▁approved ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁was ▁laid ▁down ▁by ▁Kaiser ▁Sh ip building ▁Co ., ▁V ancouver , ▁Washington , ▁ 1 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁as ▁M CV ▁H ull ▁no . ▁ 6 5 6 ; ▁launched ▁ 4 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 4 ; ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Mrs . ▁Dun can ▁Gre gg ; ▁accepted ▁and ▁commission ed ▁ 5 ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Captain ▁C . ▁L . ▁C . ▁At kes on , ▁in ▁command . ▁ ▁Western ▁Pacific ▁operations ▁▁ ▁On ▁completion ▁of ▁sh aked own ▁ 2 7 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Ol m sted ▁joined ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Pacific ▁Fle et . ▁Transport ing ▁troops ▁and ▁supplies ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁am ph ib ious ▁operations , ▁she ▁spent ▁the ▁last ▁year ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁with ▁an ▁it iner ary ▁that ▁reads ▁like ▁a ▁summary ▁of ▁the ▁war ' s ▁clim actic ▁stages : ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁the ▁Admir alt ies , ▁Ley te , ▁L ing ay en ▁G ulf , ▁Ok ina wa ▁and ▁Japan . ▁▁ ▁Appar ently ▁char med , ▁she ▁was ▁bom bed ▁at ▁Lu zon ▁and ▁again ▁at ▁Ok ina wa ▁without ▁damage . ▁Tw ice ▁before ▁the ▁surrender ▁of ▁Japan , ▁she ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁States ▁to ▁lift ▁reserve ▁troops ▁into ▁the ▁battle ▁zone . ▁She ▁was ▁in ▁Japan ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁occup