USS Seminole (AKA-104/LKA-104) was a in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1970. She was scrapped in 1977.
History
Seminole was named after counties in Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma. She was built in 1944 as a Type C2-S-AJ3 ship under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1703), by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, North Carolina; launched on 28 December 1944; sponsored by Miss Pamela Cole; Commissioned on 8 March 1945, at the Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, South Carolina, with Lieutenant Commander E. L. Bothwell, Assistant to the Captain of the Yard, in temporary command.
World War II, 1945
Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay from 25 to 28 March 1945, the attack cargo ship operated along the east coast. On 8 April she departed Norfolk for the Panama Canal Zone. Seminole transited the Panama Canal on 14 to 15 April and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 April.
From 1 May through 27 May, Seminole engaged in training cruises off the Hawaiian Islands. On 28 May, she got underway for the Marshall Islands and arrived at Eniwetok on 6 June. Seminole independently zigzagged her way to Ulithi, Caroline Islands, from 17 to 21 June, where she loaded anti-tank land mines for Okinawan operations. Arriving at Buckner Bay, Okinawa on 14 July, Seminole unloaded her cargo on 17 July. On 18 July, general quarters were sounded, and the AKA steamed southward to avoid a typhoon. The hazard over by 20 July, Seminole returned to Buckner Bay the following day. She took similar measures during a typhoon warning from 1–3 August.
On 6 August, Seminole departed Buckner Bay for Ulithi, and, in spite of trouble in her fuel lines, arrived on 10 August. On the 13th, she got underway for the Palaus and arrived at Peleliu Island the following day. On the 15th Japan surrendered.
Post-war activities, 1945–1950
Seminole loaded cargo at Peleliu and departed on 21 August bound for the Marianas. After anchoring in Saipan Harbor on 24 August, she unloaded cargo there and at Tanapag and Tinian before getting underway for Guam. Seminole remained in Apra Harbor, Guam, from 1–4 September, before sailing for the Philippines.
Seminole entered San Pedro Bay, Leyte, on 8 September; steamed to Guiuan, Samar Island, on September, where she transferred four LCVP's and eight LCM's before steaming to Iloilo, Panay Island, on 12 September.
From 12 to 17 September, Seminole loaded general cargo, ammunition, vehicles, landing craft, and gasoline for the 40th Infantry Division. Then, on 18 September, she got underway for Jinsen, Korea, and anchored there a week later.
Seminole returned to Leyte on 7 October. She remained in Philippine waters, loading cargo at various points, until 18 October when she stood out of San Fernando Harbor, Luzon, for Korea. After unloading equipment and 84 officers and men of the U.S. 6th Infantry Division at Jinsen, Seminole again set out for the Philippines, anchoring in Guiuan Harbor, Samar, on 5 November.
On 1 December, the attack cargo ship departed Leyte Gulf, and arrived in San Francisco, California, on 2 March 1946, after stopping off at Qingdao, Guam, and Pearl Harbor.
During the postwar years from 1946 to 1950, Seminole operated along the west coast, and at Pearl Harbor, Guam, and other Pacific ports.
Korean War, 1950–1953
In Puget Sound when war broke out in Korea in the summer of 1950, Seminole and sister ship, , got underway for Yokosuka, Japan. She changed her course in accordance with a dispatch of 30 August and arrived at Kobe the next day. After voyage repairs at the Mitsubishi dockyards and lashing down for typhoon "Jane," Seminole loaded military cargo and got underway for Pusan, Korea, on 4 September accompanied by and . Seminole returned to Kobe that same day in compliance with a confidential dispatch, fueled to capacity, and got underway independently at 0027 on 5 September.
Seminole moored in Pusan Harbor on 6 September. On 8 September, she commenced loading cargo, supplies, and equipment of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. Five war correspondents reported on board on 11 September, and 301 U.S. Marines and 58 ROK Marines embarked the next day. On 15 September, Seminole lowered and dispatched her boats for the opposed landings on Red Beach, Inchon. From 16 to 20 September, the AKA continued to offload her cargo. On 21 September, she evacuated six marine casualties and debarked them at Sasebo, Japan, on 23 September.