USS Lake County ( LST - 880 ) USS " Lake County " ( LST - 880 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named after counties in twelve U . S . states , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Originally laid down as " LST - 880 " by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company of Evansville , Indiana on 6 November 1944 ; launched on 16 December 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . L . H . Quigley ; and commissioned at New Orleans , Louisiana on 9 January 1945 with Lieutenant ( jg . ) James T . Connolly in command . Service history . World War II , 1945 . After shakedown off the Florida coast , " LST - 880 " departed New Orleans for Hawaii on 13 February . Steaming via the Panama Canal and the west coast , she reached Pearl Harbor on 31 March . During the next six weeks she participated in training operations with Seabees before departing Pearl Harbor for the western Pacific on 24 May . Carrying men and equipment of the 98th Construction Battalion , she sailed via the Marshalls and Marianas to Okinawa where she arrived on 4 July . There she discharged men and cargo ; and , after embarking combat veterans , she sailed for the Marianas on 10 July . Steaming via Guam , she reached Saipan the 19th . " LST - 880 " sailed for the Solomon Islands on 27 July . Arriving Russell Island on 7 August , she operated among the Solomons during the final week of fighting in the Pacific . Post - war activities , 1945 – 1946 . On the 19th she departed Guadalcanal for the Philippines . Upon arriving Samar on 30 August , she operated in Leyte Gulf until 20 September when she sailed for Luzon . She reached Lingayen Gulf the 24th ; and , after embarking occupation troops at San Fabian , Luzon she sailed for Japan on 26 September . Steaming in convoy she arrived Wakayama , Honshū on 7 October to support occupation landings in Japan . Continuing her occupation duty , " LST - 880 " departed Nagoya , Honshū , for the Philippines on 27 October . She embarked more occupation troops at Lingayen Gulf , and from 11 to 18 November steamed to Sasebo , Kyūshū for further occupation duty . Departing Sasebo on 23 November , she sailed for the Marianas where she arrived Saipan the 29th . She operated between Guam and Saipan until 18 December ; then she sailed for Pearl Harbor . After touching at Eniwetok , Kwajalein , and Roi in the Marshalls , she arrived Pearl Harbor on 8 January 1946 . Departing three days later , she steamed to the west coast and arrived San Pedro Bay on 22 January . Between 6 and 28 February she sailed from San Pedro to New Orleans . She decommissioned there on 1 October 1946 and was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . Towed to Green Cove Springs , Florida early in 1947 , " LST - 880 " transferred to Norfolk , Virginia late in 1950 . 1951 – 1958 . From May to August 1951 she served the Military Sea Transportation Service ( MSTS ) as a supply ship during the construction of military bases in the Arctic . After returning to Norfolk , " LST - 880 " recommissioned on 20 August with Lieutenant Carl S . Cross in command . During the next nine months she operated out of Norfolk while making supply runs along the east coast and to Cuba and Puerto Rico . Between 21 May and 5 June 1952 she steamed from Norfolk to Port Lyautey , French Morocco to begin logistics operations in the western Mediterranean for the 6th Fleet . During the next six months she carried supplies to ports in North Africa and steamed from Portugal to Italy while supporting peacekeeping and readiness operations in the Mediterranean . She departed Port Lyautey on 11 November ; reached Norfolk the 26th ; and resumed supply runs out of Norfolk . Logistics duty in 1953 sent her to the Caribbean , and she carried supplies to American bases in Cuba , Puerto Rico , and in the British West Indies from the Bahamas to Trinidad . Departing Norfolk on 21 September , she sailed via Davisville , Rhode Island for North Africa and arrived Port Lyautey on 9 October . After unloading supplies , she sailed four days later and returned to Norfolk on 27 October . " LST - 880 " resumed logistics operations to island bases in the Atlantic and the Caribbean . During late August and early September 1954 she operated between Norfolk and Halifax , Nova Scotia and during 1955 she made two additional runs to Halifax and Argentia , Newfoundland . Named USS " Lake County " ( LST - 880 ) on 1 July 1955 , she continued supply runs primarily in the Caribbean from 1955 to 1958 . Decommissioning and disposal . Departing the Bahamas on 10 February 1958 she arrived Norfolk the 13th . " Lake County " steamed to Charleston on 29 August and decommissioned there on 25 November . Declared unsuitable for further naval service , she was used as a target ship for destruction .