LST-243 was laid down on 26 April 1943 at Evansville, Ind., by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.; launched on 9 July 1943; sponsored by Miss Marybeth Malsie; and commissioned on 9 August 1943, Lt. F. H, Blaske, USNR, in command.
During World War II, LST-243 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific theater and participated in the following operations:
Gilbert Islands operation-November and December 1943
Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls-January and February 1944
Capture and occupation of Guam-July 1944
Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands-September and October 1944
Lingayen Gulf landings-January 1945
Following the war, LST-243 was redesignated LSTH-243 on 15 September 1945. She performed occupation duty in the Far East until early January 1946 when she returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 9 January 1946. LSTH-243 was struck from the Navy list on 17 July 1947. On 2 April 1948, she was sold to the Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp., of Morris Heights, N.Y., for scrapping.
LSTH-243 earned five battle stars for World War II service as LST-243.
