USS Hinsdale ( APA - 120 ) USS " Hinsdale " ( APA - 120 ) was a " Haskell " - class attack transport of the US Navy . She was built and used during World War II and was of the VC2 - S - AP5 Victory ship design type . " Hinsdale " was named for Hinsdale County , Colorado . World War II service . " Hinsdale " , ex - MCV Hull - 30 , was launched by the California Shipbuilding Corporation , Wilmington , California , 22 July 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . M . B . Harper ; and commissioned 15 October 1944 , Commander Edward Flood Beyer , USNR , in command . Iwo Jima . After shakedown in the San Diego - San Pedro area , the new attack transport sailed for the Pacific , reaching Pearl Harbor 12 December with 175 passengers . The war in the Pacific was steadily advancing across the ocean toward the Japanese home islands , and on 27 December 1944 " Hinsdale " embarked some 1 , 200 marines for the Iwo Jima invasion , a prelude to the invasion of Japan herself . Acting as flagship for Transport Division 44 , she spent nearly a month of intensive practice - landings in preparation for the assault . " Hinsdale " sailed from Hawaii 27 January 1945 , pausing at Saipan to join a huge transport flotilla , and arrived off Iwo Jima ' s rock bound heights at dawn on D - Day , 19 February . " Hinsdale " ' s leatherneck passengers swarmed ashore with the first wave of the invasion forces , and she remained in the Iwo Jima area over a week embarking and disembarking troops and valuable cargo . Some of her most important work was as an auxiliary hospital ship , caring for the seriously wounded . Disembarking troops , offloading cargo , and tending the injured all took place under continuous mortar and artillery fire from well - entrenched Japanese shore batteries , but " Hinsdale " had only one close call . On the morning of 25 February , a projectile burst close aboard the transport , killing a Marine captain standing on deck and wounding several others . On 27 February , " Hinsdale " sailed from Iwo Jima , stopping at Saipan for fuel , and reached Guam 3 March to disembark 166 casualties . Okinawa . The Pacific war neared its climax . " Hinsdale " had only a brief rest at Guam before returning to Saipan 9 March to embark troops for the upcoming invasion of Okinawa , the largest amphibious operation of the Pacific war . With nearly 1 , 500 combat - bound marines and sailors on board , she again spent long hours in practice for the landings . On 27 March 1945 " Hinsdale " left Saipan to take her place in the Joint Expeditionary Force - 1 , 213 ships loaded with over a half million troops , headed for Okinawa . Sunday 1 April 1945 , D - Day for Okinawa , was very nearly " Hinsdale ' s " last day in the Pacific . As she steamed toward the transport area through the pre - dawn blackness , marines already on deck and ready to disembark , " Hinsdale ' s " lookouts spotted an enemy plane skimming low over the water . With only a few seconds warning , " Hinsdale " could not evade the kamikaze ; at 0600 the suicide plane crashed into her port side just above the water line and ripped into the engine room . Three explosions rocked the troop - laden transport as the kamikaze ' s bombs exploded deep inside her and tore the engine room apart — only one member of the watch survived death by scalding steam from the exploding boilers . The deck - log ( page 215 ) of the Hinsdale has the following account : " " 0549 in a position about 12 miles south - southeast of the southern tip of Okinawa the ship was hit amidships on the port side and two explosions at intervals of about one second were felt . Later investigation indicated that a Jap suicide plane , probably a Tony Kawasaki Ki - 61 carrying three 132 lb . bombs hit the ship on the port side at the water line in the vicinity of frame 80 . The ship was holed in three places : A seven foot hole in the engine room at the water line caused by the engine and fuselage to which it is believed was attached a bomb which was the first explosion , a ten inch hole in the engine room about 2 feet above the water line caused by a bomb which was later discovered as a dud , and a four foot hole in Compartment A - 304 - EL a crew ' s berthing space , caused by a bomb which was the second explosion . " " Power failed immediately — lights and internal communication , so vital to damage control parties , were gone . " Hinsdale " came to a dead stop in the water , with three gaping holes in her port side . Marines on deck who had been ready to disembark were hastily shifted to the starboard rails to counteract a serious list to port . Below decks " Hinsdale ' s " crew were groping through the smoke - filled darkness to fight fires started by the kamikaze and to jury - rig patches . Fifteen men were dead ; 40 missing or wounded . Despite the injury " Hinsdale " carried out her job to put the marines ashore . There were many un - sung heroes that morning one of whom was First Class Metalsmith James O . PERRY . Petty Officer Perry saw the kamikaze plane approaching and cleared the topside of Marines and Sailors thus saving many lives . For his heroism and quick thinking he was given the Type 94 , Nambu pistol ( SN 58787 ) the Japanese pilot was carrying . The pistol was made in August 1944 . PO1 Perry fabricated a box of plywood and shipped it to John O . Perry in Compton , CA . It has been very difficult to track down the squadron and pilot who flew the Ki - 61 Hein striking the Hinsdale on that fateful morning . It is known that seven Type 3 fighters ( Tonys / Hein ) of the Hiko 67 Sentai sortied from Ishigakijima toward the seas around Okinawa that morning ; but many records have been lost . Repair work . Limited power was finally restored through an auxiliary diesel ; the dangerous list to port of 13 degrees corrected ; the ship taken in tow by ATR - 80 at an agonizing 5 knots , for Kerama Retto , some 20 miles away . Emergency repair work began immediately amidst continued kamikaze attacks ; " Hinsdale " exacted some revenge by assisting in the kill of at least two of the suicide craft . Her cargo , mainly equipment and stores needed by the Marines was shifted to , and then " Hinsdale " was pressed into service as a receiving ship for survivors of other kamikaze victims . On 14 April she departed Kerama Rotta , towed by in a convoy of LST s . Sailing slowly the convoy reached Ulithi 23 April ; there " Hinsdale " , after a month of intensive work by repair ship , was ready for sea , and on 20 May sailed for the States . Operation " Magic Carpet " . " Hinsdale " put into the Brooklyn Navy Yard 2 July 1945 for a complete overhaul . While she was there undergoing repairs , the Japanese surrender ed , but " Hinsdale " was destined to make one last Pacific voyage . Departing 21 November , to participate in operation " Magic Carpet , " the return of Pacific veterans , she sailed via Pearl Harbor to Sasebo and Nagasaki , embarked over a thousand troops and reached San Francisco 24 January 1946 . Thence she sailed to Norfolk Navy Yard arriving 20 February , was decommissioned 8 April 1946 , returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal 12 April , and her name stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 May 1946 . " Hinsdale " was subsequently placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet and was berthed in the James River near Norfolk . Fate . In 1955 " Hinsdale " was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet as part of a Repair Program , GAA - Stockard , and then returned . On 16 July 1974 she was sold to B . V . Intershitra , for US $ 731 , 150 , to be scrapped . At 1015 EDT , on 11 September 1974 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker ' s yard . All that remains of " Hinsdale " is her brass builder ' s plate . Awards . " Hinsdale " received two battle star s for World War II service .