USS Olmsted (APA:LPA-188)

• Namesake: USS Olmsted (APA/LPA-188) was named after Olmsted County in Minnesota, continuing the tradition of naming attack transports after counties in the United States. • Haskell-Class Attack Transport: She was a Haskell-class attack transport, a type designed to carry troops and their equipment for amphibious assaults during World War II. • Commissioning: USS Olmsted was launched on 16 July 1944 and commissioned on 5 September 1944, entering service late in World War II. • Pacific Theatre Service: The ship played a key role in the Pacific theater, transporting troops, cargo, and landing assault forces in key operations. • Battle of Okinawa: USS Olmsted participated in the Okinawa campaign, the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War, where she landed troops and provided support under threat of kamikaze attacks. • Operation Magic Carpet: After World War II, Olmsted was part of Operation Magic Carpet, helping to bring thousands of American servicemen back home from the Pacific. • Recommissioned for the Cold War: The ship was decommissioned in 1946 but recommissioned in 1950 due to the Korean War, serving as a training ship for amphibious landings and exercises. • Training the Next Generation: During the 1950s and 1960s, Olmsted was used extensively for training Naval Reserve and Marine Corps units, helping to prepare U.S. forces for potential amphibious operations during the Cold War. • Humanitarian Mission: In 1962, Olmsted participated in the recovery mission for Mercury-Atlas 7, the spaceflight carrying astronaut Scott Carpenter. • Final Fate: USS Olmsted was decommissioned for the final time in 1968 and was eventually sold for scrap in 1973, ending nearly three decades of service to the United States Navy.