at Port Hueneme, California and sailed 12 October 1943 for Pearl Harbor. Invasions of Tarawa and Kwajalein On 16 November 1943 she got underway for the invasion of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, where she unloaded her troops and cargo and then stood by as casualty receiving ship. Returning to Pearl Harbor 11 December, she weighed anchor again 22 January 1944 to carry troops to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. Again used as an emergency hospital ship, she carried casualties to San Francisco, 24 February, then got underway with troops and cargo for New Caledonia, in the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands. Invasion of Leyte In July she carried reinforcements to Guam and again sailed east with wounded personnel, arriving at Pearl Harbor 11 August and continuing on to California where she took on personnel and cargo for New Guinea. Arriving at Milne Bay 6 November, she loaded passengers and cargo, then proceeded to Bougainville Island to prepare for the invasion of Luzon. Disembarking troops on the Lingayen assault beaches, 11 January 1945, she ferried reinforcements from Leyte, then sailed to Ulithi to take on Marines at Iwo Jima and return them to Hawaii. Thence she steamed to San Francisco, took on fresh troops, and headed west to Okinawa 24 July. After hostilities V-J Day found her in Apra Harbor, Guam, whence she returned to San Francisco. Next, she transported troops from Seattle to Tinian, reported for Operation Magic Carpet 13 October, and completed runs from Espiritu Santo and Manila to San Francisco before the end of the year. USS President Polk, with six battle stars for her World War II service, decommissioned and was transferred to the War Shipping Administration for return to her owner 26 January 1946, President Polk was struck from the Navy List 25 February 1946. Post War Commercial Service American President Lines placed SS President Polk in its round-the-world trade until 15 July 1965 when the ship was sold to Ganaderos del Mar, renamed Gaucho Martin Fierro and in 1966, under the same owner again renamed Minotauros. In 1970 the ship was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Notes References External links Ships built in Newport News, Virginia 1941 ships Troop ships of the War Shipping Administration President Jackson-class attack transports World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States