USS Telfair (APA-210)

• Namesake: USS Telfair (APA-210) was named after Telfair County, Georgia, following the tradition of naming attack transports after counties in the United States. • Class: She was a Haskell-class attack transport, based on the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design, specially fitted for amphibious operations. • World War II Service: Commissioned on 31 October 1944, Telfair participated in the final phases of the Pacific campaign, notably in the Okinawa operation in 1945, landing troops and supplies under enemy fire. • Kamikaze Threat: During the invasion of Okinawa in April 1945, Telfair operated in hazardous waters frequently targeted by Japanese kamikaze attacks; she escaped serious damage during these operations. • Operation Magic Carpet: After the war, Telfair was assigned to Operation Magic Carpet, the massive effort to return U.S. servicemen home from the Pacific, making several voyages to and from the Far East. • Korean War Duty: Reactivated for the Korean War, Telfair conducted troop and equipment transport missions between the United States, Japan, and Korea, supporting United Nations operations. • Far East Deployments: Throughout her service, Telfair made numerous peacetime deployments to the Far East, participating in training exercises and supporting U.S. military presence in the region during the Cold War. • Decommissioned Twice: Telfair was first decommissioned in 1946, then recommissioned in 1950 for the Korean War, and finally decommissioned again in 1955, entering the reserve fleet. • Awards: The ship was awarded one battle star for World War II service and two battle stars for her Korean War service, recognizing her participation in combat operations. • Final Fate: After years in reserve, USS Telfair was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1968 and scrapped in 1974, ending a career that spanned three decades and two major conflicts.