USS Sheridan ( APA - 51 ) USS " Sheridan " ( APA - 51 ) was an that served with the US Navy during World War II . " Sheridan " was named after five United States counties which were in turn named after Civil War General Philip H . Sheridan . The ship was laid down on 5 August 1942 under Maritime Commission contract by the Moore Dry Dock Company of Oakland , California as SS " Messenger " ; renamed " Sheridan " and designated AP - 94 by the Navy on 5 October 1942 ; launched on 11 November 1942 ; reclassified APA - 51 on 1 February 1943 ; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 31 July 1943 ; and commissioned the same day , Comdr . John J . Mockrish , USNR in command . World War II . " Sheridan " moved from Oakland to San Francisco on 31 August 1943 ; and , on 7 September , got underway for shakedown . Returning to San Francisco on 26 September , she loaded cargo and sailed for the western Pacific on 1 October . On 18 October , she delivered cargo at Nouméa ; and , on the 25th , she arrived at Wellington , New Zealand , where she embarked marines and their equipment . Invasion of Tarawa . Departing New Zealand on 1 November , she underwent amphibious training at Efate Island from the 7th to the 9th and sailed from there on the 13th for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands . " Sheridan " arrived off Tarawa early in the morning of 20 November 1943 and began debarking troops shortly before noon and cargo in mid - afternoon . The next day , she began reembarking troops , boats , and casualties . Sailing on 24 November , she arrived on 2 December at Pearl Harbor , where she discharged her casualties and was inspected by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz . On 5 December , she disembarked cargo and marines at Hilo , T . H . , and then proceeded to the west coast , arriving at San Diego on 13 December . Invasion of Kwajalein . " Sheridan " participated in practice landings at Oceanside , California , from 15 to 17 December 1943 , and then welcomed the new year , 1944 , with more exercises at San Clemente from 1 to 5 January . She then received her combat loadout of troops and supplies and sailed from San Diego on 13 January . Stopping at Maui , T . H . , just long enough to fuel , she arrived off the beaches of Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January . Her troops participated in the landings at Roi on 1 February while " Sheridan " remained off the beaches offloading cargo and acting as a temporary hospital ship pending the arrival of hospital ship . The transport sailed on 8 February , offloaded troops and cargo at Maui on 16 February , and then moved to Pearl Harbor on 17 February to receive needed repairs . Invasion of Saipan . On 28 February , " Sheridan " began an intensive period of amphibious training at Maui , which lasted , with two short breaks , until 19 May . On 30 May , she sailed from Pearl Harbor with a task force bound for the Marianas . Arriving at Eniwetok on 9 June , " Sheridan " transferred troops to assigned LST s and sailed on 11 June for Saipan . Arriving on 15 June , she debarked troops and cargo ; and then embarked a large group of casualties on the 18th . She completed offloading cargo on 20 June and sailed from Saipan the following day . After picking up more casualties at Eniwetok on 25 and 26 June , she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 July . Invasion of Guam . " Sheridan " embarked Army troops there on 4 July and sailed on the 9th . Touching at Eniwetok on the 17th , she arrived at Guam on the 22nd , a day after the initial landings , and debarked her troops the following day . The ship departed Guam on 28 July , touched at Eniwetok on 1 August , and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 10th . There , she received repairs , and then embarked Army troops and equipment for the reconquest of the Philippines . Invasion of Leyte . After a week of amphibious training at Maui from 1 to 7 September , " Sheridan " departed Pearl Harbor on the 15th , and , after stops at Eniwetok and Manus , arrived on 20 October in the transport area off Leyte where she put her troops ashore in the first waves . Completing general unloading on the 22nd , she sailed for $ 3 the same day . After remaining there from 27 October to 5 November , she arrived at Noemfoor Island on the 7th to load Army Air Force personnel and equipment , which she delivered at Leyte on the 18th . Invasion of the Philippines . Arriving at Manus on the 24th , " Sheridan " sailed on the 28th for Torokina , Bougainville Island , where she arrived on 1 December . There , she combat - loaded Army troops ; and then underwent extensive training in amphibious operations , moving to Huon Gulf , New Guinea for the final rehearsal on the 19th . Returning to Manus on the 21st , she sailed on 31 December 1944 as part of an assault group bound for Lingayen Gulf . The force encountered heavy air opposition during the approach on 8 January 1945 , but " Sheridan " arrived unscathed and landed her troops early the next day . She then took on board 108 Navy casualties and survivors mainly from the escort carrier , and sailed the same day for Leyte , arriving on the 12th . There , she embarked troops , and , after a landing rehearsal on 25 January , put them ashore on the 29th at La Paz , Philippine Islands , which turned out to be under the control of friendly guerrillas . The transport anchored in San Pedro , P . I . , on 1 February and remained there until late March while the war moved closer to the Japanese homeland . Invasion of Okinawa . On 14 March 1945 , " Sheridan " loaded troops for her final assault landing , the one on Okinawa . After training in the Philippines , the transport sailed with an assault force on 27 March and put her troops ashore in the first waves at Okinawa on 1 April . Repairs and training . Departing Okinawa on the 5th , she touched at Guam and Pearl Harbor and then arrived at San Francisco on 29 April for a major overhaul . Repairs were carried out between 4 May and 26 June by the United Engineering Co . , San Francisco . " Sheridan " then proceeded to San Diego on 1 July for refresher training in amphibious operations , returning to San Francisco on the 12th . Sailing three days later , she delivered her passengers at Samar , P . I . , on 6 August after stops at Eniwetok , Ulithi , and Leyte . After hostilities . " Sheridan " loaded troops at Zamboanga , P . I . , on 15 and 16 August , but due to the end of the war , debarked them at Tacloban on the 18th . Arriving at Batangas , P . I . , three days later , she loaded troops for the occupation of Japan and sailed for Japan on the 25th . The ship entered Tokyo Bay as the surrender document was being signed on board battleship , and offloaded her troops on 3 September . Sailing on the next day , " Sheridan " arrived at Okinawa on the 7th ; and , after riding out a typhoon at sea , between 16 and 18 September , she embarked troops and sailed on 26 September for Taku , China . She remained at Taku from 30 September to 6 October and then sailed to the Philippines to embark a marine air group which she delivered at Taku on 14 November . Operation " Magic Carpet " . Assigned next to Operation " Magic Carpet " , she sailed on 28 November from Taku ; embarked marine troops at Sasebo , Japan ; and sailed from there on 7 December for the United States . Arriving at San Diego on the 23d , she commenced a period of overhaul ; but , on 7 January 1946 , she was released from " Magic Carpet " duty and designated for disposal . Decommission . She sailed from San Diego on 11 January and arrived at Mobile , Alabama , on 1 February for deactivation . " Sheridan " was decommissioned on 5 March 1946 , delivered to the Maritime Commission on 7 April 1946 , and struck from the Navy List on 12 April 1946 . Awards . " Sheridan " received six battle star s for her World War II service . Commercial service . Sold by the Maritime Commission to the United States Lines on 24 October 1947 , she was briefly named " Pioneer Sun " and then served as " American Scientist " from 1947 until damaged by an explosion in July 1969 and scrapped .