During World War II, LST-661 was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations and participated in the capture and occupation of the southern Palau Islands in September and October 1944.

Following the war, she performed occupation duty in the Far East until early April 1946, when she returned to the United States.

She was used as a target on 14 May 1948 at Enewetak Atoll in the Operation Sandstone atomic bomb test series.

[1] In his memoir With the Old Breed at Pelelieu and Okinawa, Eugene B. Sledge expresses his gratitude to the crew of LST-661.

In Chapter Four, "Assault into Hell", in the section titled "Death Patrol", he writes: A footnote by the author reads, "I fulfilled that vow in July 1945 after the battle for Okinawa ended.