USS President Jackson ( APA - 18 ) USS President Jackson ( APA - 18 ) was a that saw service with the US Navy in World War II and the Korean War . She was the lead ship in her class . Operational history . " President Jackson " was laid down as MC hull 53 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co . , Newport News , Virginia . 2 October 1939 ; launched 7 June 1940 ; sponsored by Mrs . William G . McAdoo ; and delivered to the American President Lines 25 October 1940 . After two round - the - world trips from New York , " President Jackson " was acquired by the Navy 30 June 1941 , and commissioned 16 January 1942 , Comdr . C . W . Weitzel in command . World War II Pacific Theater operations . Following shakedown and practice amphibious assault training on the U . S . West Coast , " President Jackson " sailed for the South Pacific 1 July 1942 , as a unit of Transport Division 2 . She landed the 1st Battalion , 2nd Marines , on Florida Island , Solomon Islands , 7 August 1942 . At mid - month she evacuated 500 survivors of the “ First Battle of Savo Island ” to Noumea , then began bringing in reinforcements and evacuating casualties of land and sea actions . Redesignated " APA – 18 " on 1 February 1943 , " President Jackson " continued to transport reinforcement troops and cargo in support of the consolidation of the southern Solomons . On 30 June , she landed the 172nd U . S . Army Combat Team and two construction battalion companies on Rendova , then transported survivors of , torpedoed by a submarine , to Noumea . Operating with other vessels of task force TF 31 , " President Jackson " landed elements of the 3rd Marine Division at Empress Augusta Bay , Bougainville Island , 1 November . Seven days later , while en route back to that island with reinforcements , she was hit by a bomb , which fortunately did not explode . On 25 March 1944 " President Jackson " landed Army , Navy , and Construction Battalion units on Emirau Island and in April , with Transport Division Two , she carried the 40th Division , to New Britain , and returned the 1st Marine Division to Russell Islands in the Solomons . With task force TF 53 , in July , she landed elements of the 3rd Marine Division on Guam , 21 July , then evacuated casualties to Pearl Harbor and the United States . On 23 October the ship returned to duty with Transport Division 32 in the south and southwest Pacific areas . While operating with TF 77 , " President Jackson " landed elements of the 25th Infantry Division , U . S . Army , in the reinforcement landing at Lingayen Gulf 11 January 1945 . On 21 February , while operating with TF 51 , she landed elements of the 3rd Marine Division on Iwo Jima . Exposed to enemy counter - battery fire , she was hit once in a barrage of 37mm fire with minor damage and casualties . On 6 March she departed Iwo Jima with 515 casualties for Saipan and Noumea . With Army and Navy casualties and miscellaneous passengers aboard , the transport sailed for the United States 7 May 1945 . She got underway from San Francisco , California , 14 June and completed two round - trips to Manila before the cessation of hostilities which found her in drydock at Seattle , Washington . She then entered upon “ Operation Magic Carpet ” duty . Post war period . " President Jackson " continued to operate with the U . S . Pacific Fleet until 1949 , seeing service in both Japan and China . She was assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service with her designation changed to T - AP - 18 , 22 October 1949 . On 7 February 1950 " President Jackson " , with cabin and troop passengers on board , got underway from San Francisco for Norfolk , Virginia , arriving 23 February . She returned to San Francisco 25 March , subsequently making round trips to Manila and Pearl Harbor . Korean War and later years . With the outbreak of the Korean War " President Jackson " reported to the Commander , Amphibious Force , Pacific Fleet for operational control . Loading troops and equipment of the 2nd Battalion , 1st Marine Division at San Diego , she sailed 14 August for Japan , arriving Kobe 29 August to prepare for the invasion at Inchon . Departing Kobe 11 September with vessels of task group TG 90 . 2 , she unloaded on the assault beaches of Inchon , served as a casualty receiving ship , then evacuated the casualties to Yokohama and San Francisco . On 12 October " President Jackson " sailed from San Diego , California , carrying miscellaneous cargo for Japan . Returning to San Francisco , she subsequently called at Seattle , Washington , Alaska , Japan , and Korea . After another run to Alaska in April 1952 , " President Jackson " departed San Francisco for Pago Pago to transport dependents from Pago Pago to Pearl Harbor , returning to San Francisco in August . During 1953 she operated between San Francisco , Alaska , and Pearl Harbor . Carrying a full load of passengers and cargo for Yokohama , Japan , " President Jackson " got underway from San Francisco 25 January 1954 , returning 23 February . After two roundtrips to Pearl Harbor , she departed for Alaska again 20 April with various units of the 30th Engineers Base Topographic Battalion , returning to San Francisco 14 May before making a second voyage to Alaska ending at San Francisco 5 June . On 11 June " President Jackson " got underway for Yokohama carrying a full load of dependents and a small number of troop passengers , returning to San Francisco 8 July with passengers and cargo . On 28 December she shifted to Todd Shipyard , Alameda , California , for phase one of inactivation . She was placed out of commission , in reserve , berthed at San Francisco , 6 July 1955 . She was struck from the Navy List and transferred to the Maritime Commission 1 October 1958 , sold for scrapping , 23 April 1973 and delivered , 15 May 1973 , to N . W . Kennedy Ltd . , Mitsui & Co . , ( Canada ) Ltd . " President Jackson " earned 8 battle stars for World War II service and 3 battle stars for Korean War service .