Lauderdale (APA-179) served as an attack transport of the Haskell class. Oregon Shipbuilding at Portland launched her on 23 November 1944, and the Navy commissioned her on 12 December 1944.
April 1945 put her off the Okinawa beach at Hagushi, with air alerts still running through the anchorage. Troops and cargo had to go ashore before she could take up a second job in the same roadstead.
On 11 April 1945 she came in off Hagushi. Frequent air alerts continued, and by 17 April every troop unit was ashore and the cargo was out.
From 18 April to 14 July she remained at Hagushi and served as a receiving ship. Uninjured survivors came aboard from ships that had been hit or sent under in the fight for the Ryukyus.
Hagushi, first while she unloaded and then while she received survivors, was her station off Okinawa. She came through it. One battle star stands on her wartime record.