USS Tyrrell ( AKA - 80 ) USS " Tyrrell " ( AKA - 80 ) was a of the United States Navy named after Tyrrell County , North Carolina . 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 16 months . " Tyrrell " was laid down on 6 May 1944 as a Type C2 - S - AJ3 ship under Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 1387 ) at Wilmington , North Carolina , by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co . ; transferred to the Navy on 30 July and towed to Baltimore on 8 August for conversion to an attack cargo ship by the Key Highway plant of the Bethlehem Steel Co . ; and commissioned on 4 December 1944 , Lt . Comdr . John L . McLean , USNR , in command . Service history . World War II , 1945 . After shakedown training in the Virginia Capes area , the attack cargo ship departed Hampton Roads on 5 January 1945 and steamed through the Panama Canal to Hawaii . After spending the last week of the month in Pearl Harbor , the ship embarked 33 Navy passengers and proceeded , via Eniwetok , to the Carolines and discharged her passengers at Ulithi on 13 February . Two days later , she proceeded via the Palaus to the Philippines . After her arrival in Leyte Gulf on 21 February , the ship commenced preparations for the assault on the Ryukyus . At dawn on 1 April 1945 , the Southern Attack Force , to which " Tyrrell " was attached , arrived off Hagushi , Okinawa . At 0550 , as battleships , cruisers , and destroyers commenced bombardment of Japanese defenses — " Tyrrell " began lowering her boats . By 0644 , the last of her landing craft was in the water and headed for the beach . For the next nine days , " Tyrrell " remained off Okinawa , supporting the conquest of that island stronghold . On 2 April , a twin - engined Japanese bomber attempted to crash the ship , diving through a storm of anti - aircraft fire . In an attempt to ram the bridge , the aircraft sheared off the ship ' s main radio antenna , hit the lower yardarm support on the starboard side of the mainmast , and continued on to sideswipe the starboard 5 - ton cargo boom at the number 5 hatch . As the aircraft crashed alongside , it blew up and showered the cargo ship ' s decks with pieces of wreckage . On 4 April , heavy cruiser came alongside to receive 600 rounds of eight - inch projectiles and 1 , 200 cans of powder . In turn , " Tyrrell " received all of the cruiser ' s empty shell casings . The following day , while at anchor in the transport area , " Tyrrell " s gunners joined in damaging an attacking Japanese bomber . Upon completion of unloading on 9 April , " Tyrrell " retired , via Guam and Pearl Harbor , to the West Coast , arriving at San Francisco on 11 May . She then made two runs to Pearl Harbor carrying cargo . On 27 July , the cargo ship got underway for the Marshall Islands . While en route to Majuro , she received orders on 4 August diverting her to Roi , where she arrived on 9 August . Four days later , while she unloaded cargo at Majuro , word was received that Japan had surrendered . Post - war activities , 1945 – 1946 . " Tyrrell " next steamed , via Kwajalein , to Saipan where she embarked men and material of the 2nd Marine Division destined for the occupation of Japan . On the morning of 23 September 1945 , " Tyrrell " arrived off the devastated Japanese port city of Nagasaki and began disembarking her troops and equipment . The attack cargo ship next proceeded to the Philippines , arriving at Manila on 27 September . She then shuttled between the Philippines and Japan , supporting occupation activities by transporting supplies to such ports as Wakayama and Nagoya . On 13 November 1945 , " Tyrrell " departed Nagoya , bound for Seattle , Washington . After voyage repairs at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , she returned to Japan , this time to deliver supplies for the American occupation forces at Kure , arriving there on 10 January 1946 . Departing Japanese waters on 2 February , she proceeded through the Panama Canal to the East Coast . Decommissioning and Sale . Upon her arrival at Norfolk on 4 March 1946 , " Tyrrell " reported to the Commandant , 5th Naval District , for disposition . She was decommissioned at Norfolk on 19 April , returned to the War Shipping Administration on 22 April , and struck from the Navy List on 1 May 1946 . Purchased in 1948 by the Pacific Far East Line , Inc . , of Delaware , and homeported in San Francisco , the ship was renamed SS " California Bear " and served as a freight carrier through 1961 , when she was again renamed — this time SS " America Bear " ( Pacific Far East had another ex - AKA in their fleet as America Bear from 1966 to 1969 . That ship was the former USS Vinton ) . She was sold in 1963 to the Central Gulf Steamship Corp . ; homeported in New Orleans , Louisiana ; and renamed SS " Green Lake " . After plying the waters of the Caribbean under this name from 1963 to 1968 , she was taken over by the United States Department of Commerce and named SS " Oceanic Cloud " , a capacity in which she served through 1971 . Awards . " Tyrrell " received one battle star for her service in World War II .