The USS Thurston was a Haskell-class attack transport ship that served in the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Thurston County, Washington, the ship was launched in 1944 and commissioned in 1945. The USS Thurston was involved in multiple campaigns in the Pacific Theater, including the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa. It was primarily responsible for transporting troops and equipment to various combat areas. After the war, the ship participated in Operation Magic Carpet, which involved bringing American troops back home from overseas. The USS Thurston was eventually decommissioned in 1946 and placed in reserve. In 1958, the ship was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service and renamed USNS Toloa. It continued to serve as a transport ship until it was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1973. The USS Thurston received several awards for its service during World War II, including the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.