After shakedown, Mifflin embarked 1,100 troops and sailed to Pearl Harbor. Exchanging her initial passengers for members of the 4th Marine Division, she continued amphibious exercises off Maui, until ordered to Saipan 27 January 1945.[3]
On 19 February, her boats landed the[3]2nd Battalion 23rd Marines and their Shore Party, B Co 133 NCB—4th Marine Division on beach "Yellow 2", Iwo Jima.[4] She remained almost a week to offload priority, then request cargo, and to take on board battle casualties. This included her own, for the ship's beach party was hard hit the first day suffering 14 wounded and three missing.[5]Mifflin also sustained a shell hit on her 40mm gun director before retiring with the wounded to Saipan on 28 February.[3]
Having replaced lost equipment and boats, she sailed 16 March, to nearby Tinian to practice for the invasion of Okinawa. In position for this last great assault, on 1 and 2 April, her boats feinted a landing of 2d Division Marines on the southeastern shore to lessen opposition to the main effort on the western beaches.[3]
Again returning her Marines to Saipan, she remained until early June. Steaming to the New Hebrides, Mifflin loaded stores which she discharged 30 June, at Guam. Independence Day, she weighed anchor for San Francisco with a small passenger list and a need for repairs.[3] Two months later, when she returned to the western Pacific to disembark 1,600 US Army replacement troops at Manila, Philippines, the war had ceased. Mifflin reloaded with men of the 33rd Infantry Division assigned to occupation duty and arrived Wakayama, Japan, 25 September. The next month, over 1,000 troops of the 24th Infantry Division were transported from Mindanao, Philippines, to Okajama, Japan. Sailing to Okinawa 30 October, she engaged in "Magic Carpet" duty from November to March 1946, returning additional thousands of veterans to San Francisco.[3]
Decommissioning and fate
Inactivation soon began with Mifflin placed out of service in reserve 5 July 1946, assigned to the 19th Fleet, Stockton, California. Struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1958, she was returned to MARCOM the same day. Assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she was berthed as Suisun Bay, California, into 1969.[3] She was sold under a "non-transportation use" (NTU) contract to West Waterway Lumber Company, 17 July 1975, for $128,009. She was transferred out of the fleet 6 August 1975.[6]
Awards
Mifflin received two battle stars for World War II service.[3]
USS Talladega (APA/LPA-208) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the US Navy. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Talladega was named for Talladega County, Alabama.
USS Napa (APA-157) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1983.
USS Pitt (APA-223/LPA-223) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1980.
USS Celeno (AK-76) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. Named with a variant spelling of the star Celaeno in the constellation Pleiades, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
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USS Missoula (APA-211) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.
USS Rutland (APA-192) was a Haskell-class attack transport built and used by the US Navy in World War II. She was a Victory ship design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Rutland County, Vermont, USA.
USS Pickaway (APA/LPA-222) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and named after Pickaway County, Ohio.
USS Randall (APA-224) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1956. She was sold for scrap in 1972.
USS Lowndes (APA/LPA-154) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1983.
USS Pickens (APA-190) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.
USS Sanborn (APA-193) was a Haskell-class attack transport acquired by the United States Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
USS Lubbock (APA-197) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.
USS Sarasota (APA/LPA-204) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in World War II, Korean War Era and after. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Sarasota was named for Sarasota County, Florida.
USS Sibley (APA-206) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.
USS Tazewell (APA/LPA-209) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.
USS Natrona (APA-214) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the US Navy in World War II. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Natrona was named for Natrona County, Wyoming.
USS Oneida (APA-221) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.
USS Okanogan (APA/LPA-220) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and named after Okanogan County, Washington.
USS Sevier (APA-233) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1980.
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