Built for World War II, this Naval Attack Transport ship, named the USS Sarasota, was constructed in 1944. During its active time, it came to Sarasota twice: once in 1951, where it staged a mock attack of the city for the July 4 weekend, and another time in 1952. It was decommissioned in 1955 and sold for scraps in 1983 to a South American company from Maritimos.

Courtesy of the Sarasota Historical Society