USS Leon ( APA - 48 ) USS " Leon " ( APA - 48 ) was a that served with the US Navy during World War II . Originally planned as " Sea Dolpin " ( AP - 93 ) , the vessel was renamed " Leon " 3 October 1942 ; redesignated APA - 48 , 1 February 1943 ; laid down 6 February 1943 by Maritime Commission contract ; launched 19 June ; accepted by the Navy and commissioned 11 September for transfer to Bethlehem Steel Shipyard , Brooklyn , for conversion to an attack transport ; decommissioned 27 September ; and recommissioned in full 12 February 1944 , Capt . Bruce B . Adell in command . Operational history . Upon arrival in Norfolk , Virginia on 24 February , " Leon " received her quota of landing craft and underwent shakedown . With 1 , 345 Marines of the 47th Replacement Battalion and 195 Seabees embarked , she departed Norfolk 18 March for the Pacific , arriving Pearl Harbor 7 April . Invasion of Saipan . By this time , a great store of battle experience in operations had been gained since the early landings in the Solomon Islands . With the United States now controlling many of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands , " Leon " and elements of the 4th Marine Division practiced and rehearsed almost 2 months for the next leapfrog into the Marianas . As part of TG 52 . 4 , she sortied from Honolulu 29 May . The invasion fleet rendezvoused at Eniwetok and arrived off Saipan 15 June . On D - Day , " Leon " ' s beach party and boats , in the midst of enemy artillery and mortar fire , successfully put ashore their Marines although three boats were lost . Nine days later , she departed and arrived Pearl Harbor 20 July . Invasion of Palaus . Again the cycle of training and invasion repeated itself . This time , the 81st Infantry Division was embarked with the Palau Islands as the objective . On 17 September , her boats put 1 , 404 troops ashore on Angaur Island . Recalled from the area 23 September , she proceeded to Manus Island in the Admiralty group . Invasion of the Philippines . Preparations now were underway for the invasion of the Philippines . " Leon " transported elements of the 1st Cavalry Division to Leyte from 16 to 22 October , and , on a repeat voyage , debarked troops of the 77th Division there on 23 November . " Leon " , as part of Rear Adm . R . L . Connoley ' s Reinforcement Group 77 . 9 , brought troops from both Noemfoor and Leyte to Lingayen Gulf , Luzon , on 11 and 27 January , respectively . Completing the latter debarkation , the attack transport sailed to Guadalcanal to prepare for the Okinawa campaign . Invasion of Okinawa . Departing 15 March with members of the 11th Special Construction Battalion and 6th Marine Division , including a platoon of war dogs , she arrived off the Okinawa landing area on Easter Sunday , D - Day , 1 April . After her troops were ashore , " Leon " remained to unload cargo . The night of 4 April , in a high wind , she slipped a dragging anchor and worked her way skillfully through the crowded anchorage to sea and the next day departed for Saipan . Drydock , and transport missions . After a drydock period at Pearl Harbor , she had the pleasant task 31 May to 6 June of transporting 299 Waves and a vast quantity of mail from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor . She resumed her task of carrying Army troops 1 July when she departed Portland , Oregon , with 1 , 368 officers and men for Pearl Harbor . Postwar occupation missions . " Leon " proceeded on to Ulithi and Okinawa where she took on board 1 , 169 men of the Army ' s 7th Infantry Division destined to accept the surrender of the Japanese in South Korea . After a 3 - day voyage , landings were effected 8 and 9 September at Inchon ( Jinsen ) , 5 years before landings there wer to turn the tide in the Korean War . The vacuum in northern China created by the collapse of the Japanese was partially filled , at first by U . S . Marines and later by Chinese Nationalist troops . " Leon " and sister ships of Vice Adm . D . E . Barbey ' s 7th Amphibious Force were involved in this operation , bringing Marines from Okinawa to Tientsin , China , 30 September and carrying Chinese troops from Hong Kong to Chinwangtao 30 October and Tsingtao 14 November . " Magic Carpet " demobilization missions . The attack transport now turned her bow toward home . At Sasebo , Japan , as part of Operation Magic Carpet , she embarked 5th Marine Division veterans and sailed 9 December for San Diego , arriving Christmas Day , with happy passengers and crew . " Leon " departed San Diego , 11 January 1946 ; arrived Mobile , Alabama , 1 February ; proceeded to Chickasaw , Alabama 1 March ; and decommissioned 7 March . " Leon " received four battle star s for World War II service . Commercial service . " Leon " was transferred to the War Shipping Administration 2 April . She was sold to the Isthmian Steamship Company in 1947 , who renamed her " Steel Chemist " . The vessel was scrapped in 1971 .