USS Bexar ( (APA-237:LPA-237)

• Namesake: USS Bexar (APA-237/LPA-237) was named after Bexar County, Texas, which includes the city of San Antonio and was the site of several historical military engagements. • Haskell-class Attack Transport: Bexar was one of the Haskell-class attack transports, a class built rapidly during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying troops, equipment, and landing craft. • Late World War II Service: Commissioned on 9 December 1944, Bexar arrived in the Pacific theater in the closing months of World War II, transporting troops and cargo to forward areas. • Operation Magic Carpet: After Japan's surrender, Bexar participated in Operation Magic Carpet, the massive effort to bring American servicemen home from the Pacific. • Korean War: Recommissioned for the Korean War, Bexar participated in several important amphibious landings, including the famous Inchon landing in September 1950. • Vietnam War Service: Bexar also saw action during the Vietnam War, transporting Marines, Army units, and supplies to South Vietnam as part of several amphibious operations. • Rescue Operations: In 1957, sailors from Bexar helped rescue fishermen from a sinking junk off the coast of Taiwan, demonstrating the ship's humanitarian as well as military capabilities. • Cold War Deployments: During the 1950s and 1960s, Bexar regularly participated in training and readiness exercises with allied navies in the Pacific, reflecting the heightened tensions of the Cold War era. • Decommissioning and Fate: Bexar was finally decommissioned in 1969 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1976. She was sold for scrap in 1982. • Battle Stars: For her service, USS Bexar received one battle star for World War II, four for the Korean War, and five for the Vietnam War, marking her as a veteran of three major conflicts.