USS Luzerne County (LST-902) - World War II

World War II

After shakedown off the Florida coast, LST-902 departed New Orleans on 16 February for the Pacific. She reached San Pedro, California, on 13 March; thence, steaming via San Francisco, she arrived Maui, Hawaiian Islands on 31 March. She participated in amphibious training during the next two months. After embarking troops and loading cargo, she cleared Pearl Harbor on 18 June for the western Pacific. LST-902 touched at Eniwetok and Saipan before arriving Okinawa on 28 July as part of a 70-ship convoy. She discharged troops and cargo and on 5 August departed for Saipan where she remained until following the Japanese surrender.

She sailed to the Philippines early in September and during the rest of the month operated in Leyte Gulf and along the western coast of Luzon. Departing Subic Bay on 4 October, she carried occupation troops to Japan where she arrived at Yokohama on 17 October. Between 28 October and 4 November LST-902 steamed to Guam where she embarked 603 war veterans before sailing for the United States. She touched at Pearl Harbor on 27 November, and arrived San Diego on 14 December. After sailing to San Francisco the 19th, she underwent a three-month overhaul before sailing for the Columbia River on 25 April 1946. During the next three months she based at Astoria and Portland, Oregon and at Vancouver, Washington. She decommissioned at Portland on 3 August 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet.