USS DuPage ( APA - 41 ) USS " DuPage " ( AP - 86 / APA - 41 ) was a built for the United States Navy during World War II . The ship was named for DuPage County , Illinois . " DuPage " was launched on 19 December 1942 as " Sea Hound " ( AP - 86 ) by Ingalls Shipbuilding Co . , Pascagoula , Mississippi , under a Maritime Commission contract ; sponsored by Mrs . Leigh R . Sanford ; reclassified APA - 41 on 1 February 1943 ; placed in ferry commission on 28 February 1943 , Commander C . Allen in command ; decommissioned on 17 March 1943 for conversion by Todd - Erie Basin Dry Docks , Brooklyn , N . Y . ; and recommissioned on 1 September 1943 , Captain G . M . Wauchope , USNR , in command . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . " DuPage " reached San Diego , California , from Norfolk , Virginia on 2 November 1943 to serve as flagship for a transport division during training . She sailed from San Diego on 13 January 1944 carrying U . S . Marines for the assault landings on Kwajalein , where she remained from 31 January to 6 February . " DuPage " sailed by way of Funafuti , Ellice Islands , to Guadalcanal , arriving on 18 February . Based at Guadalcanal " DuPage " served in the redeployment of troops in the Solomons and carried troops for the assault landings on Emirau Island on 11 April 1944 and the support landings at Cape Gloucester , New Britain , from 28 April to 1 May . On 3 June she got underway for the invasion of Guam , landing her troops from 21 to 26 July . After evacuating casualties to Eniwetok , and exercising off Espiritu Santo , " DuPage " returned to Guadalcanal on 27 August to replenish , overhaul her landing craft , and train for the invasion of the Palau Islands . " DuPage " sortied from Guadalcanal on 8 September 1944 and landed her troops in the assault of Peleliu a week later . For 12 days she remained in the area providing logistics support for landing craft and small patrol vessels . Three of her own landing craft were lost and one man killed during the bitter fighting . Invasion of the Philippines . Arriving at Hollandia , New Guinea on 30 September , " DuPage " prepared for the invasion of the Philippines . She carried U . S . Army troops for the initial landings at Leyte on 20 October and sailed at once to bring reinforcements from Hollandia for support landings on 14 November . After rehearsal landings in New Guinea , " DuPage " sailed from Aitape on 28 December 1944 for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf , landing her troops on the beaches near San Fabian on 9 January 1945 and embarking casualties from the beach and other ships . Damaged by a kamikaze . On the evening of the next day while " DuPage " was preparing to leave the area , enemy aircraft attacked . Despite heavy anti - aircraft fire , a kamikaze crashed to port damaging her severely as well as starting fires which stubbornly recurred and were fought all through the night . She lost 35 killed and 136 wounded ; five men who were blown over the side were picked up by escorting destroyer s . Despite her injuries " DuPage " continued to fulfill her duty as guide ship and arrived safely at Leyte three days later to transfer her casualties and undergo emergency repairs . Stateside repairs . After landing troops at Zambales , Luzon on 29 January 1945 , " DuPage " left San Pedro Bay on 11 February and embarking U . S . Marines at Manus and Pearl Harbor en route , arrived at San Francisco on 10 March for overhaul and battle damage repairs . She sailed from Alameda on 14 May to embark troops at Seattle , Washington , for Pearl Harbor . Return to Pacific Theater operations . She continued to Eniwetok for amphibious exercises , then transported troops and cargo from Ulithi to Okinawa , arriving on 5 July . Three days later she sailed with combat - tested U . S . Marines for Guam , then continued to Eniwetok and San Francisco where she arrived on 28 July . After minor alterations she was designated as flagship for Transport Division 63 and sailed on 12 August with U . S . Army Air Force personnel whom she disembarked at San Pedro Bay , Leyte on 5 September . " DuPage " sailed from Lingayen Gulf on 1 October 1945 with troops for the occupation of Japan , landing her passengers at Nagoya on 26 October . Three days later she was assigned to " Magic Carpet " duty and made two voyages between Guam and the west coast to return veterans until 5 January 1946 when she arrived at Portland , Oregon . Post - War decommissioning . Two weeks later she got underway for the east coast , arriving at New York on 7 February . " DuPage " was decommissioned on 28 March 1946 and transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal on 27 June 1946 . " DuPage " received six battle star s for World War II service .