USS Suisun ( AVP - 53 ) USS " Suisun " ( AVP - 53 ) was a United States Navy " Barnegat " - class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1955 . Construction , commissioning , and shakedown . " Suisun " was laid down on 4 October 1942 by Lake Washington Shipyard at Houghton , Washington . She was launched on 14 March 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . C . W . Martyr , and commissioned on 13 September 1944 with Commander James . J . Vaughan in command . After fitting out , " Suisun " steamed to San Diego , California , on 18 October 1944 for her shakedown cruise , which lasted until 21 November 1944 . She then had a post - shakedown yard availability period . World War II operations 1944 - 1945 . Central Pacific operations . " Suisun " departed the United States West Coast for Hawaii on 7 December 1944 . She arrived at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , on 14 December 1944 , and departed for Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands on 18 December 1944 . She remained at Eniwetok from 26 December 1944 to 1 January 1945 , when she sailed to the Marianas Islands . From there she went to Ulithi Atoll in Caroline Islands for three days . On 13 January 1945 , " Suisun " got underway for Kossol Passage in the Palau Islands , and operated there until 5 February 1945 , when she returned to Ulithi . On 8 April 1945 she sailed to the Marianas and operated there until mid - April 1945 . Operations in the Ryukyu Islands . " Suisun " departed Saipan in the Marianas on 20 April 1945 and anchored at Kerama Retto in the Ryukyu Islands , on 25 April 1945 . She tended seaplane s until forced to leave for Saipan to pick up emergency aviation supplies on15 June . She returned to Kerama Retto on 26 June 1945 and resumed seaplane tending operations there through the cessation of hostilities with Japan on 15 August 1945 , which brought World War II to a close . Honors and awards . " Suisun " received two battle star s for her World War II service . Operations in Japan 1945 . " Suisun " departed Kerama Retto for Japan on 16 August 1945 . She entered Tokyo Bay on 28 August 1945 , the eighth Allied ship to enter Tokyo Bay at the end of the war and was present for Japan ' s formal surrender ceremony there on 2 September 1945 . She operated in Tokyo Bay until 16 November 1945 , when she departed for Pearl Harbor . After calling at Pearl Harbor , she continued on to the United States . Operations in the Atlantic , Caribbean , and Galápagos Islands 1946 - 1947 . " Suisun " arrived at San Francisco , California , on 9 December 1945 , then was routed onward to the United States East Coast . She steamed into Norfolk , Virginia , on 3 January 1946 , and , after an overhaul , operated along the U . S . East Coast until October 1946 . She then was home - ported at Coco Solo , Panama Canal Zone . She made training cruises to Trinidad ; the Galápagos Islands ; Key West , Florida ; and San Juan , Puerto Rico . Operations in the Pacific 1947 - 1950 . " Suisun " transited the Panama Canal in early April 1947 and anchored at San Diego on 9 April 1947 . On 21 July 1947 she deployed to the Far East and operated between Guam , Okinawa , and Tsingtao , China , until returning to San Diego on 19 January 1948 . " Suisun " remained on the U . S . West Coast until 15 June 1948 when she began another Far East tour that lasted until 25 November 1948 . From 19 January to 3 March 1949 , " Suisun " participated in Operation Micowex 49A . Ports of call were Seattle , Washington and Sitka , Kodiak , and Cold Bay , Alaska . She operated in Alaskan waters again from 6 July 1949 to 18 August 1949 , when she returned to Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo , California , for an overhaul that lasted into October 1949 . She then made a short cruise to Magdalena Bay , Mexico , and returned to San Diego on 4 December 1949 . On 26 April 1950 , " Suisun " sailed to Whidbey Island , Washington , where she loaded Patrol Squadron 6 ( VP - 6 ) and ferried it to Naval Air Station Barbers Point , Hawaii . She departed NAS Barbers Point on 12 May 1950 bound for Guam , but was diverted to Yap Island and arrived there on 28 May 1950 . On 29 May 1950 she departed Yap en route Koror in the Palau Islands , and from there moved to Sangley Point Naval Base on Luzon in the Philippine Islands . Service during the Korean War 1950 - 1953 . " Suisun " next called at Saipan and Guam before returning to Sangley Point on 2 July 1950 . In the meantime , the Korean War had broken out on 25 June 1950 . On 3 July 1950 , " Suisun " sailed for Buckner Bay , Okinawa . She arrived there on 5 July 1950 . She serviced and fueled seaplanes of Patrol Squadron 46 ( VP - 46 ) until 16 July 1950 when the planes flew , and the ship sailed , to the Pescadores Islands to begin operations from there . From 17 July 1950 to 20 October 1950 , " Suisun " and the squadron were assigned to the United States Seventh Fleet and monitored military activities of the People ' s Republic of China in case of a Chinese intervention in the Korean War . With that assignment over , " Suisun " spent ten days in Hong Kong for a leave and upkeep period , then sailed for the United States on 2 November 1950 , via Okinawa and Pearl Harbor . She arrived at Whidbey Island on 27 November 1950 and moved to San Diego on 1 December 1950 . " Suisun " deployed to the Far East again from 12 February 1951 to 6 August 1951 and yet again from 26 November 1951 to 25 May 1952 . Her final Western Pacific tour during the Korean War was from 23 September 1952 to 21 May 1953 . An ended the war in July 1953 . " Suisun " received two battle stars for her Korean War service . Operations in the Western Pacific 1953 - 1955 . " Suisun " conducted two more tours in the Western Pacific after the end of the Korean War , the first from 18 September 1953 to 17 March 1954 and the second from 2 July 1954 to 23 November 1954 . Inactivation , decommissioning , and disposal . On 2 March 1955 , " Suisun " reported to the Pacific Reserve Fleet for inactivation . She was placed in commission , in reserve , on 10 May 1955 , and then was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 5 August 1955 . " Suisun " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 April 1966 . She was sunk as a target in October 1966 .