Calvin, Ardell Bernard, S1c

I have created this Memorial Profile to honor my Grandfather, he died December 19, 2002...  I miss him very much...  He was drafted and served in the Navy; 2 Years, 7 Months, 21 Days, from 1943 to December 1945

I was going through some of my Grandfather's belongings and found a chart...  The chart includes the entire sailing route of the Laurens, from Oakland, all throughout the Pacific, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, Philipines, Saipan, Okinawa, and into Japan, and then back to Seattle at the end of the war... I would gladly copy it and send it to anyone who served on her... 

The USS LAURENS, an Attack Transport, was launched by Oregon
Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, OR, under Maritime
Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. James C. Black;
acquired by the US Navy on 7 September 1944; and commissioned the
same day, Capt. A. R. Ponto in command.  

Numbered APA-153, a Haskell Class Vessel, (Victory Ship hull).

After shakedown along the California coast, the LAURENS
departed Oakland, CA, 26 October 1944, arriving Lae, New Guinea, 
12 November 1944.  For the next month she operated out of New
Guinea and New Caledonia, training in preparation for the
Lingayen Gulf landings.  Forwarded to Guadalcanal in
mid-December, the LAURENS loaded over 1,400 troops and proceeded
to Manus, Admiralty Islands.

The LAURENS departed Manus 2 January 1945 and arrived in
Lingayen Gulf to land troops off San Fabian, Philippine
Islands, 9 days later.  She stood out of Lingayen Gulf on
the 12th, returning to New Guinea 27 January.  During
February she made another cruise to the Philippines
transporting forces to Leyte and remained there in
preparation for the Okinawa campaign.

On 27 March 1945, LAURENS steamed out of Leyte Gulf for
Okinawa, doorstep to Japan.  The first wave of troops hit
the beach 1 April 1945, while the LAURENS arrived in the
transport area 9 miles offshore.  They continued landing
troops and cargo until she sailed for Saipan, 6 April
arriving there 4 days later.

During May, the LAURENS was under repair at Pearl Harbor
and San Diego before returning Eniwetok 15 June 1945.  For
the next 6 weeks the transport operated among the islands,
transferring troops and supplies to various staging areas. 
After loading war veterans at Ulithi 31 July, the LAURENS sailed
the same day for San Francisco, arriving there 1 day before
the end of the war.

Following the Japanese surrender, the LAURENS carried
occupation troops to the Japanese home islands, then formed
a unit of the "Magic Carpet" fleet assigned to bring the
fighting men home.  She returned to Portland, OR,
8 January 1946, on her final "Magic Carpet" run from the Far
East.  The following month she sailed for the eastern
seaboard.

The LAURENS was decommissioned 10 April 1946 at Norfolk, VA,
and returned to the War Shipping Administration 13 April
1946.  On 2 May 1956, the LAURENS entered the National Defense
Reserve Fleet in the Hudson River, NY, where she remained
into late 1967.

The LAURENS received two battle stars for World War II service.

She was sold for scrap in 1988...

Haskell Class Attack Transport:

• Laid down (date unknown) as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under a Maritime Commission contract at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland OR.
• Launched (date unknown)
• Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission and Commissioned               USS Laurens (APA-153), 7 September 1944
• Decommissioned, 10 April 1946, at Norfolk VA.
• Returned to the Maritime Commission, 13 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
• Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
• Towed for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River NY, 2 May 1956 to 1967

  Specifications:
  Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
  Length 455'
  Beam 62'
  Speed 19 kts.
  Complement 56 Officers 480 Enlisted
  Troop Accommodations 86 Officers 1,475 Enlisted
  Cargo Capacity 150,000 cu. ft, 2,900 tons
  Boats 2 LCM, 12 LCVP, 3 LCPU
  Armament 1 5"/38 dual-purpose gun mount, 4 twin 40mm gun mounts, 10 single 20mm gun mounts
  Propulsion 1 Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 1 propeller, Design shaft horsepower 8,500