SS ''Lane Victory'' is an American Victory-class cargo ship used in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

and

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. The ship was preserved in 1989 to serve as a museum ship in the San Pedro area of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. As a rare surviving Victory ship, she was designated a U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. SS ''Lane Victory'' was named after

Lane College Lane College is a private historically black college associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and located in Jackson, Tennessee. It offers associate and baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences. History Lane College was f ...

, which was established as a high school for black youths in 1882 at

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population was 68,205 as of the 2020 United States census. Jackson ...

, by Isaac Lane, a bishop of the

Colored Methodist Episcopal Church The Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Wesleyan Methodism founded and organized by John Wesley in England in 1744 and established in America as the Methodist Episcopal ...

in America.

World War II

''Lane Victory'' was built in Los Angeles by the

California Shipbuilding Corporation __NOTOC__ California Shipbuilding Corporation built 467 Liberty and Victory ships during World War II, including ''Haskell''-class attack transports. California Shipbuilding Corporation was often referred to as Calship. The ''Dictionary of Ame ...

and launched on May 31, 1945. On her first voyage, June 27, 1945, ''Lane Victory'' carried war supplies in the Pacific. The

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...

gave the operations of the ship to the

American President Lines APL, formerly called American President Lines Ltd., is an American container shipping company that is a subsidiary of French shipping company CMA CGM. It operates an all-container ship fleet, including 9 U.S. flagged container vessels. In 1938, ...

. United States Merchant Mariners operated the ship. The United States Navy Armed Guard, who manned the ship's guns, worked as signalmen and radiomen. She made two Pacific cruises, beginning July 10, 1945, to

Manus Island Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth-largest island in Papua New Guinea, with an area of , measuring around . Manus Island is covered in rugged jungles w ...

, and the second starting August 30, 1945, to Guam, Saipan and Hawaii. The trip to Guam was to bring food to the island. On the way ''Lane Victory'' sailed through a

typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

and was tossed around for 14 days. On February 27, 1946, her second voyage ended. With the end of World War II, she started shipping aid. In March 1946 she started delivering goods to Europe under the

Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...

. With the end of the aid plan, on May 11, 1948 ''Lane Victory'' was laid up at Suisun Bay, California.

Korean War

In 1950 ''Lane Victory'' was taken out of storage and by October 1950 was back in service. She was then deployed to evacuate Korean civilians and

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

personnel at

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

, North Korea. During December 1950 she evacuated over 3,800 U.S. troops and 1,100 vehicles from

Hungnam Hŭngnam is a district of Hamhung, the second largest city in North Korea. It is a port city on the eastern coast on the Sea of Japan. It is only from the slightly inland city of Hamhung. In 2005 it became a ward of Hamhung. History The port a ...

while under attack during the

Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of t ...

. ''Lane Victory'' offloaded troops, vehicles and cargo as the cruiser and destroyers laid down a covering fire. After unloading she evacuated 7,010 men, women and children, taking them south to safety. When the ship arrived 7,011 passengers disembarked, as a baby had been born during the voyage. On October 10, 1953, she was laid up in Suisun Bay, California, storage. An annual Korean War tribute day is held aboard SS ''Lane Victory'' in honor of those saved.

Vietnam War

In 1966 the ship was restored to duty again for the Vietnam War. She also saw duty during the conflict moving ammunition and supplies to and from the war zone in Vietnam. On April 29, 1970 ''Lane Victory'' was laid up again at Suisun Bay for storage in the

National Defense Reserve Fleet The National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) consists of ships of the United States of America, mostly merchant vessels, that have been "mothballed" but can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping during national military emergencies ...

. During her three-war career, she traveled through the Far East Pacific, made a few transatlantic crossings and one circumnavigation of the globe.

Post-war

Because of the ship's excellent condition in storage at Suisun Bay, the

Maritime Administration Maritime administrations, or flag state administrations, are the executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issue ...

decided to set aside ''Lane Victory'' for preservation. President Ronald Reagan signed into law H.R. 2032 on October 18, 1988, which turned over the ship to the United States Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II. Joe Vernick, John Smith and a group of Merchant Marine veterans had worked for years for the ship to be released from the Reserve Fleet. Volunteers from the United States Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II worked for three years to restore the ship to working condition after she had sat, slowly deteriorating, in Suisun Bay for nearly two decades. Many upgrades were performed in order to bring ''Lane Victory'' up to

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

standards. She was drydocked in 1992, and her hull was found to be sound. On September 10, 1992, her

sea trials A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and i ...

started and proved her seaworthy. In May 1994 ''Lane Victory'' sailed south along the Baja Peninsula with the intention of joining the Liberty ship on the 50th Anniversary of D-Day in France. On May 2, 1994, she passed the Sailing Vessel Blythe Spirit about 500 feet off the starboard side according to the day log of S/V Blythe Spirit. This encounter was just north of Cabo San Lucas. Before reaching the Panama Canal the ''Lane Victory'' had engine problems that prevented it from going across the Atlantic Ocean in time to arrive for the D-Day Anniversary. It was reported on the Maritime Mobile Service Net later in May that the Victory Ship had chosen to return after repairs were completed to a California port to await the return of the ''Jeremiah O'Brien''. In June 1994 ''Lane Victory'' participated in a mock Normandy invasion in the

Santa Barbara Channel The Santa Barbara Channel is a portion of the Southern California Bight and separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the Oxnard Plain in Ventura Cou ...

in celebration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day. In September 1994 she escorted the Liberty ship from San Pedro to San Francisco in celebration of ''Jeremiah O'Brien''s return from her

voyage Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to: Literature *''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden * ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter *''The Voyage'', Murray Bail * "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by ...

to Normandy. On October 9, 2007, SS ''Lane Victory'' received a Special Heritage Award from the World Ship Trust in San Diego. She serves as a training facility for the

Los Angeles County Fire Department The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting services as well as technical rescue services, hazardous materials response services and emergency medical response services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County ...

