USS Todd ( AKA - 71 ) USS " Todd " ( AKA - 71 ) was a of the United States Navy named after counties in Kentucky , Minnesota , and South Dakota . 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 18 months . " Todd " was laid down under Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 1400 ) on 10 August 1944 at Wilmington , North Carolina , by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co . ; launched on 10 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . R . Gregg Cherry ; acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration on 14 November ; and commissioned on 30 November 1944 , Lt . Comdr . Charles A . Johnson , USNR , in command . Service history . World War II , 1944 – 1945 . The ship held shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and then moved up the coast to Davisville , Rhode Island , to load cargo . On 4 January 1945 , " Todd " began an independent voyage to Hawaii . She transited the Panama Canal on 11 January and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 26th . She unloaded her cargo , participated in training exercises for two weeks , and got underway for New Caledonia on 12 February . On 22 February , " Todd " arrived at Nouméa to await further orders . During the next 10 weeks , the ship moved only once and that was to carry tracked landing vehicles 50 miles up the coast to Uarai Bay for the Army . She left Nouméa on 3 May and proceeded , via Manus , to the Philippines . The cargo ship arrived at Leyte on 16 May and headed for Hollandia 12 days later . She loaded troops and supplies and returned to Manila on 17 June . " Todd " then made two more round - trips from the Philippines to New Guinea . The ship was unloading cargo at Subic Bay when hostilities with Japan ceased . Post - war activities , 1945 – 1946 . She embarked occupation troops , with their equipment , at Manila and got underway for Japan on 27 August . The troops disembarked at Yokohama on 2 September . A voyage from the Philippines to Okinawa and another from the Philippines to Japan followed . In October and early November , she made calls at Hong Kong and Tsingtao before proceeding to Sasebo . " Todd " embarked elements of the 5th Marine Division and departed Japan for the United States on 7 December . The ship arrived at San Diego on 22 December 1945 and disembarked her passengers . She moved to San Pedro the next day and off - loaded ammunition . " Todd " proceeded to San Francisco on 9 January 1946 and entered the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for voyage repairs . Between 15 February and 15 March , she made one last voyage to Hawaii . Decommissioning and disposal . On 5 April , " Todd " stood out of San Francisco bound for Norfolk and inactivation . She arrived on 1 May and was decommissioned on 25 June 1946 . " Todd " was returned to the War Shipping Administration the next day and was struck from the Navy List on 19 July 1946 . Civilian Service & Final Disposition . Ex - USS " Todd " was sold on 26 September 1947 to Oceanic Steamship Company and renamed SS " Ventura " . After 14 years service she was sold by Oceanic to Matson Navigation Company and renamed SS " Hawaiian Wholesaler " on 25 March 1961 . A few months later ( 20 July 1961 ) she was sold again , this time to Sea - Land Service , Inc . who renamed her SS " Chatham " . Sea - Land used the old AKA for a little less than three years before transferring her to the Maratime Administration as part of the MARAD exchange program , 13 May 1965 . MARAD sold the ship on 15 May 1969 to Gatx / Boothe Corp . On 22 February 1972 she was sold for the final time , to Sing Cheng Yug Iron and Steel of Taiwan for scrapping .