USS Menard ( APA - 201 ) USS " Menard " ( APA - 201 ) was a that saw service with the US Navy in World War II , the Korean War and Vietnam War . " Menard " was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver , Washington on 12 July 1944 ; launched 11 October 1944 sponsored by Mrs . Clarence Gustaveson ; acquired by the Navy 31 October 1944 ; and commissioned the same day at Astoria , Oregon , Comdr . James B . Bliss in command . Operational history . World War II . After shakedown and training along the West Coast , " Menard " embarked troops and loaded cargo at Port Hueneme , California , before sailing for Hawaiian waters 4 January 1945 . Arriving 10 January , she participated in amphibious training exercises out of Pearl Harbor until 22 February when she joined a convoy bound for the western Pacific . She touched at American bases in the Marshalls , the Carolines , and the Palaus , and on 16 March reached Leyte Gulf , Philippines , where she staged for the impending invasion of Okinawa . Assigned to Transport Division 14 , she cleared the approaches to Leyte 27 March and sailed northward for the Ryukyu s . " Menard " closed the coast of Okinawa early 1 April and boatloaded her assault troops for the amphibious sweep to the invasion beaches . Thence , she began off - loading support cargo ; despite numerous antishipping strikes by Japanese bombing and suicide planes , she continued these vital supply operations during the next week . On 6 April , an enemy suicide plane attacked her from starboard . Intense gunfire from " Menard " splashed it off the transport ' s port quarter . Departing Okinawa 9 April , " Menard " steamed in convoy via the Marianas and the Marshalls to Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 25th . After conducting training operations in preparation for possible invasion of the Japanese mainland , she steamed to San Francisco between 11 and 18 May . She embarked 1 , 101 troop reinforcements on the 29th and the following day cleared the Golden Gate en route to the Philippines . She reached Samar 23 June and discharged her troops . After embarking more than 300 wounded veterans , she departed for the West Coast 4 July and returned to San Francisco the 23d . After hostilities . Following a brief overhaul at Seattle , " Menard " again sailed for the western Pacific 8 August . For more than a month she shuttled troops to U . S . bases in the Marshalls , the Carolines , and the Marianas . She departed Saipan 18 September and carried 1 , 467 occupation troops to Japan . She arrived at Nagasaki 23 September , debarked her troops , and sailed the 28th for " Magic Carpet " duty . Steaming via the Philippines , " Menard " embarked 1 , 898 homeward bound troops at Okinawa and sailed 22 October for the United States . She reached Portland , Oregon 6 November ; during the rest of 1945 she carried returning veterans to various ports along the West Coast . Between 2 January and 5 February 1946 , she steamed to Guam and back , arriving at Seattle with 2 , 057 troops embarked . " Menard " proceeded to San Francisco 27 February and on 8 April , reported to the 19th Fleet at Stockton . Remaining there , she was placed in commission , in reserve , 27 November 1946 . On 20 March 1947 , she was placed in service , in reserve . She decommissioned 14 June 1948 and remained at Stockton with the Pacific Reserve Fleet . Korean War . In light of the Korean War and corresponding demands on American seapower , " Menard " recommissioned 2 December 1950 . After intensive shakedown , she steamed to the Far East in early 1951 to support the movement of men and supplies to the war - torn Korean peninsula . For more than 3 years , she operated between Japanese and South Korean ports and from the West Coast to the Far East to bolster the vital ocean supply lines to ground forces in South Korea . She provided valuable support to the U . S . effort of repelling Communist aggression in the Republic of Korea . Vietnam . Following the , which ended overt hostilities , " Menard " continued to operate in the Pacific in support of peacekeeping operations . As a unit of the ever - vigilant 7th Fleet , she steamed to the troubled waters of Vietnam and during the latter part of 1954 , participated in the vital " Passage - to - Freedom " operations . During this period , she made runs from Communist controlled North Vietnam and carried refugees and supplies to freedom in the South . Decommissioning . " Menard " returned to the West Coast in mid - 1955 and on 1 July reported to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Long Beach for deactivation . She decommissioned 18 October 1955 and remained berthed at Long Beach . Ordered to be transferred to the Maritime Administration in 1961 , her name was struck from the Navy List 1 September 1961 . In 1969 , " Menard " was berthed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , California . Final Disposition : Menard was sold to the Gillette Razor Company in 1975 for scrap . Awards . " Menard " received one battle star for World War II service and three battle stars for Korean War service .