USS Fuller ( APA - 7 ) USS Fuller ( APA - 7 ) was a " Heywood " - class attack transport acquired by the U . S . Navy for service as a troop carrier just prior to World War II . She served in the Pacific War , a very dangerous area in the early years of the war , and safely returned home post - war with nine battle stars to her credit . The second Navy ship to be named " Fuller " was built in 1919 by Bethlehem Steel Corp . , Alameda , California , as " City of Newport News " ; transferred to the Navy 12 November 1940 ; and commissioned in ordinary for conversion the same day ; and commissioned in full 9 April 1941 , Captain P . S . Theiss in command . She was reclassified from AP - 14 to APA - 7 on 1 February 1943 . The conversion added in length to allow more cargo and marines to be carried . Pre – World War II North Atlantic operations . After training her crew in the operation of landing craft , " Fuller " arrived at Charleston , South Carolina , for duty in the Atlantic Fleet 15 June 1941 . She sailed from Charleston 22 June in the convoy carrying the first marine troops to the occupation of Iceland , from which she returned to Norfolk , Virginia , 22 July . Training operations with marines on the North Carolina coast , and with her division in the Norfolk area , continued until her departure from Hampton Roads 5 December 1941 to transport marines to Cuba , the Canal Zone , and Puerto Rico . She returned north for exercises with soldiers in Lynnhaven Roads , then between 19 February 1942 and 25 March , carried troops and cargo to Northern Ireland . Transferred to the Pacific when the war broke out . " Fuller " sailed from Norfolk 10 April 1942 for Wellington , New Zealand , arriving 22 May . Early Guadalcanal assault support . She landed U . S . Marines and their equipment in the initial assault on Guadalcanal 7 August , and through the next months continued to sail out of Wellington to bring reinforcements and supplies to Guadalcanal and South Pacific bases , often coming under Japanese air attack . As U . S . Army troops relieved the battle - weary marines on Guadalcanal , " Fuller " carried soldiers from Noumea and Suva to Guadalcanal . In May 1943 she sailed to Pearl Harbor to load marines for transportation to Australia , then returned to her transport duties from New Zealand and Australia to South Pacific bases . Damaged in an enemy attack . On 28 October 1943 , " Fuller " sailed from Efate , New Hebrides , for the initial landings on Bougainville , where she landed Marine raiders on Cape Torokina 1 November . Laden with casualties , she cleared the assault beaches the same day for Tulagi and Purvis Bay . Returning to Bougainville ' s Empress Augusta Bay anchorage with reinforcements 8 November , " Fuller " came under enemy air attack , receiving a direct hit on her port side which set her afire and killed five of her crew and two soldiers embarked . She returned to Purvis Bay 2 days later to repair battle damage , and twice more during the following month and a half carried reinforcements to Bougainville . Saipan invasion operations . After a U . S . West Coast overhaul between 18 January 1944 and 20 March , " Fuller " trained at San Diego , California , and in the Hawaiian Islands for the Marianas assault . She sailed from Pearl Harbor 29 May for Saipan , where on the morning of 15 June she staged in a feint landing before putting her troops ashore in the actual assault . Ordered away from the island for safety during the Battle of the Philippine Sea , " Fuller " completed unloading her cargo 24 June , and sailed for Eniwetok with prisoners of war on board . Landing troops at Tinian and in the Philippines . For the invasion of Tinian , 24 July 1944 , " Fuller " again staged a diversionary feint at landings , then landed her marines next day as reinforcements . She returned to Espiritu Santo 9 August with casualties , then loaded troops and cargo in the Russells for landing exercises on Guadalcanal . " Fuller " carried the same men to the assault on Peleliu on 15 September , and after offloading all her cargo and receiving casualties , sailed for Hollandia , arriving 25 September for drills in anticipation of the Leyte assault . She landed troops successfully in San Pedro Bay , Leyte , in the initial assault of 20 October , then sailed at once for $ 3 to load reinforcements and supplies , with which she returned to San Pedro Bay 14 November . Continued Philippine Island operations . After preparations at Manus and New Guinea , " Fuller " once again launched her landing craft for the assault in Lingayen Gulf , Luzon , 9 January 1945 , putting out the next day for Leyte to load reinforcements . These she landed at Lingayen , then sailed back to Leyte and on to Ulithi to load marines for exercises at Guadalcanal . Returning to Ulithi 21 March , " Fuller " sailed 6 days later for the invasion of Okinawa , off which she arrived during the initial landings of 1 April . However , she did not land her men until the 7th , and 2 days later she sailed for the west coast , and an overhaul completed in July . Arriving at San Pedro Bay , Leyte , 2 days after hostilities ceased , " Fuller " carried out occupation transport assignments until returning to Seattle , Washington , 3 December 1945 . Post - war decommissioning . There she was decommissioned 20 March 1946 , and transferred to the Maritime Commission 1 July 1946 . Her final disposition is not known . Military awards and honors . Fuller received nine battle stars for World War II service : References . The Lady Gangster , A Sailor ' s Memoir by Del Staecker 2009