Kenton served as an attack transport of the Haskell class, APA-122. California Shipbuilding launched her at Wilmington on 21 August 1944. She was an attack transport of the big 1944 building program, fitted to land troops, engineers, and cargo on a hostile beach.
On 1 April 1945 she was at Kerama Retto. Seabee equipment went ashore there, the gear of the construction battalions working that anchorage, on the day the main landing opened at Okinawa.
On 3 April she shifted to Hagushi Beach. Troops and cargo went off the ship onto that beach. Kerama Retto had taken the Seabee gear, and Hagushi took the troops.
On 6 April enemy aircraft attacked the anchorage. Kenton's guns received credit for two planes out of seven in that raid. One battle star was awarded for the Okinawa period.