USS Knudson ( APD - 101 ) USS " Knudson " ( APD - 101 ) , ex - DE - 591 , later LPR - 101 , was a United States Navy high - speed transport in commission from 1944 to 1946 and from 1953 to 1958 . Construction and commissioning . " Knudson " was laid down as the " Rudderow " - class destroyer escort USS " Knudson " ( DE - 591 ) on 23 December 1943 by Bethlehem - Hingham Shipyard , Inc . , at Hingham , Massachusetts , and was launched on 5 February 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . Emmons R . Knudson . The ship was reclassified as a " Crosley " - class high - speed transport and redesignated APD - 101 on 17 July 1944 . After conversion to her new role , she was commissioned on 25 November 1944 with Lieutenant Dudley C . Sharp in command . Service history . First period in commission , 1944 - 1946 . World War II . After shakedown , " Knudson " departed Norfolk , Virginia on 18 January 1945 for World War II service in the Pacific . Steaming via San Diego , California , she arrived at Pearl Harbor , Territory of Hawaii , on 9 February 1945 for training with underwater demolition team units . With Underwater Demolition Team 19 embarked , she departed Pearl Harbor on 28 February 1945 , stopped at Eniwetok , and arrived at Ulithi Atoll on 12 March 1945 to prepare for operations in the Ryukyu Islands . Clearing Ulithi Atoll on 21 March 1945 for operations off Kerama Retto , " Knudson " supported Underwater Demolition Team 19 during reconnaissance and demolition operations on Kuba Shima , Aka Shima , Keise Shima , and Geruma Shima from 25 March 1945 to 30 March 1945 . While serving as antisubmarine screen on 26 March 1945 , she was attacked by a Japan ese bomber . Her guns shot the plane down after two bombs had missed her close aboard . On 1 April 1945 , the day that the initial amphibious landing s on Okinawa took place , " Knudson " continued antisubmarine warfare patrols during amphibious landings at Hagushi , Okinawa . During the next two weeks she conducted screening patrols off the western shores of Okinawa in support of the Okinawa campaign . " Knudson " departed Okinawan waters on 14 April 1945 , escorting the battleship USS " Nevada " ( BB - 36 ) to Guam , arriving there on 19 April 1945 . She then proceeded to Ulithi Atoll on 23 April 1945 , debarked Underwater Demolition Team 19 on 25 April 1945 , and departed Ulithi on 5 May 1945 for Okinawa escorting the heavy cruiser USS " Portland " ( CA - 33 ) . Reaching Okinawa on 8 May 1945 , she resumed screening duty and helped repel Japanese air attacks until 15 June 1945 , when she departed Hagushi Anchorage for Leyte in the Philippine Islands . Arriving at Leyte on 18 June 1945 , " Knudson " operated in the northern Philippines until 4 July 1945 . She departed Subic Bay , Luzon , as escort for an Okinawa - bound tank landing ship ( LST ) convoy , reaching Guam on 16 July 1945 . After embarking Underwater Demolition Team 19 , she departed Guam on 19 July 1945 and called at Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor before proceeding to the United States West Coast , arriving at San Diego on 5 August 1945 . " Knudson " embarked Underwater Demolition Team 25 on 13 August 1945 . World War II ended with the surrender of Japan the next day , 14 August 1945 , which was 15 August 1945 across the International Date Line in East Asia . Postwar . " Knudson " departed San Diego on 16 August 1945 for the Far East , and arrived in Tokyo Bay , Japan , on 4 September 1945 . She operated out of Yokosuka , Japan , until 20 September 1945 , when she returned to the United States , arriving at San Diego on 11 October 1945 . " Knudson " continued her service in the Pacific from 30 October 1945 to 12 May 1946 , carrying men and supplies to bases in the Marshall Islands , Mariana Islands , Admiralty Islands , and Philippine Islands . Departing Manila Bay , Luzon , on 20 April 1946 with homebound veterans embarked , " Knudson " arrived at San Pedro , California , on 12 May 1946 . She was decommissioned on 4 November 1946 and entered the San Diego Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet , on 15 November 1946 . Second period in commission , 1953 - 1958 . " Knudson " recommissioned on 6 August 1953 with Lieutenant Commander J . F . Roohan , Jr . , in command . After shakedown and conversion to a high - speed transport flagship , she departed San Diego on 3 May 1954 for the Western Pacific . Arriving at Yokosuka , Japan , on 23 May 1954 , she conducted amphibious exercises off Japan , South Korea , and Okinawa . Clearing Tokyo Bay on 13 August 1954 , she set course for the Vietnamese coast , where she arrived at Haiphong , North Vietnam , on 22 August 1954 . As flagship for the Commander , Embarkation Group , she participated in Operation Passage to Freedom , through which the U . S . Navy evacuated almost 300 , 000 Vietnamese from North Vietnam to South Vietnam . From 22 August 1954 to 19 September 1954 , she operated out of Haiphong during the loading of refugees , cargo , and military equipment by U . S . Navy ships . Then she steamed to Saigon , South Vietnam , arriving on 22 September 1954 . Continuing to Subic Bay in the Philippines on 2 October 1954 , she stopped at Hong Kong before returning to Yokosuka on 1 November 1954 . On 7 November 1954 she departed Yokosuka for the United States , arriving at San Diego on 23 November 1954 . " Knudson " operated out of San Diego and Long Beach , California , supporting amphibious training during 1955 and early 1956 . Departing Long Beach on 24 March 1956 , " Knudson " steamed via Pearl Harbor to Eniwetok , where she arrived on 10 April 1956 . She supported nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands before returning to Pearl Harbor on 23 July 1956 . She returned to Long Beach on 6 August 1956 and resumed amphibious , underwater demolition team , and antisubmarine warfare training operations . She then moved to San Francisco , California , on 27 September 1956 . Final decommissioning and disposal . " Knudson " was decommissioned for the second and last time on 2 January 1958 and joined the Stockton Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet . She later transferred to the Texas Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet , at Orange , Texas . While in reserve , she was reclassified as an " amphibious transport , small " and redesignated LPR - 101 on 1 July 1969 . " Kundson " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 July 1972 . She was sold for scrapping on 10 January 1975 , for $ 62 , 261 ( USD ) , to General Metals of Tacoma , Inc . , of Tacoma , Washington . Honors and awards . " Knudson " received one battle star for her World War II service .