"Landing Ship Tanks" weren't deemed noble enough to have names. They were not thought of as warships even though they were the first floating metal to touch beaches in engagements from North Africa to the Philippines. But, from D Day to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the history of these ships is one of an unsung hero. Their story exemplifies the collective saga of a design class that had no military precedent before laying the first keel in June 1942.