USS Kenton ( APA - 122 ) USS " Kenton " ( APA - 122 ) was a " Haskell " - class attack transport of the US Navy . She was built and used during World War II . She was of the VC2 - S - AP5 Victory ship design type . She was named for Kenton County , Kentucky . World War II service . " Kenton " was launched 21 August 1944 by the California Shipbuilding Corporation , Wilmington , California , under a Maritime Commission contract ; sponsored by Mrs . Paul A . Everett ; acquired by the Navy 31 October on a loan charter basis ; and commissioned 1 November at San Pedro , Captain V . B . Tate in command . Following shakedown along the California coast , " Kenton " departed Seattle 27 December carrying some 1 , 500 Army troops to Pearl Harbor , arriving 4 January 1945 . After amphibious training maneuvers to prepare for operations in the western Pacific , she cleared Pearl Harbor 18 February with troops and equipment for the Philippines on board and arrived Leyte Gulf via Eniwetok and the Palaus 10 March . After landing rehearsals , " Kenton " departed Leyte 27 March to participate in the Okinawa invasion . She reached Kerama Retto 1 April , unloaded Seabee construction equipment , and proceeded 3 April to Hagushi Beach , Okinawa , to discharge troops and cargo . During an air attack 6 April , " Kenton ' s " guns claimed two of the seven enemy planes that were shot down . She completed unloading 9 April , embarked 95 battle casualties , and sailed 10 April for Guam , arriving the 14th . She sailed 16 April on a cargo run to the Philippines , then proceeded to Ulithi , Western Carolines , 29 April to embark casualties for passage to the United States . Returning to Guam 24 May , she embarked additional casualties and proceeded the next day en route to San Francisco , where she arrived 12 June . " Kenton " departed San Francisco 6 July with troop replacements for the Philippines . She reached Tacloban , Leyte , 29 July ; cleared Leyte Gulf 1 August ; and returned to Seattle 19 August . Embarking occupation troops for Japan she sailed 29 August , via the Philippines to Yokohama , arriving 24 September . As a unit of the " Magic - Carpet " fleet , she took on board 1 , 527 homebound troops ; departed 29 September ; and arrived San Francisco 10 October . After two additional " Magic - Carpet " cruises to the western Pacific between 28 October and 26 January 1946 , " Kenton " departed Portland , Oreg . , 28 January for the East Coast . Sailing via San Francisco and the Panama Canal , she arrived Newport News 16 February , decommissioned at Portsmouth , Virginia , 28 March and transferred to the Maritime Commission the next day . Her name was struck from the Navy List 12 April . " Kenton " was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet and in 1967 was berthed in James River , Virginia . Fate . In 1956 " Kenton " was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet as part of a Repair Program , GAA - Arrow SS . Co . , and then returned . On 9 April 1973 she was sold to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation , for US $ 91 , 560 , to be scrapped . At 1045 EDT , on 9 October 1973 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker ' s yard . All that remains of " Kenton " is her brass builder ' s plate . Awards . " Kenton " received one battle star for World War II service .