USS Ortolan ( AMCU - 34 ) USS " Ortolan " ( AMCU - 34 ) was a of the United States Navy , later converted to an " AMCU - 7 " - class coastal minesweeper . The ship was laid down as LCI ( L ) – 976 on 15 March 1944 by the Consolidated Steel Corporation , Orange , Texas , launched on 10 April 1944 , and commissioned on 5 May 1944 , Lt . ( j . g . ) William C . Lawton in command . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . Following fitting out at Galveston , Texas , " LCI ( L ) – 976 " sailed on 2 June 1944 , for the southwest $ 3 and duty with the 7th Fleet . Arriving at Milne Bay , New Guinea , on 20 July , she transported troops and supplies and conducted training exercises during the next three months . In November , she got underway for the Philippine combat area . Sailing in a Leyte supply and reinforcement convoy on the 5th , she came under enemy fire for the first time on the 12th . After that day of air attacks off the Leyte assault beaches , she endured many more as she remained in the area until 6 December . On 7 December , she took the offensive and landed assault troops at Ormoc Bay . On the 15th , she conducted similar operations against Mindoro . She departed Leyte Gulf again on 27 January 1945 , and steamed back to Mindoro with reinforcements ; then headed for Luzon with elements of the 11th Airborne Division embarked . On 5 February , as the battle to free Manila was beginning , she landed them at Nasugbu , south of the entrance to Manila Bay . From Luzon , the LCI ( L ) returned to Mindoro , thence to Leyte where she embarked troops of the Americal Division . Landing them at Talisay Point , Cebu , on 26 March , she remained in the area until sailing to land forces on Negros a month later . She then returned to Cebu whence she sailed to Leyte with Japanese POW s . On 7 May , LCI ( L ) - 976 got underway for a run to Mindanao , arriving at Zamboanga on the 10th and returning to Leyte on the 18th . Through June , she provided services in the Leyte area and during July and early August she transported troops to Panay and Cebu for mopping - up missions . End - of - War operations . Following the Japanese surrender in mid - August , occupation duties replaced combat operations . On 5 September , the landing craft got underway for Okinawa and Shanghai . Arriving at the latter on 29 September , she transported Chinese troops and supplies to Taiwan . Then , on 16 December , she sailed for the United States . Stateside duty . She arrived at San Pedro , California , on 31 January 1946 . She reached New Orleans , Louisiana , on 3 June , decommissioned on 19 August 1946 , and was reclassified as a coastal minesweeper , AMCU – 34 , on 7 March 1952 . She was converted at the Charleston Naval Shipyard and was recommissioned on 21 November 1953 as USS " Ortolan " ( AMCU - 34 ) . On 18 December , she reported for duty in the 5th Naval District where she was occupied with minehunting training exercises into 1954 . On 3 March , she departed for Key West , Florida , to commence an extensive schedule of training and development exercises in which she was employed for the remainder of her active service . Decommissioning . Redesignated MHC - 34 , on 7 February 1955 , " Ortolan " decommissioned , at Charleston , South Carolina , on 23 June 1955 . Then assigned to the Florida Group , Atlantic Reserve Fleet , she was berthed at Green Cove Springs until struck from the Navy List on 1 January 1960 , and sold , for scrapping , 8 July , to the Marlene Blouse Company . Awards . " LCI ( L ) - 976 " earned four battle stars during World War II .