USS Epping Forest ( LSD - 4 ) USS " Epping Forest " ( LSD - 4 / MCS - 7 ) was an acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II for duty in the Pacific Theater . Her task was to carry and land amphibious landing craft and other equipment and to recover and repair landing craft when possible . Named for an estate in Lancaster County , Virginia where Mary Ball Washington , mother of George Washington ( first President of the United States ) , was born , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Originally authorized as USS " Epping Forest " ( APM - 4 ) , a mechanized artillery transport , the ship was reclassified as dock landing ship USS " Epping Forest " ( LSD - 4 ) on 1 July 1941 ; laid down 23 November 1942 at the Moore Drydock Company of Oakland , California ; launched 2 April 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . J . H . Heintz ; and commissioned 11 October 1943 with Lieutenant Commander Lester Martin , USNR , in command . Onboard aircraft capability . Aircraft ( still in commission in late 1940s or early 1950s ) were fitted / retro - fitted with a prefabricated steel grated " Portable Deck " suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I - beam girders . The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform , enabling the ship to land and launch one helicopter at a time . Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission . Aircraft servicing was limited to re - fueling . With portable deck and aircraft platform installed , the Landing ship , dock , was still capable of transporting , launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing Craft Utility ( LCU ) in their well decks . World War II . " Epping Forest " sailed from San Diego , California , 13 January 1944 , with U . S . Marines on board for training in the Hawaiian Islands . She cleared Maui 22 January , combat - loaded for the invasion of the Marshalls , and sent men and artillery - laden landing craft ashore in the initial assaults on Roi and Namur 31 January . After replenishing at Funafuti early in February , " Epping Forest " sailed to Tulagi , where alterations were made , and she loaded men and equipment of the 1st Marines . These she landed in the assault on Emirau 20 March . During the next three weeks , " Epping Forest " brought reinforcements and supplies in to Emirau from Guadalcanal and Manus , and on 10 April , arrived at Finschhafen to prepare for the Hollandia operations . South Pacific operations . " Epping Forest " arrived off Aitape on 22 April 1944 for preinvasion bombardment , then sent her landing craft ashore in the assault and returned to Finschhafen to reload . She shuttled supplies to Aitape and Hollandia and repaired landing craft at Buna , and on 11 May reached Guadalcanal to load marines and their equipment for the invasion of Guam . After standing by in reserve during the invasions of Tinian and Saipan , she arrived off Guam 21 July for the assault landings . For five days she lay off the island repairing landing craft , and then returned to Guadalcanal , from which she made several voyages to Manus transporting landing craft through August . Leyte Gulf operations . " Epping Forest " brought her specialized facilities into play once more in the invasion of the Palau Islands , lying off Peleliu to repair landing craft after the assault of 15 September 1944 . After staging at Hollandia , she joined in the initial assault in Leyte Gulf on 20 October , landing engineering troops and their equipment , and sailing immediately to Hollandia to reload . She continued to voyage between New Guinea and Leyte with men and gear into December , then prepared for the Lingayen Gulf assault . On 9 January 1945 , " Epping Forest " sent her boats away in the assault of Lingayen Gulf , working under almost constant air attack . The next day she got underway for Morotai to reload U . S . Army equipment , with which she returned to Lingayen 27 January . For two weeks she repaired landing craft here , then put into Leyte on her way to transfer landing craft from Saipan to Guam , and again from Milne Bay to Leyte , arriving 13 March to prepare for the Okinawa assault . Okinawa operations . " Epping Forest " arrived off the Hagushi beaches 1 April 1945 for the invasion of Okinawa , and during the days of bitter fighting , repaired landing craft at various anchorages around the island . She worked with the skill of long practice under air attacks and the constant threat of enemy suicide attacks by small boats and swimmers as well as aircraft . End - of - war decommissioning . On 1 July she sailed for Portland , Oregon , arriving 25 days later . After carrying landing craft along the west coast and to the Hawaiian Islands , she brought a load of small craft to Bikini Atoll in June 1946 for use in Operation Crossroads , the atomic weapon s tests , and returned to San Diego , California , 27 June . She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Long Beach , California , 25 March 1947 . Recommissioned during Korean War . " Epping Forest " was recommissioned 1 December 1950 , and sailed along the U . S . West Coast for training until 24 May 1951 , when she departed San Diego for the troubled Far East . Operating in support of United Nations forces until 7 February 1952 , she returned to the west coast for local training and exercises . From October 1952 to September 1953 she again deployed to the waters off Korea where she supported minesweeping operations in Wonsan harbor , the first such use of an LSD . " Operation Passage to Freedom " . " Epping Forest " underwent overhaul in November 1953 and resumed her station in the Far East during the following April . She participated in amphibious operations at Okinawa and Korea , transported the refugees of French Indo - China in the " Operation Passage to Freedom " mission during the summer of 1954 and engaged in exercises off the Japanese coast . Her tour of Far Eastern waters in 1955 – 56 was devoted to local operations . In August 1957 , she again departed San Diego to engage in the U . S . 7th Fleet " Operation Phiblink " in which she won special recognition for her performance . Following fleet exercises in the South China Sea , she returned to San Diego in April 1958 for a period of yard availability . Continued Far East operations . Coastal operations preceded her return to the western Pacific in June 1959 to provide transportation and support to a division of minesweeping craft . During the Laotian crisis she joined Amphibious Squadron One at Okinawa in a state of combat readiness for any eventuality . " Epping Forest " returned to the States in November 1959 for another period of overhaul and upkeep . Assigned to the control of Mine Forces , Pacific , she was ordered to a new homeport , Sasebo , Japan , whence she sailed on 22 August 1960 prior to offloading quantities of supplies for " Operation Hand Clasp " in Korea . During the remainder of the year she cruised as flagship of Commander , Mine Flotilla One , and took part in mine countermeasure exercises . She was designated a mine countermeasures support ship and renamed USS " Epping Forest " ( MCS - 7 ) 30 November 1962 . Decommissioning . " Epping Forest " was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register 1 November 1968 . She was sold for scrapping 30 October 1969 . Military awards and honors . " Epping Forrest " earned eight battle star s for World War II service , five battle stars for Korean War service , and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service . Her crew was eligible for the following medals , ribbons , and commendations :