Pierce (APA-50) was laid down as Northern Light (MC hull 289) by Moore Dry Dock of Oakland, California 22 July 1942; launched 10 October 1942; and commissioned 30 June 1943.

Immediately upon arrival at Pearl Harbor the ship was assigned to a transport division and was given an intensive two weeks of training in amphibious warfare and gunnery.

In the early pre-dawn hours of the next morning there was a terrific explosion and huge pillars of flame shot skyward as the escort carrier Liscome Bay was torpedoed.

With Makin secured, Pierce's boats and LSTs brought back to the ship the ragged, weary assault troops of the 27th Infantry Division.

Pierce was occupied for the ensuing five weeks off Maui, T.H., training some 200 officers and 4000 enlisted men of the Army and Marine Corps in the art of amphibious warfare.

All preparations being completed, the ship stood out of Pearl Harbor 29 May and joined other units of a task force en route to Saipan, Marianas Islands.

After retiring for the night the ship returned to Saipan and stood in to the line of departure south of Charan-Kanoa to receive casualties, which were taken on board until the sick bay facilities were taxed to the utmost.

For the next three weeks Pierce made repairs, trained troops of the 81st Infantry Division, and enjoyed a brief breather from forward area activities.

After staging a rehearsal landing the task force of which Pierce was a unit sailed 12 October for the initial assault on Leyte in the Philippines.

On 23 October she was anchored in Kossol Passage, Palau Islands with several hundred miles separating her from the Japanese fleets converging on Leyte Gulf.

On 28 October the ship began a long tour of Pacific outposts, stopping first at Guam, Marianas to load personnel and equipment of the 77th Infantry Division and sailing from there to Nouméa, New Caledonia.

That afternoon she sailed from Sansapor with a task group bound for the initial assault on Luzon, Philippine Islands, at Lingayen Gulf.

Next the ship loaded personnel and equipment of the 38th Army Division, conducted a rehearsal landing and sailed again for Luzon, this time to take part in the initial assault on beaches near the town of LaPaz, north of Subic Bay.

After the usual rehearsal Pierce departed Leyte with a task group amidst high seas and headed for Okinawa Jima, Nansei Shoto.

As the ship was retiring for the night Japanese planes got through the combat air patrol, one kamikaze crashing into a transport about 800 yards on Pierce's starboard beam.

While the ship was again en route to the war zone, with Eniwetok only a few hundred miles away, the electrifying "cease all offensive operations" message was received 15 August 1945.

In 1956 the book was made into a movie by Universal Pictures using the same title starring Jeff Chandler, George Nader and a young Richard Boone.

On 13 June 1965, American Planter was returned to the Maritime Administration and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, Virginia.