USS Grafton (APA-109) was a which served with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service in 1947 and was scrapped in 1975. History Originally laid down in San Francisco by Western Pipe & Steel as a Type C3-S-A2 cargo ship named Sea Sparrow, the ship was renamed USS Grafton during construction and completed as an attack transport designation APA-109. Grafton was commissioned on 5 January 1945. Pacific War After a 10-day period loading supplies and landing craft at Oakland, California, Grafton conducted her shakedown training off San Pedro before undergoing amphibious training between 3 and 19 February. Subsequently, Grafton departed on 10 April for Pearl Harbor with 1000 Seabees on board, arriving on the 16th. At Pearl Harbor the vessel took on more Seabees, and departed on 27 April for Samar in the Philippine Islands via Eniwetok and Kossel Roads, disembarking her passengers at the destination on 17 May 1945. By this time the Battle of Okinawa was drawing to a close, so Grafton departed Samar on 24 May to pick up a B-24 bomber service group in the Palaus and transport them to the newly conquerend Japanese island. On 24 June Grafton arrived at Okinawa and disembarked her passengers before anchoring off the Hagushi beaches. Over the next four nights, the US Naval assault fleet was subjected to heavy air attacks, which Grafton helped repel with her antiaircraft guns. This was destined to be Grafton'''s one and only combat mission. On 28 June Grafton took on board 1000 Japanese prisoners of war, and then sailed via Saipan to Pearl Harbor, where she offloaded them on 13 July. On 16 July, Grafton sailed for San Francisco with a cargo of wounded, arriving on 22 July. On 7 August Grafton sailed again for Pearl Harbor with a cargo of fresh troops, but with the surrender of Japan, the ship embarked elements of the 5th Marine Division at Pearl Harbor, and set out on 1 September for the Japanese homeland where the Division was now headed for occupation duties. Sailing via Saipan, Grafton arrived at Sasebo on 22 September, where the Marines were disembarked with their equipment. The ship then set out for Lingayen Gulf via Manila to pick up more occupation troops headed for Japan. On 3 October the vessel set out once more for Sassebo with her new passengers, passing Okinawa only two