USS Heywood ( APA - 6 ) USS " Heywood " ( APA - 6 ) was a 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 seven battle star s to her credit . " Heywood " was built in 1919 as " Steadfast " by the Bethlehem Steel Corp . , Alameda , California . As " City of Baltimore " she made New York - San Francisco passenger runs for the Panama Pacific Lines throughout the 1930s . She was acquired by the Navy 26 October 1940 , renamed " Heywood " ( AP - 12 ) , and fitted out as a troop transport at Portland , Oregon , where she commissioned 7 November 1940 , Captain Herbert B . Knowles in command . Pre – World War II North Atlantic operations . " Heywood " cruised as far west as Hawaii before transiting the Panama Canal for Charleston , South Carolina , arriving 14 June 1941 . She carried garrison forces for the defense of Iceland and performed neutrality patrol in waters of the West Indies until the infamous raid on Pearl Harbor . Transferred to the Pacific when the war broke out . She departed Norfolk , Virginia , 10 April 1942 with reinforcements for the Solomon Islands , then replenished at San Pedro , California , before sailing for Wellington , New Zealand . Supporting landings on Guadalcanal . She embarked U . S . Marines for amphibious warfare training , then sailed to land them in the amphibious assault in the Tulagi - Guadalcanal area 7 August 1942 . She shot down an enemy plane 8 August and frequently repelled air attacks as she shuttled desperately needed supplies and troops into Guadalcanal from the New Hebrides , New Caledonia and ports of Australia . Outbound from the besieged Solomons , she evacuated wounded Americans and Japanese captives . Supporting the Aleutian campaign . " Heywood " returned to San Pedro , California , 16 January 1943 for repairs . She sailed north 24 April , carrying fighting men who landed 11 May in an amphibious assault on Attu , Aleutian Islands . She returned nearly 500 wounded veterans of the campaign for Attu to San Francisco , California , 6 June , then put to sea with occupation troops landed to occupy Kiska 15 August 1943 . Assaulting Japanese - held islands . " Heywood " returned to Wellington , New Zealand , 1 October 1943 to train and embark fighting men landed in amphibious assault on bloody Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands 20 November . She returned to Pearl Harbor 3 December for amphibious warfare training culminating in the amphibious assault for the capture of the Marshall Islands which commenced 31 January 1944 . She put garrison troops ashore at Kwajalein and Majuro , then landed assault units as Americans swiftly swept on to Eniwetok . With the Marshalls secured , the transport overhauled in San Pedro , California , then returned to the Marshalls 11 May to prepare for the invasion of the Marianas Islands . She landed assault troops at Saipan 16 June and on nearby Tinian 24 July as America took a giant sea step toward Japan herself . Supporting the invasion of the Philippines . " Heywood " participated in the long overseas sweep to Leyte in the Philippines , landing assault troops in the initial invasion of 20 October 1944 . She had a brief rest at Manus in the Admiralties where she embarked assault troops landed on the shores of Lingayen Gulf 9 January 1945 . She landed reinforcements to assist in securing Mindoro 9 February 1945 . then returned to the States for overhaul before embarking reinforcements for the capture of Okinawa , the last stepping stone to Japan . End - of - war activity . The close of hostilities with Japan 15 August 1945 found " Heywood " in the Philippine Islands . She carried occupation troops into Tokyo Bay 8 September 1945 and continued trooplift operations between Japan and the Philippines until 25 October 1945 when she set course for the western seaboard . After setting veterans ashore at San Diego , California , and at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , she arrived in Boston , Massachusetts , 3 February 1946 . Post - war decommissioning . She decommissioned there 12 April 1946 and transferred 2 July 1946 to the custody of the Maritime Administration . She was subsequently renamed " City of Baltimore " . The ship was sold for scrap in 1956 . Military awards and honors . " Heywood " received seven battle stars for service in World War II :