Racine was assigned to the United States west coast and deployed to the western Pacific Ocean during the Vietnam War.

Racine was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 2008 and after an attempted sale to Peru failed, was discarded as a target ship during a sinking exercise in July 2018.

This made the Newport class the first to depart from the standard LST design that had been developed in early World War II.

The LST carried 1,750 long tons (1,780 t) of diesel fuel for a range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km; 2,900 mi) at the cruising speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).

The ship was also equipped with a bow thruster to allow for better maneuvering near causeways and to hold position while offshore during the unloading of amphibious vehicles.

[3][5] The Newport class were larger and faster than previous LSTs and were able to transport tanks, heavy vehicles and engineer groups and supplies that were too large for helicopters or smaller landing craft to carry.

[1][7] The vessels also have davits for four vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVPs) and could carry four pontoon causeway sections along the sides of the hull.

Named for the city in Wisconsin, Racine was launched on 15 August 1970, sponsored by the wife of Vice Admiral Edwin B. Hooper.

[10][15] The ship was sunk by a Harpoon missile fired from a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing P-8A Poseidon and a Mark 48 torpedo from the United States Navy Los Angeles-class submarine USS Olympia.

The torpedo hit the LST amidships, breaking the vessel's keel and sinking it in waters 15,000 feet (4,600 m) deep, 55 nmi (102 km; 63 mi) north of Kauaʻi, Hawaii.