The ship also carried General Holland Smith, USMC, and his staff, and Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal and his party when it sailed from Saipan on 16 February for Iwo Jima.

General Buckner and his staff debarked on 18 April to establish headquarters on the island itself, and until the ship's departure on 18 May, it was visited by several guests, including Admirals Chester W. Nimitz, William F. Halsey, Jr. and Raymond A. Spruance and war correspondent Ernie Pyle.

There were two exceptions: From April to September 1947 and again from January to July 1949, it flew the flag of Commander, Naval Forces, Western Pacific, and cruised to Chinese waters.

The Eldorado was the flagship for Rear Admiral Lyman A. Thackrey, Commander, Amphibious Group 3, and it acted as standby for the USS Mount McKinley during the invasion of Inchon, South Korea, and coordinated and controlled the logistics operations.

It was at Inchon again in the spring and summer of 1951, and in June hoisted the flag of Vice Admiral Ingolf N. Kiland, Commander, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet.

During this tour, the Eldorado assisted the Japanese Government during the floods at Fukuoka, and directed Operation Big Switch, the transportation of Chinese and Korean prisoners of war from the camps at Cheju Do and Koje-do to the port of Inchon for repatriation.

The Eldorado returned to the west coast in the fall of 1953, and continued to serve as the flagship for Amphibious Group 1, now commanded by Rear Admiral Lorenzo Sabin, Jr., until June 1954.

Also, in 1969, USS Eldorado LCC11 was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her actions concerning command and control during Operation Bold Mariner, the largest amphibious landing since WWII.

During the Eldorado's decommissioning in November 1972, it was berthed adjacent to the USS Blue Ridge at the 32nd Street Naval Station in San Diego, and transferred much of her equipment to its successor prior to scrapping.