The USS Valencia (AKA-81) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship constructed during World War II, measuring approximately 459 feet in length with a beam of around 62 feet. She was laid down on 20 May 1944 by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in Wilmington, North Carolina, as a Type C2-S-AJ3 hull under a Maritime Commission contract. Launched on 22 July 1944 and sponsored by Mrs. C. L. Merritt, she was acquired by the Navy on 18 August 1944. After conversion at Bethlehem Steel’s Baltimore shipyard, she was commissioned on 9 January 1945. The ship’s operational history began with shakedown exercises in the Hampton Roads area before departing Norfolk on 10 February 1945. She transited the Panama Canal, reaching Pearl Harbor by 2 March. Following loading at Honolulu, she transported troops and cargo across the central Pacific, participating in initial preparations for the Okinawa campaign. Valencia arrived off Hagushi Beach, Okinawa, on 17 April 1945, where she discharged cargo amid heavy seas, air alerts, and enemy activity, including air raids and the threat of mines. Throughout her service, Valencia supported the Okinawa invasion, unloading troops and supplies under challenging conditions, including typhoons and rough seas. After Okinawa, she moved to the Mariana Islands, unloading at Saipan and Guam, before returning to the U.S. West Coast in July 1945. She was in port when Japan surrendered in August 1945, ending her wartime operations. Post-war, she transported occupation troops to Japan, participating in operations off Wakayama and Nagoya, where she endured a typhoon in October 1945. She subsequently returned to the United States, arriving in Portland in late 1945, then shifted to Norfolk for decommissioning on 8 May 1946. The vessel was transferred to the War Shipping Administration and sold into commercial service, renamed SS Genevieve Lykes, and later Garden City. She remained in mercantile operation until her scrapping in 1970. Valencia earned one battle star for her World War II service, marking her contribution to the Pacific theater.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.