USS Monitor ( LSV - 5 ) USS " Monitor " ( LSV - 5 / AN - 1 / AP - 160 / MCS - 5 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . She was named after the original ( the first ironclad warship commissioned by the Navy ) , and was the second U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Laid down on 21 October 1941 as " AN - 1 " by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation of Pascagoula , Mississippi and launched on 29 January 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . John A . Terhune . She was redesignated " AP - 160 " on 2 August 1943 , and first commissioned on 18 March 1944 . Due to delays in construction , the ship was transferred under her own power to Todd Shipyards , Brooklyn , New York for completion on 2 April . Redesignated as a Landing Ship , Vehicle , on 21 April 1944 , USS " Monitor " ( LSV - 5 ) was commissioned for service on 14 June 1944 with Commander J . B . McVey in command . Service history . Philippines , 1944 – 1945 . Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay , " Monitor " steamed via the Panama Canal to Pearl Harbor , arriving 10 August . Loading troops , cargo and amphibious DUKWs , the ship joined the 3rd Fleet off Leyte in October , participating in the landings at Leyte Gulf on 20 October and then removing wounded for transport to Morotai . She returned to Leyte with reinforcements 14 November and then sailed for Sansapor where she reloaded troops and equipment for the invasion of Luzon . Steaming for Lingayen Gulf , under air attack much of the way , the vehicle landing ship put her assault force ashore 9 January 1945 and then stood by in support , shooting down an enemy aircraft that night with only 28 rounds of 40 mm expended . In the closing days of January , the ship took part in two invasions in support of the Lingayen operation , the landing on San Felipe and La Paz on 29 January , and the landing of Army Rangers on Grande Island in Subic Bay on the 30th . Okinawa , 1945 . " Monitor " then steamed for Guadalcanal where she loaded marines for transport to Okinawa , participating in the " D - Day " landings on 1 April and then standing by off that hotly contested island until 10 May when she sailed for the United States . During May , June , and July , the LSV made several trips between Pearl Harbor and the west coast with passengers and cargo and then in August proceeded to Saipan to load medical personnel and supplies , departing on the 15th for Japan . Occupation duties , 1945 – 1947 . Joining the 3rd Fleet off Tokyo , " Monitor " took on board 1 , 000 sailors from battleship s , , , , and , conducting the first landing on the Japanese homeland on 30 August . The ship then served as a hospital ship to assist in the removal of Allied prisoners of war , over 8 , 000 repatriates being received on board and helped on their way before the amphibious vessel departed Japan 19 September . Returning to the United States , " Monitor " was assigned to " Operation Magic Carpet , " the massive program to bring the troops home . She operated on this mission until decommissioning in the Reserve Fleet , Galveston , Texas 22 May 1947 . Reclassified " MCS - 5 " on 18 October 1956 , " Monitor " was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1961 and transferred to the Maritime National Defense Reserve Fleet in Beaumont , Texas . " Monitor " earned four battle star s for World War II service .