USS Mount McKinley ( AGC - 7 ) USS " Mount McKinley " ( AGC - 7 / LCC - 7 ) was the lead ship of the " Mount McKinley " - class of amphibious force command ships . She was named after the highest mountain in North America . She was designed as an amphibious force flagship , a floating command post with advanced communications equipment and extensive combat information spaces to be used by the amphibious forces commander and landing force commander during large - scale operations . Launch and commissioning . " Mount McKinley " ( AGC 7 ) , was laid down as " Cyclone " , a transport , on 31 July 1943 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Company , Wilmington , North Carolina ; launched on 27 September , sponsored by Mrs . T . L . Lainer ; renamed " Mount McKinley " on 27 December 1943 ; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 1 May 1944 , with Captain Roy W . M . Graham in command . World War II . After a brief shakedown cruise , she departed Norfolk 8 June 1944 for Hawaii , arriving at Pearl Harbor on 27 June . The new AGC got underway on 20 July , for Palau with Amphibious Group 5 embarked . The assault force arrived off Peleliu 15 September , with ComPhibGru 5 directing the landing of the 1st Marine Division . On 28 September , AGC - 7 proceeded to nearby Ngesebus Island to provide shore bombardment coordination . " Mount McKinley " left the area 14 October after Peleliu and the other main islands of the chain were secure . After a stop at Hollandia , Dutch New Guinea , the ship sailed to San Pedro Bay , Leyte Gulf , for the assault on Leyte and Ormoc . While in San Pedro Bay , the force was under constant air attack , but the AGC was not hit . On 15 December the ship participated in the invasion of Mindoro and proceeded to Lingayen Gulf to direct shore bombardment on 9 January . After directing an unopposed landing at San Narciso , near Subic Bay , the command ship returned to Leyte Gulf . On 21 March 1945 , " Mount McKinley " proceeded to Kerama Retto off the southern coast of Okinawa . Six days prior to the last major assault of the war , AGC - 7 directed the landing of the 77th Infantry Division . For the next two months , the ship remained at anchorage at Kerama Retto , threatened by constant air attacks . On 22 May , she sailed for Saipan , thence to Pearl Harbor and San Francisco , arriving in CONUS 23 June . Postwar . In overhaul for two months , she deployed 20 August . Arriving Sasebo 23 September , she participated in landing occupation troops there and at Kure . Returning to the United States 12 February 1946 , she sailed in the early summer for Bikini Atoll where she was flagship for Operation Crossroads . Admiral William H . P . Blandy , commanded Joint Task Force 1 during the atomic tests , his flag on the Mount McKinley . Following the atomic bomb test in July , the ship operated out of San Diego for the next 18 months . In early 1948 , she was the command ship for the atomic bomb test at Eniwetok . Upon completion of these tests , she returned to San Diego to resume coastal operations . Korean War . On 20 May 1950 , " Mount McKinley " was underway for WesPac to conduct training operations with the 8th Army . On 26 June , the ship proceeded from Japan to direct the landing of American reinforcements at Po Han at the beginning of the Korean War . In early September 1950 , General Douglas MacArthur was on board , directing the amphibious assault at Inchon which forced the Communists to retreat north . The next assault was against the heavily mined port of Wonsan . When communist Chinese troops entered the war , and American troops were pushed back to the Hungman beachhead , " Mount McKinley " assisted in the evacuation . In late January 1951 , she assisted in the transfer of thousands of Korean refugees to Cheja Island . On 7 June 1951 , " Mount McKinley " sailed from Yokosuka and entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard 3 August for an extensive overhaul . " Mount McKinley " departed for WesPac , 6 March 1952 , returning to the States 30 January 1953 . While in Mare Island Naval Shipyard , a helicopter deck was installed on the fantail . AGC 7 sailed again , 27 October 1953 , for her third tour of duty in the Korean War area , arriving Yokosuka 16 November . From then until her departure for the States 30 July 1954 , she was involved in fleet and amphibious exercises off Japan , Korea , and Taiwan . After arrival in San Diego 18 August , the remainder of the year was spent in local operations and a month long training exercise off Hawaii in October . In the spring of 1955 , " Mount McKinley " served as flagship for Operation Wigwam , an underwater atomic bomb test in the central Pacific . After a yard overhaul in the summer of 1955 , the amphibious flagship returned to WestPac in January 