USS Pickaway ( APA - 222 ) USS " Pickaway " ( APA / LPA - 222 ) was a of the United States Navy . Built and used during World War II , she was of the VC2 - S - AP5 Victory ship design type . Service history . " Pickaway " was laid down by the Permanente Metals Corp . , Richmond , California , as a victory cargo ship ( MCV hull 570 ) , on 1 September 1944 ; launched on 5 November 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . William D . Schoning ; converted into an APA ; acquired by the Navy and commissioned on 12 December 1944 , Comdr . H . L . Bixby in command . World War II . After shakedown and amphibious exercises at Coronado Beach , California , " Pickaway " embarked some 1 , 500 Army troops at Seattle , Washington , departed on 9 February , arrived Pearl Harbor on 16 February , disembarked the troops and headed for Iwo Jima to evacuate Marine forces who were finishing off the remaining Japanese forces on the island . " Pickaway " reached Iwo Jima on 14 March , received on board the 24th Marine Regiment , sailed on 20 March , and returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 April . " Pickaway " participated in amphibious exercises until sailing for Guam on 4 May with military passengers . Arriving Guam on 17 May , she embarked soldiers , sailors , and marines ; departed Apra Harbor on 22 May ; and arrived San Francisco on 7 June . On 2 July she took on board Navy and Coast Guard passengers and departed San Francisco for Noumea , New Caledonia . Following disembarking of personnel in Noumea on 8 July , " Pickaway " steamed to Espiritu Santo , Russell Island , and Guadalcanal to pick up passengers and sailed on 23 July for San Francisco where she arrived on 6 August . While preparing for another transpacific voyage , the ship learned of the end of hostilities . During the remainder of 1945 , " Pickaway " shuttled back and forth across the Pacific embarking passengers at bases in the western Pacific and returning them to the United States . Remaining in the Amphibious Force , Pacific Fleet , " Pickaway " visited both Japan and China in 1947 and participated in " Operation Sandstone " , the second atomic test in the Pacific , early in 1948 . Korean War . On the summer of 1950 , a month after the North Korean forces marched against South Korea , " Pickaway " began shuttling U . S . Army troops from Japan to Pusan to stem the tide of battle . On 15 September 1950 , she saw her first real amphibious invasion at Inchon , when the U . N . forces flanked the North Koreans . During the Korean War , " Pickaway " was deployed to the Korean area four times . She landed troops on most of the major Korean beachheads . In March 1955 , " Pickaway " left Korea for the last time , carrying troops of the same brigade she transported to Korea on her first trip . During 1957 and 1958 , " Pickaway " made regular deployments to WestPac . During " Pickaway " s 1958 WestPac tour , she took part in " Exercise Blue Star " , which was the largest amphibious exercise conducted by Pacific Fleet forces since World War II . Vietnam . After returning from the Far East in August 1963 , " Pickaway " entered the Willamette Iron and Steel Works shipyard at Richmond , California , for Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization ( FRAM ) . In January 1964 , the ship began extensive underway and amphibious training , and in March , departed San Diego for Hawaii , and large scale amphibious " Operation Westwind " . On 18 June she got underway from San Diego for a six month cruise to the western Pacific . Soon after arriving in Yokosuka , she was ordered to proceed at once to Buckner Bay , Okinawa , to embark a Marine Battalion for transport to Vietnam to help build up American forces after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident . In March 1965 , she participated in the Pacific Fleet Exercise " Silver Lance " . On 24 May 1965 , she again bolstered the Allied military effort in Vietnam . On 7 July 1965 together with other elements of Amphibious Squadron 3 , " Pickaway " landed the 2nd Battalion of the 9th Marine Regiment over the beaches of Da Nang , South Vietnam . During 1966 she participated in operations " Jackstay " , " Osage " , " Deck House I " , " Nathan Hale " , " Deck House II " , and " Hastings " . After overhaul and training out of San Diego , " Pickaway " departed San Diego on 31 May for the western Pacific and after offloading cargo at Da Nang , proceeded to Manila for participation in the SEATO training exercise " Sea Dog . " On 19 October " Pickaway " replenished at sea in the Tonkin Gulf . " Pickaway " spent 1968 operating out of San Diego , California . Awards . " Pickaway " received one battle star for World War II service and six battle stars for Korean War service .