Kittson served as an attack transport of the Haskell class, APA-123. California Shipbuilding launched her at Wilmington on 28 August 1944. She carried assault troops for the late Pacific landings, with boats and cargo staged for a beachhead.
On 27 March 1945 she sailed from Leyte. Elements of the 7th Division were embarked. The passage ended off Hagushi Beach on 1 April, the day the Okinawa assault opened, and she took her place in the transport area.
Once enemy planes had left the sky she put troops and cargo ashore. She also helped lay smoke screens over the anchorage, a cover for the ships while they worked boats. That duty ran on until 7 April.
She remained off Hagushi at that work until 7 April. She was decommissioned on 11 March 1946. One battle star was awarded for the war.