 At the latter port, she loaded troops of the 6th Army Division and sailed with the San Fabian Attack Force on 30 December 1944 for the Lingayen Gulf area of the Philippines.On 8 January 1945 a kamikaze plane crashed into approximately 600 yards ahead of "Sumter", and "Sumter" took over as formation guide.The next morning the assault troops, including those from Callaway, were landed on the Lingayen beaches.