, Los Angeles City Fire Department, local law enforcement agencies, FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard and other United States Armed Forces. * Of the 534 Victory-class cargo ships completed, only three remain working – SS ''Lane Victory'' at Los Angeles, at Tampa, Florida, and at Richmond, California.

Museum ship

After her 1988 acquisition by the U.S. Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II, ''Lane Victory'' was towed to the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro on June 12, 1989. She was turned into a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

and work ship again. In 1990 ''Lane Victory'' was designated a

. A volunteer crew maintain and operate the ship and her two onboard museums. On September 13, 2000, Congress passed Resolution 327, recognizing SS ''Lane Victory'' as a representative of the service and sacrifices of the U.S. Merchant Marine to the nation during times of conflict: "Whereas vessels of the United States merchant marine fleet, such as the S.S. LANE VICTORY, provided critical logistical support to the Armed Forces by carrying equipment, supplies, and personnel necessary to maintain war efforts" In February 2012 she moved from Berth 94 in Los Angeles Harbor by the

Vincent Thomas Bridge The Vincent Thomas Bridge is a suspension bridge, crossing Los Angeles Harbor in Los Angeles, California, linking San Pedro with Terminal Island. It is the only suspension bridge in the Greater Los Angeles area. The bridge is part of State R ...

to Berth 46 in Los Angeles Harbor at the end of Harbor Boulevard-Miner Street, south of the bridge. She was reopened to the public on February 17, 2012. She was moved, again, to Berth 49 in early 2013 as Berth 46 was being converted into a future super cruise ship dock. Port of LA

Usage in Hollywood

''Lane Victory'' has been used in a number of movies, TV shows and commercials because of her excellent working condition. The ship's wakes were used in the 1997 blockbuster movie ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...

'' for the titular ocean liner's wakes. She also served as the setting for the climax of the comedy film '' The Pest'' the same year. Other films in which the ship appeared are: '' Black Ops (Deadwater)'' (2008), '' Flags of Our Fathers'' (2006), ''

GI Jane ''G.I. Jane'' is a 1997 American war drama film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Demi Moore, Viggo Mortensen, and Anne Bancroft. The film tells the fictional story of the first woman to undergo special operations training similar to the ...

'' (1997), ''

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...

'' (2001), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998) and '' U-571'' (2000). ''(note: this is a partial list)'' The ship was featured in ''Visiting... with

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing ''California's Gold'' and his human interest sh ...

'' Episode 406. Some TV shows she was featured in are: '' Alias,

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bo ...

, California Gold, Mail Call'' (episode #70), ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'', ''

Murder She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series ...

'', the National Geographic Channel, '' NCIS'', '' Port Chicago Mutiny'' (TV movie), ''Return of the Pirates'' (

History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...

), '' Special Ops Mission'' and ''

Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television show, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Ka ...

''. In the Season 6 ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...

'' episode "Returning Japanese: Part 2" (2002), Cotton is sent back to the U.S. aboard ''Lane Victory''. The

series Mail Call episode 6/04, "Lane Victory", was an hour long episode about the ship and the World War II Merchant Marine. ''(note: this is a partial list)'' In 1999, the ship was used in a

Ford Super Duty The Ford Super Duty (short for F-Series Super Duty) is a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 1999 model year. Slotted above the consumer-oriented Ford F-150, the Super Duty trucks are an expansion of ...

commercial and Disney's "Golden Dreams" commercial. ''(note: this is a partial list)'' The engine housed in ''Lane Victory''s forward hold exhibit space was used as the engine for the fictitious

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-ste ...

in ''

The Sand Pebbles ''The Sand Pebbles'' is a 1962 novel by American author Richard McKenna about a Yangtze River gunboat and its crew in 1926. It was the winner of the 1963 Harper Prize for fiction. The book was initially serialized in the ''Saturday Evening Po ...

'' (1966).''San Pablo'' Engine used in ''The Sand Pebbled''
''The Sand Pebbles'' site

Awards

''Lane Victory'' earned one ribbon for World War II service, two for Korean War service – United Nations Korea Medal &

Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation The Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation () is a military unit award of the government of South Korea that may be presented to South Korean military units, and foreign military units for outstanding performance in defense of the Republic o ...

– and one for Vietnam War service.

References

External links

Lane Victory Official Site

HNSA, Web Page: SS Lane Victory *
Congressional Record
V. 146, Pt. 12, July 27 to September 13, 2000
SS Lane Victory off Catalina Island August 2011 – YouTube

imdb.com, Mail Call: Season 6, Episode 4, S.S. Lane Victory (1 Apr. 2005)

youtube.com, Korean Celebration aboard the S.S. Lane Victory

''Lane Victory, The Anchor Light, My Story'', By Arnold R. Esparza
March 2008]
''Lane Victory, The Anchor Light'', July 2008
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lane Victory Museum ships in California National Historic Landmarks in California World War II merchant ships of the United States Ships built in Los Angeles Victory ships 1945 ships Museums in Los Angeles World War II museums in California Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles San Pedro, Los Angeles World War II on the National Register of Historic Places in California