USS Kent County ( LST - 855 ) USS " Kent County " ( LST - 855 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named after counties in Delaware , Maryland , Michigan , Rhode Island , and Texas , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Originally laid down as USS " LST - 855 " by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company of Seneca , Illinois on 6 September 1944 ; launched on 27 November , sponsored by Mrs . Jean Henning Hoerner ; and commissioned on 21 December with Lieutenant ( j . g . ) Thomas P . Kierl in command . Service history . World War II , 1945 . After shakedown off Florida , " LST - 855 " left New Orleans on December 31 , 1944 . She Entered the Gulf of Mexico through the Panama Canal in route to San Diego , California . In January 1945 , she left San Diego in route to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii . In February 1945 , she left Pearl and docked in the Marshall Islands , specifically at Kwajalein and Enewetak . In April 1945 , she left the Marshall Islands in route to Mariana Islands ; Guam , Si - pan , and Tinian . In July 1945 , she left the Mariana Islands , and arrived in Okinawa . During the remaining months of World War II , she shuttled supplies and equipment among the Marianas , Philippines , and Okinawa staging areas for a possible invasion of Japan . In late August , she left Okinawa and arrived in Japan . On August 30 , 1945 , she left Japan and arrived in Leyte Gulf , in the Philippines on September 2 , 1945 . On September 10 , 1945 , she left the Philippines and returned to Yokohama , Japan on September 29 , 1945 . In early October of 1945 , she left Japan and returned to Guam in Mid October 1945 . In late October , she departed Guam for Pearl Harbor , Hawaii and arrived in Early November . Three weeks later , she left Pearl , and arrived to San Francisco , California on December 10 , 1945 . 1945 – 1950 . The enemy ' s acceptance of Allied peace terms precluded an invasion ; and the landing ship then operated between the Philippines and Japan , transporting occupation forces until mid - November . On 20 November " LST - 855 " departed Guam with over 300 U . S . - bound Pacific veterans on board , arriving San Francisco the following month . Returning to the Far East seven months later , she arrived Taku , China on 16 July 1946 to support U . S . forces in the area . She made cargo runs among Chinese ports , and served in this capacity until 1949 . After the Communist takeover of mainland China , " LST - 855 " returned to the United States , arriving San Diego on 29 July 1949 . Operating along the West Coast , the veteran landing ship sailed to Alaska in early September for cargo operations in the North Pacific . She returned Seattle on 15 November and decommissioned at Bremerton on 15 February 1950 . Korea , 1950 – 1953 . After the outbreak of the Korean War , to aid in the movement of men and equipment , " LST - 855 " was recommissioned on 3 November with Lieutenant L . J . Parsons in command . After training off the West Coast , she departed Long Beach on 26 March 1951 for duty in the Western Pacific . Arriving Pusan , Korea on 23 May she unloaded cargo for the war effort , then sailed for Yokohama , Japan . For the next four months she continued cargo operations out of Japan , before making another cargo run to Korea in mid - October . Two months later she embarked North Korean refugees at Paengyang Do and transferred them to Makpo ; and in late December she transported troops and vehicles of the 27th Infantry Regiment combat team from Inchon to Koje Do . " LST - 855 " departed Yokosuka , Japan , on 25 February 1952 for a stateside overhaul . She was back in the Far East on 2 November and resumed cargo operations out of Japan and Korea . For the remainder of the Korean War , she shuttled between Korean and Japanese ports as a logistic support ship . Following the July 1953 armistice which ended the fighting , " LST - 855 " continued cargo runs , operated as a station ship , and transported prisoners of war for repatriation . Returning San Diego on 25 September , she operated off the West Coast for the rest of 1953 . 1954 – 1958 . The landing ship sailed for another Far East tour on 28 May 1954 arriving Yokosuka a month later . While operating with 7th Fleet units from August to October , she participated in " Operation Passage to Freedom . " She carried refugees , troops and supplies from North Vietnam and transported them to the South . " LST - 855 " continued operating in the Far East ; and on 6 February 1955 she was en route to the Tachen Islands to evacuate Nationalist Chinese troops to Formosa when their positions could no longer be defended . Loading 300 troops and vehicles , she departed Tachen Islands on 10 February ; and , after off - loading at Keelung , Formosa she resumed duties out of Japan . Returning San Diego on 20 April " LST - 855 " performed amphibious exercises off the West Coast for the remainder of the year . She was named USS " Kent County " ( LST - 855 ) on 1 July 1955 . " Kent County " made her final WestPac cruise in August 1956 engaging in amphibious exercises with 7th Fleet units , then returning to the United States on 14 May 1957 to conduct amphibious exercises off the West Coast and Hawaii . Decommissioning and disposal . " Kent County " was decommissioned on 22 January 1958 , used as a target ship , and destroyed on 19 March 1958 . Awards . " LST - 855 " received six battle star s for the Korean War .