LPA-38

```html • LPA-38 is the hull classification symbol for USS Cook (LPA-38), a Haskell-class attack transport ship that served in the United States Navy during and after World War II. • Launched on 26 August 1944, the ship was constructed by the California Shipbuilding Corporation in Wilmington, California. • USS Cook was named after Cook County, Illinois, making it one of several ships named to honor counties in the United States. • The ship participated in major World War II operations, including the Okinawa campaign, transporting troops and supplies to the front lines. • During the invasion of Okinawa, the ship was tasked with landing troops and was under constant threat from Japanese kamikaze attacks. • After World War II, USS Cook was involved in Operation Magic Carpet, the massive effort to bring American service members back home from the Pacific theater. • The ship earned one battle star for World War II service, highlighting its contribution to the success of Allied operations in the Pacific. • USS Cook was decommissioned in 1946, only two years after her launch, reflecting the rapid demobilization after the war. • In 1969, the ship was redesignated from APA-38 (attack transport) to LPA-38 (amphibious transport), following changes in the U.S. Navy's hull classification system. • The ship was ultimately sold for scrap in 1985, concluding more than 40 years of existence, with service spanning from World War II through the Cold War era. ```