USS LST - 31 USS " Addison County " ( LST - 31 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named for Addison County , Vermont , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . LST - 31 was laid down on 2 February 1943 at Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania by the Dravo Corporation ; launched on 5 June 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Maurice Endres ; accepted by the Navy and placed in reduced commission on 10 July 1943 ; and sailed to New Orleans where she was placed in full commission on 21 July 1943 with Lieutenant John D . Schneidau , Jr . , USNR , in command . Service history . 1943 . The new tank landing ship got underway on 29 July for Panama City , Florida where she conducted a series of beaching exercises . LST - 31 returned to New Orleans on 7 August to take on cargo for transportation to the Pacific . After a brief port call at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba the vessel transited the Panama Canal on 24 August and joined the Pacific Fleet . She then continued on to San Diego , California where she arrived on 13 September . After participating in beaching exercises in the San Diego area , the ship stopped at Port Hueneme and at San Francisco , California to take on cargo . She left the west coast on 15 October bound for Hawaii , reached Pearl Harbor on the 25th , and began unloading . When this task was completed , LST - 31 again weighed anchor on 5 November and shaped a course for the Gilbert Islands . As a member of 5th Amphibious Force , the ship was slated to take part in the assault on Makin Island . LST - 31 arrived off Makin on the 20th and began discharging troops and cargo ashore . She remained off that atoll until 3 December , when she got underway to return to Pearl Harbor . Shortly after her arrival , the vessel entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard for repairs and alterations . While her engines were being overhauled , additional 40 - millimeter and 20 - millimeter guns were installed . The yard period ended in early January 1944 , and the refurbished vessel then took part in training exercises off Maui in preparation for the forthcoming invasion of the Marshall Islands . 1944 . The tank landing ship left Pearl Harbor on 19 January and set a course for Kwajalein . She anchored off that atoll on 1 February and began discharging her cargo in support of operations in the Marshalls . On 12 February , the ship began embarking troops for the invasion of Eniwetok and , five days later , sortied with LST Group 8 . She beached at Eniwetok on the 20th and began landing her soldiers and discharging cargo ashore . LST - 31 remained there until 20 March , when she got underway for Hawaii . She stopped en route at Kwajalein and Tarawa to take on cargo and passengers and finally reached Pearl Harbor on 15 April . Following repairs in drydock there , she resumed operations on 10 May with a series of training exercises in Hapuna Bay , Hawaii . On the 25th , LST - 31 left Hawaiian waters , bound for Eniwetok . Upon her arrival at that atoll on 7 June , she refueled and took on cargo in preparation for operations against Saipan . The vessel arrived off Saipan on 14 June and began discharging troops and supplies ashore . She cleared the area on the 23rd and returned to Eniwetok to replenish her cargo . LST - 31 arrived back at Saipan on 17 July ; unloaded supplies and small craft ; and , during the next few weeks , served as a hospital ship . At night , she anchored off Saipan to receive casualties and was underway off Tinian during daylight hours . This assignment occupied the ship through 21 August , when she began a round - trip voyage to Eniwetok . After returning to Saipan , the vessel underwent three days of voyage repairs and got underway on 23 September for the west coast of the United States . En route , she touched at Eniwetok ; Apamama and Makin Islands , Gilbert Islands ; and Pearl Harbor . She left the latter port on 6 November and reached San Francisco on 17 November 1944 . After one day in port there , LST - 31 sailed to San Pedro to enter the West Coast Shipbuilding Company yards for extensive alterations and repairs . 1945 . The ship left the yard in early February 1945 , conducted sea trials , and arrived at the Mare Island Navy Yard , Vallejo , California on 18 February to take on an amphibious craft . She then visited Seattle , Washington for additional repair work . On 10 March , the vessel got underway for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on the 23rd . LST - 31 left Hawaii on 4 April for Okinawa . She embarked passengers and loaded supplies at Eniwetok and Guam before proceeding on to the Ryūkyūs and anchoring in waters off southwestern Okinawa on 3 May . She remained in the area for approximately three weeks providing logistic support to troops fighting on Okinawa . The ship arrived at Ulithi on 28 May ; took on cargo ; and , on 2 June , set a course for the island of Leyte in the Philippines . During the months of June , July , and August , LST - 31 operated between the Philippines and Okinawa , transporting supplies and troops between the two points to build up Okinawa as a base for the conquest of the Japanese home islands . However , this invasion was obviated when Japan capitulated on 15 August . The ship then began moving occupation troops and equipment to Japan from various points in the Philippines . She first arrived in Japanese waters on 15 September , when she dropped anchor in Tokyo Bay . On 30 November , LST - 31 was assigned to duty in Japan with the 5th Fleet , Amphibious Group 11 , LST Flotilla 35 . However , these orders were superseded late in December ; and the ship was slated for decommissioning . She was scheduled to be turned over to the Japanese merchant marine to be manned by a Japanese crew under American control for use in repatriating Japanese citizens and shuttling supplies between Japanese ports . 1946 – 1955 . After the ship was stripped of all armament and other wartime equipment , LST - 31 was decommissioned on 8 January 1946 and transferred to the Japanese . The vessel operated under Japanese control into May 1948 , when she was returned to U . S . Naval custody . She left Yokohama on the 3rd of that month and shaped a course for the west coast of the United States . The tank landing ship was later berthed in the Seattle area . On 1 July 1955 LST - 31 was named the USS " Addison County " . Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 11 August 1955 and she was subsequently sunk as a target . Awards . During World War II , LST - 31 served in the Asiatic - Pacific Theater and participated in the Gilbert Islands operation ( November and December 1943 ) ; the Marshall Islands operation , ( a ) occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls ( January and February 1944 ) , and ( b ) occupation of Eniwetok Atoll ( February and March 1944 ) ; Marianas operation , ( a ) capture and occupation of Saipan ( June to August 1944 ) ; Tinian capture and occupation ( July and August 1944 ) ; and Okinawa Gunto operation , assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto ( May 1945 ) . " Addison County " earned five battle star s for her World War II service .