USS Valencia ( AKA - 81 ) USS " Valencia " ( AKA - 81 ) was a of the United States Navy named after Valencia County , New Mexico . She was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft , and to use the latter to land weapons , supplies , and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations . She served as a commissioned ship for 15 months . " Valencia " was laid down as a Type C2 - S - AJ3 ship under a Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 1389 ) on 20 May 1944 at Wilmington , North Carolina , by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co . ; launched on 22 July 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . C . L . Merritt ; acquired by the Navy on 18 August 1944 ; converted for Navy use by the Bethlehem Steel shipyard , Key Highway plant , Baltimore , Maryland ; and commissioned there on 9 January 1945 , Lt . Comdr . Rodney A . Blake , USNR , in command . Service history . World War II , 1944 – 1945 . Following fitting out , shakedown , and initial exercises in the Hampton Roads area , " Valencia " got underway from the Naval Operating Base , Norfolk , Virginia , at 0938 on 10 February , in company with , bound for the Canal Zone . The ships transited the Panama Canal on the 17th and proceeded on to the Hawaiian Islands , making port at Pearl Harbor on 2 March . Shifting to Honolulu on the 8th , " Valencia " moored at the Army Transport Dock and loaded a total of 145 officers and enlisted men before getting underway on the 14th for the Marshalls . Escorted by up to a point 30 miles from Pearl Harbor , the attack cargo ship proceeded independently for the remainder of her passage and arrived at Eniwetok on 22 March . Again traveling singly , " Valencia " got underway for the southern Carolines three days later and arrived off Ulithi after a week ' s voyage . However , a typhoon prevented her from entering the harbor ; and she steamed away from the storm center at slow speeds until early on the following day , when quieter seas and improved visibility permitted her to reach her destination . She remained at Ulithi from 1 to 13 April , preparing for participation in her first operation . " Valencia " got underway for Okinawa at 1617 on the 13th , in Division " Able " of Task Group 55 . 8 , in company with , , , , SS " Kelso Victory " , and SS " Typhoon " . The four - day passage was highlighted by a suspected submarine contact which sent all ships to general quarters and by the sighting of a stray mine which escort vessels destroyed . " Valencia " anchored off Hagushi beach , Okinawa , at 0921 on 17 April , commenced discharging cargo at 1815 , and ceased at 1945 . All ships began making smoke at 2024 , upon receipt of an air raid alert , completely covering the anchorage area within a few moments . " Valencia " later observed antiaircraft fire from the forces ashore and noted reports of enemy aircraft being in the vicinity two or three times , before securing from general quarters at 2239 . Due to prevailing heavy surf conditions , the beaches were closed to landings on the 19th , as high winds kicked up heavy seas which greatly hampered unloading . Heavy swells continued to hinder operations into subsequent days , as rough seas made it difficult to hold boats alongside , sweeping them against the steel hide of the ship . Despite this handicap and two " red alerts " on the evenings of 20 and 21 April , the crew , aided by a force of 83 marines ( two officers and 81 enlisted men ) managed to unload the ship ' s cargo by evening on the 21st . " Valencia " engaged in hoisting in her boats and making ready for sea throughout the night of the 21st and commenced disembarking her marine stevedoring party at 0620 on the 22nd . Another " red alert " interrupted the boat - hoisting process at 0710 , but the resumption of the task at 0900 , when the " all clear " was sounded , enabled the ship to soon be ready for sea . Accordingly , the ship got underway at 1317 on 22 April for the Marianas in Task Unit 51 . 29 . 20 . Arriving at Saipan on 1 May , " Valencia " transferred most of her landing craft ( LCVP ' s , LCPL ' s , and LCM ' s ) to the boat pool and got underway for Nouméa , New Caledonia , on the 3d . She loaded Army equipment ; Navy construction battalion vehicles and equipment ; and embarked passengers for destinations on the cargo ship ' s itinerary . " Valencia " , got underway at 1508 on 20 May and , between that time and her arrival at Eniwetok on the 30th , called at Guadalcanal and Tulagi , embarking and debarking passengers and picking up new boats . She remained at Eniwetok from 1 to 26 June , awaiting orders , before getting underway for the Marianas . She reached Guam at 1900 on 29 June to unload LCVP ' s , vehicles , and general cargo at Apra Harbor . The attack cargo ship then shifted to Tanapag Harbor , Guam , to finish unloading before proceeding on to the West Coast of the United States , dropping anchor in San Francisco Bay on 31 July . " Valencia " remained at anchor until the 9th , when she shifted to Pier 90 - B , San Francisco , to begin loading general cargo earmarked for the Philippines . During this time , the war in the Pacific came to an end after Japan , reeling from the steady Allied pounding and two atomic bombs , capitulated on 15 August 1945 . Post - war activities , 1945 – 1946 . Sailing for the Philippines on 18 August , " Valencia " arrived off Samar on 6 September , unloaded all holds by the 19th , and subsequently moved on to Manila Bay , Subic Bay , and Lingayen Gulf in succession . Subsequently , the attack cargo ship embarked men and equipment of the 25th Division of the 6th Army for occupation duty in Japan . On 1 October , she got underway for Wakayama as part of TU 54 . 8 . 1 . Detached from the convoy for a brief period on 6 October to destroy a floating unidentified object , she expended 292 rounds of 20 millimeter ammunition before resuming her passage with the group — her mission completed . Arriving off Honshū on the 7th , " Valencia " remained in the Wakayama area until the 25th . During this period , a typhoon passed just west of the anchorage area of Wakanoura Wan on 10 October and 11 October . Winds up to 90 knots swept across the bay , forcing " Valencia " to ride out the typhoon by using her anchors and main engines . Her mission at Wakayama completed by the 25th , the attack cargo vessel got underway on that date for Nagoya , Japan . After transiting the swept channel to the ship ' s destination , she anchored first off Yokkaichi Ko — the transport anchorage — and then shifted to alongside a pier where she discharged cargo , troops , and eight Army LCM ' s , and remained until the 14th . Having embarked 268 men for transportation to the United States on the 13th , the ship got underway on the 14th for San Francisco . While en route , the destination of the ship was changed to Portland , Oregon , and she made port there on 28 November . Remaining at Portland until 17 December , the ship shifted to San Francisco and then conducted one round - trip voyage to Pearl Harbor and back before departing the West Coast on 14 February 1946 for the East Coast . Transiting the Panama Canal on the 24th , " Valencia " arrived at New York City on 3 March , via Little Creek , Virginia , before proceeding back to the Hampton Roads vicinity and arriving at the Norfolk Navy Yard on the 7th . Decommissioning and Sale . Decommissioned on 8 May 1946 , the ship was delivered to the War Shipping Administration , Maritime Commission , five days later . Her name was struck from the Navy List on 21 May 1946 . Acquired by the Lykes Lines , the vessel was renamed SS " Genevieve Lykes " and entered mercantile service soon thereafter . Acquired by T . J . Stevenson and Co . , Inc . , of New York City , in 1947 , the vessel was renamed " Garden City " . She remained in service with this firm until her name disappeared from the merchant registers in 1971 . Awards . " Valencia " received one battle star for her World War II service .