1956 for a 3 - month period . In April , she was press observer ship for further nuclear tests . Atlantic and Mediterranean service . On 3 June , the ship returned to San Diego and was detached from the Pacific Fleet 1 September . She arrived Norfolk 20 September via the Panama Canal . The following 9 January , AGC - 7 deployed to the Mediterranean . While in the eastern Mediterranean , the ship rescued the crew of a burning Greek fishing vessel , extinguished the fire , and towed the damaged vessel into Port . After conducting NATO and fleet exercises in the Mediterranean , she returned to Norfolk 19 June . September and early October were spent in Operation Strikeback and other NATO exercises in the eastern Atlantic . " Mount McKinlay " was anchored in Portsmouth Navy Yard to provide command and control for parts of the ' Orange ' opposition naval forces during Operation Strikeback . In January 1958 , " Mount McKinley " deployed to 6th Fleet , operating with the Amphibious Ready Group in NATO and U . S . exercises . Due to return to the States in June , the ship ' s departure was delayed due to increasing tensions in the Middle East . The ship served as an afloat headquarters for the Marine force landed in Lebanon during the crisis of July 1958 . She returned to Norfolk 16 August . " Mount McKinley " ' s third Mediterranean cruise from 20 February to 26 August 1959 was marked by seven amphibious exercises involving U . S . and NATO forces . In February 1960 , the ship sailed to Valparaíso , Chile , via the Panama Canal to provide communications support for president Eisenhower ' s good will visit to Latin America . On 19 April , the AGC deployed to 6th Fleet , returning to Norfolk 7 December . Upon completion of her yard period in the summer of 1961 , " Mount McKinley " made her fifth deployment to the Mediterranean from September to February 1962 , acting as flagship for several large scale amphibious exercises . In October , during the Cuban missile crisis , " Mount McKinley " served at flagship for ComPhibLant and ComPhIbGru 4 . Following the Cuban quarantine , she sailed for the Mediterranean 10 January 1963 to act as command flagship for the Amphibious Strike Force . Arriving back in Norfolk 2 August 1963 , she entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a FRAM II overhaul , extending from September to January 1964 . After refresher training and exercise " Quick Kick V " , AGC 7 departed Norfolk 10 May , arriving San Diego 26 May via Panama Canal . Immediately after the Tonkin Gulf Incident , she was ordered to Southeast Asia . Pacific theater . She sailed from San Diego 25 August , arriving Luzon 16 September . She relieved Eldorado at Subic Bay a week later , becoming flagship of the 7th Fleet , Amphibious Strike Force . Taking station in the South China Sea , with other elements of Amphibious Group 1 , AGC 7 stood prepared for any contingency . While proceeding to Bangkok , " Mount McKinley " came to assistance of " Herkimer " , whose master was severely ill . " Herkimer " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s captain was taken on board for further treatment in Singapore while the MSTS ship sailed on to Saigon . In early March and again in mid April , the flagship coordinated the landing of Marine reinforcements at Da Nang and Huế , Vietnam . Relieved by at Subic Bay in April , she arrived San Diego 15 May 1965 . The command ship sailed again from San Diego on 15 March , arriving at Subic Bay on 17 April via Pearl Harbor . Based there , the ship visited ports in Japan , Taiwan , Hong Kong , Vietnam , and Okinawa , acting as flagship of ComPhibGru 1 . On 23 August , " Mount McKinley " sailed for home , arriving 19 September 1966 . She sailed on her third WesPac deployment 1 July , arriving Da Nang 28 July to become once more the flagship of Commander , 7th Fleet Amphibious Force . She provided communications support for search and destroy operations against the Vietcong and North Vietnamese regulars . As in earlier deployments , support for military forces was combined with civic action operations to assist civilians . Relieved in mid - January , AGC - 7 sailed east for CONUS and home , arriving San Diego 10 February 1968 . The ship ' s designation was changed from AGC - 7 to LCC - 7 on 1 January 1969 . Following her arrival back in CONUS , she has been engaged in type training and amphibious exercises on the west coast as flagship of ComPhibGru 3 into 1969 . Awards and decommissioning . " Mount McKinley " received four battle star s for World War II service , eight stars for Korean service , and a Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation . Command Ship Operation Crossroads Atomic Tests and Amphibious Command Ship during the Cuban Missile Crisis . " Mount McKinley " was sold for disposal in 1976 .