After shakedown off the Florida coast, "LST-822" departed New Orleans for the Pacific on 27 December. Steaming via San Diego and San Francisco, she reached Pearl Harbor on 6 February 1945. After a month of training in Hawaiian waters, she sailed on 15 March with Army troops and equipment embarked. She touched Eniwetok on 27 March, then arrived Ulithi on 7 April to prepare for participation in the battle of Okinawa, begun a week earlier. Departing 12 April, she approached the shore of Okinawa on 18 April; and, during bitter fighting ashore and frequent Japanese air attacks, she operated between Okinawa and islands to the west. On 22 April she discharged men and equipment at Ie Shima while protected by smoke cover. During her three weeks at Okinawa she survived 18 enemy air raids and carried vitally needed supplies for ground forces.