USS LST-850 was an built for the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Late in her career, she was renamed Juniata County (LST-850)—after Juniata County, Pennsylvania

Juniata County, Pennsylvania

Juniata County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 24,636. Juniata County was created on March 2, 1831, from part of Mifflin County and named for the Juniata River. Its county seat is Mifflintown....

, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name—but never saw active service under that name.

Originally laid down as LST-850 by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company of Seneca, Illinois

Seneca, Illinois

Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census.The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the...

 15 August 1944; launched 3 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mildred Margaret Tegge Honig; and commissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 27 November 1944 with Lieutenant Perry B. Hazard in command. After shakedown off the coast of Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, LST-850 loaded military cargo at Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport, Mississippi

Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...

 and departed New Orleans for the Pacific 31 December. Steaming via the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

 and San Diego, she reached Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 1 February 1945. On 20 February she sailed with five other landing ships for the Solomons, arriving Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal

Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...

 7 March. After loading a cargo of LVTs

Landing Vehicle Tracked

The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...

, she departed 19 March, touched at Eniwetok 25 March, and reached Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 the 31st. There she unloaded her cargo before steaming to Saipan

Saipan

Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...

 3 April to prepare to support operations at Okinawa. Between 12 April and 14 April, LST-850 embarked Seabees and loaded construction and combat equipment; then she departed 20 April for that strategic island, which lay at the gateway to the heart of the Japanese Empire. Arriving 27 April, she discharged troops and cargo despite intermittent enemy air attacks. From 7 May to 13 May she returned to Saipan where she embarked 371 officers and men of the 2nd Marine Division and loaded a cargo of LTVs. Sailing 24 May, she arrived Okinawa 30 May. On 3 June, and again on 9 June, she carried these veterans of the Pacific fighting for amphibious assaults against Iheya Shima and Aguni Shima. Departing in convoy 18 June, she reached Saipan the 24th; and, after embarking Seabees at Guam, she returned to Okinawa 28 July. Sailing once more for the Marianas 8 August, she arrived Saipan 14 August as Japan accepted Allied peace terms and agreed to surrender.

Assigned to transport occupation forces to Japan, LST-850 steamed via Leyte

Leyte

Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...

 to Manila Bay

Manila Bay

Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...

, Luzon, where she embarked Army troops and departed in convoy for Japan. She entered Tokyo Bay

Tokyo Bay

is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...

 11 September and discharged her troops. Departing Tokyo early in October, during the next month she returned to Luzon, embarked additional troops, and carried them to Yokohama where she arrived 4 November. After supporting occupation landings along the coast of Honshū

Honshu

is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...

, she sailed in mid-November for the United States. She sailed via Saipan and Pearl Harbor and arrived Astoria, Oregon

Astoria, Oregon

Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...

 30 December. LST-850 operated out of Astoria during the next 10 months and then was placed in commission, in reserve 17 May 1946. She transferred to Portland in October, decommissioned 18 January 1947, and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. While berthed in the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

, she was named USS Juniata County (LST-850) 1 July 1955. She was recommended for use as a target to destruction 20 October 1958. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

1 November 1958.