Hocking served as an attack transport of the Haskell class, APA-121, built by California Shipbuilding at Wilmington. Miss Frances Sims sponsored her. The Navy commissioned her on 22 October 1944.
On 19 February 1945 she was at Iwo Jima. Troops and equipment went off in the early waves, the boats joining the first landings on the island. She then took casualties aboard. On 27 February she departed, eight days after she had arrived.
Okinawa was the next assault anchorage. On 9 April 1945 she came off the island, sent replacement troops and cargo ashore, and embarked battle casualties. The boats carried the replacement lift in and brought battle casualties back.
A further landing followed on 27 May, another load of men and cargo for the same island. Two battle stars mark the wartime record for Iwo Jima and the Okinawa work.