USS McCracken ( APA - 198 ) USS " McCracken " ( APA - 198 ) 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 . " McCracken " ( " APA 198 " ) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co . , Inc . , Vancouver , Washington , 8 June 1944 ; launched 29 September 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Albert Bauer ; acquired by the Navy21 October 1944 ; and commissioned at Astoria , Oregon , 21 October 1944 , Comdr . Brainerd N . Bock in command . After shakedown and training along the U . S . West Coast , " McCracken " embarked troops at San Pedro , California , and sailed for Pearl Harbor 27 December . Arriving there 2 January 1945 , she departed for the South Pacific Ocean 10 January . Carrying troops and cargo , she reached Noumea , New Caledonia , 20 January . Thence between 26 and 31 January , she steamed via the Russell Islands to Guadalcanal , Solomons , where she began 6 weeks of intensive training . Assigned to TransDiv 52 , she departed Guadalcanal 15 March and steamed for the invasion of Okinawa . Landing troops and their equipment on Okinawa . After touching at Ulithi , Caroline Islands , " McCracken " closed the beaches off Okinawa early 1 April and debarked assault troops shortly after sunrise . During the day she off loaded cargo despite enemy air attacks . She remained off Okinawa until 6 April , but heavy weather prevented her from discharging troops and cargo . Disembarking troops on Saipan and Okinawa . Between 6 and 10 April " McCracken " steamed to Saipan and debarked her remaining troops . Departing 11 April , she arrived Pearl Harbor the 22d . On 5 May she sailed to San Francisco , California , embarked troops and cargo , and returned to Pearl Harbor 26 May . Three days later she sailed westward carrying Navy Seabee s and Army Engineers , arriving Buckner Bay , Okinawa , 5 July . After discharging men and supplies , she embarked elements of the 6th Marine Division at Hagushi 9 July , and from 10 to 16 July transported them to Guam . Landing troops in the Philippine Islands . " McCracken " sailed for the U . S . west coast 17 July , arriving San Francisco the 30th . She loaded dry provisions there ; embarked more than 1 , 400 Army troops at San Pedro , California ; and departed 16 August , arriving Manila 12 September to debark troops . A week later she began embarking troops of the 25th Infantry Division at Lingayen Gulf , and on 1 October she sailed in convoy to carry occupation troops to Japan . End - of - war operations . " McCracken " reached Nagoya , Honshū , 28 October and landed occupation troops . Between 4 and 8 November the transport sailed via Yokosuka to Sasebo , Kyūshū , where she embarked 760 sailors . After embarking 737 additional Navy veterans at Nagasaki , she departed for the United States 13 November and reached San Pedro 1 December . Sailing for a second “ Operation Magic Carpet ” cruise 12 December , " McCracken " arrived Manila Bay 2 January 1946 , boarded veteran troops , sailed 6 January and arrived Los Angeles , California , the 25th . End - of - war decommissioning and inactivation . " McCracken " arrived San Francisco 10 March , began inactivation overhaul at Mare Island , California , 2 April , and decommissioned at Stockton , California , 10 October 1946 , entering the Pacific Reserve Fleet . She was transferred to the Mare Island Group 17 June 1949 ; reassigned to the Stockton Group 28 November 1950 ; and assigned to the San Diego Group 30 March 1958 . Authorized for transfer to the Maritime Administration 5 September 1958 , her name was struck from the Navy List 1 October 1958 . Into 1969 she remained berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay , California . In 1975 she was scrapped in Portland , Oregon . Military awards and honors . " McCracken " received one battle star for World War II service .