USS Hocking ( APA - 121 ) USS " Hocking " ( APA - 121 ) was a " Haskell " - class attack transport of the US Navy . She was built and used during World War II . She was of the VC2 - S - AP5 Victory ship design type . " Hocking " was named for Hocking County , Ohio . World War II service . " Hocking " was launched under Maritime Commission contract by California Shipbuilding Corporation , Wilmington , California , 6 August 1944 ; sponsored by Miss Frances Sims ; acquired by the Navy on a loan - charter basis and commissioned 22 October 1944 , Commander C . D . Shutz in command . The new transport conducted shakedown and training exercises off California , departing for Pearl Harbor 4 December to join U . S . forces in the giant amphibious sweep across the Pacific . After her arrival at Pearl Harbor 10 December , " Hocking " embarked marines and took part in amphibious exercises and rehearsal preparatory to the Iwo Jima invasion , destined to be one of the most important and hard - fought of the war . She joined the vast armada of transports 27 January 1945 en route to Eniwetok and after a stopover at that island base arrived Iwo Jima 19 February . There " Hocking " debarked her troops and unloaded equipment in the early waves of the assault . She then anchored offshore , received casualties , and departed 27 February for Saipan , where she arrived 2 March . With the Iwo Jima campaign underway , thoughts were turned to the next major objective , Okinawa . " Hocking " sailed to Espiritu Santo 15 March , embarked fresh amphibious assault forces , and sailed to Okinawa by way of Ulithi . The ship arrived off Okinawa during the difficult first weeks of the fighting , 9 April . She debarked her replacement troops and their cargo , and again received battle casualties for transportation out of the forward area . " Hocking " departed 14 April for Saipan and Ulithi , and arrived Marianas 7 May to load troops at Tinian . These were transported to Okinawa and landed 27 May , after which the transport again carried casualties from the battle - torn island . She arrived Pearl Harbor via Saipan and Eniwetok 26 June and sailed on to San Francisco , arriving 3 July . With the war nearing its close , " Hocking " embarked replacement troops and sailed 20 July , stopping at Eniwetok and Ulithi before landing her troops at Okinawa 22 August . She then turned to duties connected with the occupation of former enemy territory , embarking troops at the Philippine base on Leyte 5 September and at Panay island 10 September . They were taken to Jinsen , Korea , and put ashore to aid in the peninsula occupation . " Hocking " sailed 25 September to Luzon , bringing troops to Jinsen , and made still another passage 18 October - 3 November . She got underway from Jinsen 7 November , brought troops on board 2 days later at Shanghai , and sailed for the United States as a unit of operation " Magic - Carpet " , bringing home thousands of American troops in the Pacific . " Hocking " arrived San Pedro 5 December , and subsequently made another voyage to Guam and the Philippines bringing home veterans . Departing San Pedro 1 March 1946 , she was designated for return to the Maritime Commission and sailed via the Canal Zone to Norfolk , Virginia , where she decommissioned 10 May . " Hocking " joined the National Defense Reserve Fleet and was berthed In the James River , near Norfolk on 22 May . Fate . In 1955 " Hocking " was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet as part of a Repair Program , GAA - A . H . Bull , and then returned . On 7 May 1974 she was sold to Luria Brothers & Co . , for US $ 285 , 989 , to be scrapped . At 1430 EDT , on 10 May 1974 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker ' s yard . Awards . " Hocking " received two battle star s for World War II service .