USS Gosper ( APA - 170 ) USS " Gosper " ( APA - 170 ) was a " Haskell " - class attack transport acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas . World War II service . " Gosper " ( " APA - 170 " ) was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp . , Portland , Oregon , 20 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . E . P . Nelson ; transferred to the Navy and commissioned 18 November 1944 , Comdr . F . W . McCann in command . Loading troops and supplies and heading for Hawaii . " Gosper " sailed for Seattle , Washington , to load supplies 29 November and arrived San Francisco , California , 6 December to take on landing craft . The ship then departed for shakedown training off the coast of southern California followed by amphibious exercises , and return to San Diego , California , 6 January 1945 . Loading troops and supplies , the transport sailed for Pearl Harbor on two voyages to aid in the Navy ' s great push across the Pacific , arriving there for the second time 27 February . " Gosper " converted into a battle casualty ship . At Pearl Harbor it was decided to convert " Gosper " into a much - needed casualty evacuation transport , and she was furnished with operating rooms and other hospital facilities . The ship was to take part in the historic Okinawa invasion , and departed Pearl Harbor 18 March for Ulithi , where she arrived 31 March . Servicing the wounded at Okinawa . " Gosper " arrived Kerama Retto 6 April , just 5 days after the initial landings on nearby Okinawa . During that grim day the ship was almost constantly under suicide attack as the Japanese tried desperately to stop the invasion . " Gosper " shot down at least one attacker that day , while transports " SS Hobos Victory " and " SS Logan Victory " and " LST - 4W " were sunk . The ship remained at Kerama Retto caring for casualties of the bitter fighting ashore until 17 April , after which she sailed to Ulithi and Guam , unloading her wounded at the Naval Hospital 24 April . Sailing to Saipan , " Gosper " loaded over 1 , 000 reserve combat troops and got underway for Okinawa again , arriving off the beaches 1 May . Until 10 July she stayed at anchor at Kerama Retto , caring for the casualties and helping to fight off the air raids incessantly mounted by the Japanese . She sailed to Buckner Bay , on the east side of Okinawa , 10 July , and from there joined a convoy to Ulithi , Pearl Harbor , and San Francisco , where she arrived 7 August 1945 . End - of - war “ clean up ” operations . Under repair when the war ended , " Gosper " was pressed into use carrying occupation forces to the Far East . She sailed 26 August for the Philippines , anchoring at Manila 15 September . There she took on board , because of her medical facilities , a large group of American , British , and Canadian servicemen who had been prisoners of war on Japanese - held islands , some since 1941 . She carried these veterans via Pearl Harbor to Seattle , where she arrived 12 October . Gosper then joined the " Operation Magic Carpet " fleet for the gigantic task of bringing home the combat - weary soldiers from the Pacific , sailing from Seattle 26 October . She made two passages to Pearl Harbor and back , carrying veterans , and departed 8 February 1946 for the U . S . East Coast , via the Panama Canal . Post - war decommissioning on the East Coast . " Gosper " arrived Newport News , Virginia , 24 February 1946 , and decommissioned 10 April 1946 . She was subsequently returned to the Maritime Commission and placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in the James River , Virginia . In 1946 she was struck from the Navy List and in 1974 she was scrapped . Military awards and honors . " Gosper " received one battle star for World War II service .