USNS Lt. Raymond O. Beaudoin (T-AP-189) was a troop transport that served with the United States Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Prior to her MSTS service, she served as a commercial vessel under the name SS Marshall Victory, and later with the US Army as USAT Lt. Raymond O. Beaudoin.

Laid down as the Victory ship

Victory ship

The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace shipping losses caused by German submarines...

 Marshall Victory under Maritime Commission contract by Bethlehem‑Fairfield Shipyard, Inc of Baltimore, Maryland 4 April 1945, she was launched 21 May 1945; and delivered to her operator, J. H. Winchester, 15 June 1945.

Commercial and army service

Owned by the Maritime Administration, she served on the merchant sealanes and later with the Army Transportation Service primarily in the Pacific. She was transferred by the Maritime Administration to the Navy 22 July 1950 and placed in service 1 August 1950.

MSTS service

Manned by a civilian crew, she operated under the control of MSTS and made supply runs and troop lifts between west coast

West Coast of the United States

West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

 ports and American bases in Japan and South Korea. From 20 April 1951 to 13 September 1962 she completed 20 deployments to Korean waters as a part of the vital seaborne supply line between Japan and Korea.

Deactivation

She was returned to the custody of the Maritime Administration 5 November 1952 and was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

National Defense Reserve Fleet

The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...

 in Puget Sound

Puget Sound

Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...

, Olympia, Washington

Olympia, Washington

Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...

. Her name was struck from the Navy List

Naval Vessel Register

The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...

 22 December 1952. The ship was scrapped in 1972.

Awards

Lt. Raymond O. Beaudoin received four battle stars for service during the Korean War.