LST-168 was laid down on 26 September 1942 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 25 February 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Merle Batey; and commissioned on 3 May 1943.
During World War II, LST-168 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations:
Eastern New Guinea operation:
(a) Finschhafen occupation-September 1943
(b) Saidor occupation-January 1944
Bismarck Archipelago operation:
(a) Cape Gloucester, New Britain-December 1943, January and February 1944
(b) Admiralty Islands landings-March 1944
Hollandia operation-April 1944
Western New Guinea operations:
(a) Morotai landings-September 1944
Leyte landings-October and November 1944
Lingayen Gulf landings-January 1945
Mindanao Island landings-April 1945
Borneo operations:
(a) Balikpapan operation-July 1945
Following the war, LST-168 performed occupation duty in the Far East in September and October 1945. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 14 March 1946. She was struck from the Navy list on 12 April 1946 and was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Co., of Bethlehem, Pa., on 9 April 1948 for scrapping.
LST-168 earned eight battle stars for World War II service.
