Baxter served as an attack transport of the Sumter class, APA-94. Gulf Shipbuilding launched her at Chickasaw on 19 September 1943. She was commissioned on 15 May 1944.
Leyte was her first operation. From 20 October 1944 until 18 November she was in that operation and put several hundred troops ashore.
On 9 January 1945 she was in the opening assault on the Lingayen beaches. Troops and equipment went off the ship onto those beaches as the Luzon campaign began. The gulf was a second major landing for a ship that had already worked Leyte.
On 29 January 1945 she was in a landing at San Felipe, on the Luzon coast. Leyte, Lingayen, and San Felipe were her three landings, spread from October into late January. Three battle stars were awarded for the war.