion of " Steel Gate , " " Union " commenced preparation for her deployment to WestPac . " Union " departed San Diego on 26 March for the transit to Okinawa via Pearl Harbor . While underway , she participated in Exercise " Windmill , " which simulated a merchant convoy . After off - loading at Pearl Harbor and Okinawa , " Union " arrived at Sasebo , Japan , for routine voyage repairs . It was May when " Union " arrived at Yokosuka , Japan , to off - load material and accomplish routine upkeep . The next mission of the " Union " was to participate in the 24th annual Black Ship Festival at Shimoda , Japan . This festival commemorates the arrival in Shimoda of Commodore Perry and his squadron of " Black Ships " in 1854 . Having brought good will to Shimoda , " Union " next steamed to Sasebo for upkeep , then on to Pusan , Korea , where she provided facilities for Korean units to stage a ship - to - shore movement . June arrived with " Union " underway for Naha , Okinawa , to embark marines for the upcoming Operation " Flagpole " at Kuryongpo , Korea . Typhoon " Shirley " greatly hampered the landing phase of the operation , but it was finally completed despite torrential rains , floods , washed out roads , and dense fog . After a port visit to Kure , Japan , " Union " off - loaded " Flagpole " gear at Buckner Bay , then underwent a period of upkeep at Yokosuka . It was there that she embarked midshipmen for a cruise which took her to the ports of Keelung , Taiwan ; Hong Kong ; and Subic Bay , Philippines , where the midshipmen debarked . The ship travelled to Inchon , Korea , to prepare for Exercise " Bayonet Beach , " which provided for ship - to - shore movements in the area of Pohang , Korea . After the exercise , " Union " sailed from Iwakuni , Japan , to Subic Bay , Philippines , with Marine aviation ordnance equipment . After a period of upkeep at Yokosuka , she visited Kobe , Japan , and met with an anti - American demonstration staged by the Japanese Peace Committee , a communist organization . On 20 October 1963 , " Union " proceeded south to Okinawa to rendezvous with her squadron and begin the transit to San Diego via Pearl Harbor . She arrived on 13 November and enjoyed a period of liberty . As the year came to an end , " Union " was preparing for an upcoming yard overhaul . January 1964 found " Union " in San Diego concluding a leave and upkeep period . On 18 January , she sailed for San Francisco and , four days later , proceeded to Richmond , California , for drydocking at the Willamette Iron and Steel Co . Drydocking was completed on 6 February and the remainder of the overhaul on 26 March . " Union " returned to San Diego on 4 April and , on the 27th , reported for four weeks of intensive refresher training . Training reached a successful culmination on 22 May , and a two - week upkeep period followed . From 8 to 19 June , " Union " participated in amphibious refresher training at Coronado , California . A period of availability alongside followed ; and , from 3 to 12 July , " Union " was assigned an upkeep period . " Union " enjoyed an extended period of upkeep from 17 July to 24 August when Operation " Cascade Columbia II , " scheduled to commence on 13 August , was cancelled as a result of the tense military situation in Vietnam . After conducting a midshipmen cruise and on - loading supplies and marines , " Union " got underway from San Diego on 25 August to participate in Exercise " Sea Bar " at Solo Point , Wash . Two days later , " Union " proceeded independently to Astoria , Oregon , to take part in the 44th annual Astoria Regatta and Fish Festival . On 1 September , Exercise " Sea Bar " got underway for nine days of amphibious landings . On 14 September , " Union " returned to her home port and underwent a material inspection . The ship next began to prepare for Exercise " Hard Nose , " a major amphibious landing exercise involving 39 ships and some 11 , 000 marines . The 12 - day exercise began on 6 October and concluded on the beach of Camp Pendleton on the morning of 17 October . Upon returning to San Diego , " Union " began an extended period of upkeep in preparation for an upcoming WestPac deployment . On 16 November , " Union " departed San Diego for a 5 , 900 - mile transit of the Pacific Ocean . On 7 December , she arrived at Buckner Bay , Okinawa . After off - loading and readying the boat group , " Union " got underway for local operations . On 20 December , " Union " set course for Subic Bay , Philippines . Three days later , she moored at Rivera Point , Subic Bay . The crew received an unexpected treat when comedian Bob Hope and his troupe presented their annual Christmas show at Subic Bay on 28 December 1964 . Vietnam , 1965 – 1969 . " Union " began the New Year 1965 with a round - trip from Subic Bay to Buckner Bay , Okinawa , and Hong Kong . She returned to Subic Bay on 23 January and conducted task group operations throughout the month of February . On 8 March , " Union " anchored at Da Nang , South Vietnam . On 12 March , she departed for Yokosuka , Japan , where she went into drydock until 29 March . After spending several days moored pierside , " Union " departed on 6 April for special operations at Buckner Bay , Okinawa . On 14 April , the ship anchored at Da Nang , along with , , and amphibious assault ship . They transported marines to Da Nang , bringing the total to nearly 8 , 000 . Upon leaving Da Nang , South Vietnam , " Union " sailed to an anchorage at the mouth of the Hue River and remained there until 19 April . She anchored briefly at Buckner Bay , Okinawa , before conducting four days of special operations culminating in a landing at Baie De Dung , Vietnam . On 16 May , " Union " again returned to Buckner Bay , only to sail again four days later for Chu Lai harbor , Vietnam , conducting special operations en route . On 27 May , she arrived at Da Nang harbor , and proceeded to Yokosuka , Japan , arriving there on 4 June 1965 . " Union " departed the Far East and arrived at San Diego , California , on 23 June . The month of July was spent undergoing tender availability with . After loading ammunition at Seal Beach , California , " Union " again departed for Buckner Bay , Okinawa , arriving on 28 August . The ship set course for Yokosuka , Japan , on 31 August ; and , after a nine - day visit , " Union " sailed for Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , arriving there on 21 September . Two days later , she got underway for San Diego , where she arrived on 30 September . October and November were spent in port at San Diego . In mid - December , she got underway for local operations , and " Union " finished the year 1965 moored at her home port . The first six months of 1966 were spent in amphibious refresher training and restricted availability at San Diego . During July , " Union " prepared for deployment by loading ammunition and Marine cargo . On 27 July , the ship departed for another WestPac cruise . She arrived at Okinawa on 22 August , then continued to Da Nang , South Vietnam , where she back - loaded BLT 3 / 3 ( Battalion Landing Team , 3rd Battalion , 3rd Marine Regiment ) and transported the marines to Okinawa for a recreation and retraining cycle . " Union " then proceeded to Cam Ranh Bay , South Vietnam , where , on 15 September , elements of the Republic of Korea Marines were loaded for transportation to Chu Lai . When this offload had been completed , boiler troubles forced " Union " into an availability at Subic Bay from 27 September through 7 October . With all repairs completed , " Union " commenced a lengthy period of support operations for Commander , Military Assistance Command , Vietnam , which extended to 21 November . The ship arrived at Okinawa on 26 November and , after a few days for liberty and replenishment , loaded elements of BLT 1 / 9 . She sailed for Subic Bay , Philippines , on 3 December . On 14 December , Bravo Company from BLT 1 / 9 conducted wet - net training on the " Union " to practice amphibious doctrine in preparation for Operation Deckhouse V . After her detachment from this duty , " Union " set course for Sasebo , looking forward to a holiday upkeep period which lasted through the 27th . As the year closed , " Union " was once again at Okinawa loading BLT 4 / 4 . On the final day of 1966 , a practice turnaway landing was conducted at Chin Wan in preparation for actual movement across the beach that would follow on New Year ' s Day . The first day of 1967 found " Union " in the last phase of her WestPac tour . After landing craft training operations in the Okinawa area , " Union " departed Okinawa en route to Da Nang , Vietnam . After off - loading and back - loading Marine vehicles , the ship returned to Okinawa on 14 January . An upkeep period at Sasebo , Japan , began on 17 January and was followed by rest and recreation at Keelung , Taiwan , and Kobe , Japan . On 15 February , " Union " set course for Yokosuka , Japan , spending 10 days in port there and then departing for San Diego . " Union " entered San Diego Bay on 15 March 1967 , completing her 15th WestPac cruise . After a month - long leave period , preparations began for Operation " Alligator Hide , " an amphibious assault at Coronado Roads , California . Following the operation , " Union " spent 13 days in port and , on 15 May , conducted individual ship exercises . On 29 May 1967 , " Union " suddenly received orders to perform duties as a reconnaissance ship , trailing the Russian trawler " Peleng " , which had been operating off the coast of southern California near Catalina and San Clemente Islands . " Union " stayed within close range of the trawler for 10 days . On 5 June , she was relieved on station by and returned to San Diego . After an administrative inspection , the ship made preparations for overhaul which commenced on 8 July at Pacific Ship Repair , Inc . , San Francisco , California . She returned to her home port on 1 October to prepare for refresher training . A month - long refresher training period ended on 1 December and was followed by an amphibious inspection which was completed on 22 December . " Union " spent the 1967 holiday season moored at her home port . The new year , 1968 , began with " Union " enjoying a leave period which lasted until 26 January . On 1 February , " Union " departed San Diego for another WestPac deployment . " Union " arrived at Buckner Bay , Okinawa , on 26 February . She operated off the coast of Vietnam transporting much - needed equipment and ammunition . From 20 to 27 March , the ship participated in Operation " Former Champ " with Nationalist Chinese ships and marines in Taiwan . On 7 April , " Union " escorted to Subic Bay , Philippines , for engineering repairs . After a brief stop at Yokosuka , Japan , the ship set course for San Diego via Pearl Harbor . " Union " arrived at her home port on 16 September 1968 after completing a seven - month deployment . Upon returning to San Diego , " Union " enjoyed a month - long period of leave . On 16 October , she commenced an upkeep period followed by a period of restricted availability which lasted through 30 November . The ship conducted independent ship ' s exercises before commencing a holiday leave period on 14 December . From 1 January to 1 August 1969 , her schedule was filled with all types of operational training , inspections , and upkeep evolutions in the San Diego - San Francisco area . " Union " conducted training exercises at Acapulco , Mexico , from 14 to 27 April ; and , from 17 to 21 June , the ship took part in Exercise " Bell Call , " an amphibious operation which included embarkation , withdrawal , movement , demonstration , simultaneous surface and helicopter assault , and subsequent troop exercise ashore . On 1 August 1969 , " Union " departed San Diego en route to Pearl Harbor , thence to Yokosuka , Japan , arriving on 23 August . After a brief upkeep period , she departed on 29 August for Okinawa where she spent three days conducting amphibious exercises . On 5 September , " Union " got underway for Da Nang , Vietnam . She transported cargo from Da Nang to Okinawa until 19 November when she departed Da Nang for Subic Bay , Philippines . Having off - loaded three - fourths of the ship ' s ammunition in preparation for a homeward transit , " Union " proceeded to Okinawa on 26 November to complete her offloading . She departed Okinawa three days later for the long voyage to San Diego where she arrived on 18 December . " Union " deviated from her course twice ; on 6 December to transport an injured marine to a hospital on Midway Island as soon as possible ; the next day , to assist in the restoration of the French Frigate Shoals LORAN station at Tern Island , Hawaii . The remainder of 1969 , from 18 to 31 December , was devoted to a leave period for the ship ' s crew . Decommissioning and sale . " Union " was placed out of commission , in reserve , on 5 June 1970 and transferred to the Maritime Administration at Suisun Bay , California . On 1 September 1976 , she was stricken from the Navy List . " Union " was sold in September 1977 to National Metal and Steel Corp . of Terminal Island , California , for scrapping . Awards . " Union " was awarded two battle stars for Korean service and nine battle stars for her Vietnam service .