USS Hamilton County ( LST - 802 ) USS " Hamilton County " ( LST - 802 ) was an built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named after counties in Florida , Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Nebraska , New York , Ohio , Tennessee , and Texas , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Originally laid down as " LST - 802 " on 2 September 1944 at Jeffersonville , Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat and Machine Company ; launched on 19 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Dolores Alberts ; and commissioned on 13 November 1944 with Lieutenant K . G . Adams , USNR , in command . Service history . World War II . Following shakedown off Florida , LST - 802 loaded quonset hut sections at Gulfport , Mississippi and departed New Orleans on 18 December . Steaming via the Canal Zone and San Francisco , she arrived Pearl Harbor on 4 February 1945 . After unloading , she sailed two weeks later for the Solomon Islands , arriving Guadalcanal on 7 March . " LST - 802 " departed Guadalcanal on the 18th ; transported Marines to Guam ; then arrived Saipan on 3 April to prepare for the Okinawa invasion . She embarked over 150 Seabee s at Saipan and sailed on the 12th for the Ryukyu Islands . Arriving off Chimu Wan , Okinawa Shima on 17 April she unloaded men and equipment to strengthen the beachhead and facilitate the flow of supplies to the troops . For the remainder of World War II " LST - 802 " shuttled troops and equipment between Okinawa and the Philippines . Inter - war activity . Following the war , " LST - 802 " performed occupation duty in the Far East until mid - April , 1946 . The ship was decommissioned on 21 July 1946 and transferred to the Shipping Control Authority , Japan , until returned to the Navy to serve in Korea . Korean War . To assist in the transportation of cargo and troops , " LST - 802 " was re - commissioned at Yokosuka on 30 August 1950 with Lieutenant Vladimir Fedorowicz in command . Sailing to Kobe , she embarked units of the 1st Marine Division , for the invasion of Inchon ; then departing Japan on 10 September , she arrived off " Blue Beach " five days later . The Marines stormed ashore , prompting General Douglas MacArthur ' s famous remark " " The Navy and Marines have never shone more brightly than this morning . " " " LST - 802 " continued loading equipment and supplies until 15 October when she joined a task group for Wonsan . Following a month of cargo operations at Wonsan , she returned to Yokosuka for replenishment . In mid - December she was en route to Hŭngnam , where she assisted in the evacuation of United States and South Korean Forces . During January , 1951 she shuttled troops and prisoners - of - war along the Korean coast , then on 20 March she departed Yokosuka for a stateside overhaul . Returning to the war zone eight months later , " LST - 802 " resumed cargo and troop transport duty between Japan and Korea . From November , 1951 to June , 1952 the veteran landing ship performed cargo operations , evacuation services , and harbor control duties in the vicinity of Korea . Following another brief period in the United States , " LST - 802 " resumed operations in the Far East , just as the Korean War ended ; and remained there until February , 1954 . Pacific Fleet . One year later she was again operating in the Far East during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis . When People ' s Republic of China artillery threatened Nationalist Chinese positions on the islands , the veteran LST and other 7th Fleet units evacuated forces and supplies to Formosa . On 1 July 1955 " LST - 802 " was redesignated USS " Hamilton County " ( LST - 802 ) , then operated off the California coast from August , 1955 to August , 1956 . After returning to the Western Pacific in mid - October , 1956 " Hamilton County " was assigned to Mine Squadron 3 , U . S . Pacific Fleet . Equipped with a helicopter , she performed in mine warfare exercises and provided replenishment for minesweepers off Okinawa , Korea , and Japan for the next four years . Transfer to Japan . Loaned to Japan on 20 April 1960 under terms of the Military Assistance Program , " Hamilton County " was decommissioned at Sasebo on 30 June 1960 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July that same year . She now serves the Japan Maritime Self - Defense Force as JDS " Hayatomo " ( MST - 461 ) . LST - 802 earned one battle star for World War II service and seven stars for the Korean War .