USS President Hayes ( APA - 20 ) USS President Hayes ( APA - 20 ) was a that saw service with the US Navy in World War II . " President Hayes " was laid down as MC Hull No . 55 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co . 26 December 1939 ; launched 4 October 1940 ; turned over to American President Lines 20 February 1941 ; acquired by the Navy 7 July 1941 ; designated AP – 39 ; and commissioned 15 December 1941 , Commander F . W . Benson in command . The ship was redesignated an attack transport ( APA - 20 ) on 1 February 1943 . World War II . On 6 January 1942 " President Hayes " sailed for San Diego , California , via the Panama Canal . During February and March she evacuated civilians and service dependents from Pearl Harbor , then conducted amphibious assault exercises off San Diego , California . On 1 July , with U . S . Marines embarked , she sailed for the Tonga Islands to stage for the assault on Guadalcanal . Invasion of Guadalcanal . On the evening of 7 August , while under air attack , " President Hayes " landed units of the 2nd Marine Regiment on the northeastern side of Guadalcanal . For the next two months she brought supplies and reinforcements from Tonga , Nouméa , and New Zealand . Then , during December , she moved cargo forward from Australia and New Zealand to New Caledonia . In January 1943 she resumed reinforcement runs to Guadalcanal and , as APA – 20 ( effective 1 February 1943 ) , continued that duty until June . Rendova landings . In June she participated in the Rendova landings , shooting down 7 enemy planes . In July , " President Hayes " completed another troop lift to Guadalcanal , then carried cargo between Guadalcanal , Nouméa , Efate and Espiritu Santo . On 30 October she embarked units of the 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal for the invasion of Bougainville Island , 1 November , then brought in reinforcements and replacements during the rest of November into early January 1944 . Invasion of Guam . On 20 March units of the 4th Marine Regiment , transported by " President Hayes " , peacefully occupied Emirau Island . In April and May she transported Army replacements for the Marines on New Britain . On 4 June she sailed , with units of the 3rd Marine Division embarked , for the Marshall Islands to stage for the assault on Guam . Enemy resistance during the Saipan operation delayed sailing , but on 21 July she landed her troops and supplies east of Apra Harbor . Rescue of survivors from " Mount Hood " . After resupply runs to various bases , " President Hayes " was off Leyte 21 October . Retiring to Manus Island 29 October after unloading her troops , she witnessed the explosion of ammunition ship on 10 November . " President Hayes " was not hit and dispatched fire and rescue parties to the stricken ships . Invasion of the Philippines . Steaming for San Francisco and overhaul the following day , she returned to the Pacific and made runs between Espirito Santo , Guadalcanal , and Nouméa . During the invasion of Okinawa , " President Hayes " , with other units of Transport Division 32 , had Ready Reserve troops embarked , and after the beachhead had been secured landed her troops and embarked the 81st Army Infantry Division to stand by as a floating reserve . She then steamed to the Philippines , and from May to July moved more troops up from the southwest Pacific to the Philippines . Japan surrendered while she was at San Pedro , California loading more troops for deployment to the Pacific Theater . End - of - war assignments . " President Hayes " arrived at Manila 14 September , then , with troops of the 25th Infantry Division aboard , continued on to Wakayama , Japan , arriving 7 October . On 29 October the troops were debarked at Nagoya , and the next day " President Hayes " departed for duty with Operation Magic Carpet , returning 1400 dischargees from the Marianas to Los Angeles , California , on each of two round trips . Postwar service . On 1 January 1946 she reported to the Naval Transportation Service to deliver dependents of service personnel to Honolulu . " President Hayes " continued to operate with the U . S . Pacific Fleet into 1949 . Decommission . " President Hayes " was decommissioned 30 June 1949 at Mare Island . She was assigned to the Stockton Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet , 28 November 1950 . Her name was stricken from the Navy List and she was transferred to the Maritime Commission 1 October 1958 . She was sold for scrap in February 1973 . Awards . " President Hayes " earned seven battle star s for World War II service .