USS Sandoval (APA-194)

• Namesake: USS Sandoval (APA-194) was named after Sandoval County, New Mexico, following the tradition of naming attack transports after counties in the United States. • Haskell-class Attack Transport: She was part of the Haskell-class, a group of attack transports built rapidly during World War II based on the Victory ship design to meet the urgent need for amphibious operations. • Launched in 1944: The ship was launched on July 25, 1944, by Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington, and commissioned on September 7, 1944, highlighting the speed of wartime shipbuilding. • Okinawa Invasion: USS Sandoval participated in the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945, one of the largest and bloodiest amphibious assaults of the Pacific War, where she landed troops and supplies under frequent kamikaze attack. • Kamikaze Near-Miss: During the Okinawa campaign, Sandoval narrowly escaped damage from a kamikaze attack, demonstrating the persistent danger faced by support ships during amphibious operations. • Post-War “Magic Carpet” Duty: After World War II, Sandoval was part of Operation Magic Carpet, returning thousands of American servicemen from the Pacific theater back to the United States. • Decommissioned and Recommissioned: Sandoval was first decommissioned in April 1946 but was recommissioned in 1951 for service during the Korean War, showing the continued utility of WWII-era ships during the Cold War. • Operation Bluejay: In 1951, she participated in Operation Bluejay, a resupply and construction mission to Thule Air Base in Greenland, supporting early Cold War strategic operations in the Arctic. • Cuban Missile Crisis Service: Sandoval was active during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, serving as part of the Atlantic Amphibious Forces during the naval quarantine of Cuba. • Final Fate: After long service, the ship was decommissioned for the last time in 1968 and was eventually sold for scrap in 1970, closing the chapter on a vessel that served in three major conflicts and numerous operations.