USS Talladega ( APA - 208 ) USS " Talladega " ( APA / LPA - 208 ) was a " Haskell " - class attack transport ship of the United States Navy . She was named for the city of Talladega and Talladega County , Alabama . " Talladega " was laid down under Maritime Commission contract ( MCV hull 556 ) at Richmond , California , on 3 June 1944 by the Permanente Metals Corporation ; launched on 17 August 1944 , sponsored by Miss Marie Tomerlin ; and commissioned on 31 October 1944 , with Captain Edward H . McMenemy in command . Following her shakedown cruise , " Talladega " loaded cargo and passengers at San Francisco ; got underway for Hawaii on 5 December ; and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 11th . The attack transport conducted amphibious landing exercises with elements of the 28th Regimental Combat Team ( RCT ) , 5th Marine Division , to prepare for the assault on the Volcano Islands . She departed Pearl Harbor on 27 January 1945 and proceeded via Eniwetok to the Mariana Islands . " Talladega " sortied from Saipan as a unit of Task Group 56 . 2 , the Assault Group , on 16 February and arrived off Iwo Jima on the morning of the 19th , " D - day . " Four Marines pictured in Joe Rosenthal ' s famous flag - raising photograph debarked from " USS Talladega " to climb Mt . Suribachi on Iwo Jima : Ira Hayes , Franklin Sousley , Harlon Block , and Mike Strank . After landing her troops , she remained off the beaches embarking combat casualties for six days before heading back toward Saipan . " Talladega " was routed onward through Tulagi and New Caledonia to the New Hebrides . She loaded troops and equipment of the 165th RCT , 27th Infantry Division , at Espiritu Santo on 24 March and departed the next day . Her troops were part of the reserve for the invasion of Okinawa ; and , after a stop at Ulithi , she arrived off that island on 9 April . She finished unloading her passengers and cargo by the 14th and returned , via Saipan , to Ulithi . " Talladega " was subsequently ordered to the Philippine Islands and arrived at Subic Bay on 31 May . She remained in the Philippines , training elements of the Americal and 1st Cavalry Divisions for a projected invasion of Japan . However , before the operation began , Japan surrendered . On 25 August , troops of the 1st Cavalry Division embarked , and the transport headed for Yokohama the next day . " Talladega " was the first of the 31 Ship Convoy with occupation troops to dock at Yokohama on VJ Day , 2 September 1945 . She disembarked her passengers there between 2 and 4 September and then returned to the Philippines to pick up soldiers of the 41st Infantry Division for transportation to Japan . The attack transport reached Kure , Honshū , on 5 October . " Talladega " returned to Leyte on 16 October for provisions and fuel . The next day , now taking part in Operation Magic Carpet , she loaded 1 , 934 veterans at Samar and sailed for the United States . The ship arrived at San Pedro on 3 November and disembarked her passengers . She made three more round - trips to the Pacific to return troops : to Okinawa in December 1945 , to the Philippines in April 1946 , and to China in July . When " Talladega " returned to San Francisco in July , she began preparations for inactivation and assignment to the Reserve Fleet . She was placed out of commission , in reserve , on 27 December 1946 . The outbreak of hostilities in Korea on 25 June 1950 increased the Navy ' s need for active amphibious ships . Consequently , " Talladega " was recommissioned at Hunters Point , California , on 8 December 1951 . She operated along the west coast until November 1952 when she embarked aviation personnel at San Francisco and steamed westward as a unit of Transport Division 12 . The assault transport arrived at Yokosuka , Japan , on 29 November . She loaded men and equipment of the 1st Cavalry Division and headed for the Korean War zone . " Talladega " arrived at Pusan on 14 December 1952 , unloaded , and returned to Japan on the 18th . During the next nine months , the transport provided amphibious training for the United Nations forces in Japan and redeployed troops from one area in Korea to another . She operated in the war zone during each of the first seven months of 1953 , but June . She worked along both coasts , transporting troops and supplies to such ports as Inchon , Koje - Do , and Sokcho , before returning to San Diego on 15 August 1953 . During the next 12 years , the transport ' s operations along the west coast were broken by seven deployments to the western $ 3 . In 1955 , the " USS Talladega " was featured in the World War II film classic , " Battle Cry " . In 1965 , when United States forces assumed a combat role in South Vietnam , " Talladega " stood out of Long Beach on 27 April for duty with the 7th Fleet . After calling at Pearl Harbor from 2 to 5 May , she proceeded to Guam where she loaded cargo for Vietnam . She delivered the equipment and supplies at Danang on 30 and 31 May . Following upkeep at Subic Bay , the attack transport moved to Okinawa to combat load the 3d Battalion , 7th Marines , for passage to Vietnam . On 1 July , " Talladega " joined Task Group 75 . 6 , composed of USS " Iwo Jima " ( LPH - 2 ) and USS " Point Defiance " ( LSD - 31 ) . Marines from the three ships were assault - landed at Qui Nhon and cleared Viet Cong forces from the mountains around Qui Nhon harbor by the 6th . They then reembarked in the ships which remained in the area until 22 July . From 15 to 25 August , " Talladega " participated in Operation Starlight , landing marines 10 miles south of Chu Lai . On 12 September , she joined Task Group 76 . 3 which , in mid - September and early October , conducted the first two raids by a Navy - Marine Corps team in the Vietnam War . On 11 October , the ship returned to Subic Bay and disembarked the marines and then proceeded to Okinawa to unload equipment . After calls at Yokosuka and Pearl Harbor , the transport arrived at Long Beach on 17 November 1965 . " Talladega " returned to the western Pacific from 14 January to 17 April 1966 . During this period , she transported two loads of marines and their equipment from Okinawa to Chu Lai . In 1967 , the transport was deployed from 21 July to 1 December . Elements of the 11th Infantry Brigade were transported to Hawaii in July ; and , after calling at Guam , " Talladega " proceeded to Subic Bay . She arrived there on 27 August and began loading supplies for Vietnam . However , a change in orders sent her to Japan . The transport arrived at Yokosuka on 7 September , loaded supplies for Operation Hand Clasp , and headed for Korea the next day . She offloaded supplies at Pusan from 17 to 20 September and returned to Japan . On 12 October , " Talladega " got underway for Vietnam . " Talladega " arrived at Vung Tau on 19 October and loaded " Hand Clasp " supplies for delivery to Saigon . She offloaded the supplies between 25 and 31 October . The ship then began the return voyage to the United States . After calling at Hong Kong , Buckner Bay , and Pearl Harbor , she arrived at Long Beach , California , on 1 December 1967 . " Talladega " was placed in a caretaker status for 18 months before being decommissioned in July 1969 . In January 1969 , she was redesignated LPA - 208 . On 20 October 1969 , " Talladega " was transferred to the temporary custody of the Maritime Administration and berthed at Olympia , Washington . On 1 September 1971 , the ship was transferred to the permanent custody of the Maritime Administration . In July 1972 , the transport was moved to Suisun Bay where she remained into October 1979 . " Talladega " received two battle star s for World War II , two for Korea , and three for Vietnam .