Goodhue served as an attack transport of the Bayfield class, APA-107, built by Western Pipe and Steel at San Francisco. The Navy commissioned her on 11 November 1944. Her work was the assault lift, troops and boats for a beach the fleet meant to take.
Kerama Retto was the landing. On 26 March 1945 she was off those islands with the other transports of the force. The islands were to be taken ahead of the larger assault and held for the fleet.
Troops went ashore from Goodhue and from the transports with her. They were to take the islands and hold them, so the Okinawa invasion would have a base. That held anchorage is what the landing was for.
One battle star was awarded for the Kerama Retto landing. That seizure gave the Okinawa invasion its base.