Merchant Ships Used in the Korean War (original) (raw)
The following list from the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, U.S. Navy 1956, lists Merchant ships that were in the war zone during the Korean War. Presence in the war zone during specified dates entitled mariners to the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.
Ships not listed in the manual that have been added to the list are listed in bold-faced type.
*Asterisk denotes foreign-flag ship.
**Ships marked with double asterisk sailed under the Korean flag with a Korean crew but had an American captain, chief engineer and radio officer who were on board these vessels instructing the Koreans when the war started.
***In 1949, prior to the start of the Korean War, Captain Al Meschter and Chief Engineer Albert C. Willis were assigned to the SS Kimball R. Smith to train the Korean crew. This was one of the five “Baltic Coaster” class ships loaned to South Korea by the U.S. government. While Meschter and Willis were on the ship, the Korean crew mutinied and took the ship to a North Korean port where Meschter and Willis were interned for 81 days before being released. North Korea used the SS Kimball R. Smith during the war.
| Acorn Knot | Adelphia Victory | Admiral Dewey | Adrian Victory | Afoundria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African Glade | African Grooe | African Moon | African Patriot | African Pilgrim |
| African Pilot | African | African Star | Aiken Victory | Alamo Victory |
| Alaskan | Albion Victory | Alfred Victory | Allegheny Victory | Alma Victory |
| Amarillo Victory | American | American Attorney | American Eagle | American Press |
| American Veteran | American Victory | Amerocian | Amersea | Amos G. Throop |
| Ampac Idaho | Ampac Nevada | Ampac Oregon | Anacostia | Angus Glenn* |
| Angus McDonald | Anne Butler | Annie C. | Annioc | Anniston Victory |
| Apollo | Arcadia Victory | Argovan* | Arizpa | Asbury Victory |
| Atlantic Water | Atlanticus | Audrey II | Augustine Daly | B.T. Irvine |
| Badger Mariner | Barbara Fritchie | Barenfels* | Barnard Victory | Barbara Lykes |
| Barney Krishbaum | Bartlesville Victory | Baylor Victory | Baton Rouge Victory | Beatrice Victory |
| Beauregard | Beaver Victory | Bedford Victory | Belgium Victory | Belocean* |
| Beloit Victory | Benjamin Hawkins | Berea Victory | Bessemer Victory | Binghampton Victory |
| Black Eagle | Bloomington Victory | Blue Cross State | Blue Field Victory | Blue Island Victory |
| Blue Star | Booker T. Washington | Boulder Victory | Bowdoin Victory | Boy |
| Brainerd Victory | Brazil Victory | Brigham Victory | Bright Star | Britain Victory |
| Buckeye Mariner | Bucknell Victory | Bucyrus Victory | Burco Traider | Burbank Victory |
| C.C.N.Y. Victory | Cache | Cahaba | California | California Bear |
| Californian | Canada Mail | Caney | Canton Victory | Cape Comfort |
| Cape Elizabeth | Cape Saunders | Capt N.B. Palmer | Carlton Victory | Carroll Victory |
| Catawba Victory | Catherine Goulandris | Cecil N. Bean | Cedar Creek | Central Victory |
| Chain Trader | Charles Lykes | Charles M. Conrad | Charels McNary | Charles Winsor** |
| Chepacket | China Victory | Choctau | Christain | Christine |
| Christos M. | Citrus Packer | City of Alma | Clarksburg Victory | Clarksville Victory |
| Clearwater Victory | Clove Hitch | Clovis Victory | Coastal Sentry | Codington |
| Coe Victory | Coeur d'Alene Victory | Cohocton | Columbia Trader | Compass |
| Constitution Statte | Cooper Union Victory | Coral Sea | Cornell Victory | Cornhusker Mariner |
| Cossatot | Cotton Mariner | Cotton State | Council Bluffs Victory | Cowanewque |
| Creighton Victory | Cuba Victory | David B. Johnson | David W. Field | De Pauw Victory |
| Del Aires | Del Alba | Denise | Diamond Mariner | Digby County |
| Ditto | Dolly Turman | Dorothy Stevenson | Drury Victory | Dudley Thomas |
| Duke Victory | Durango Victory | Earlham Victory | East Point Victory | Edison Mariner |
| Edwin Markhan | Eileen | Elby | Elko Victory | Elly |
| Elmira Victory | Empire Marshall* | Empire State Mariner | Empire Viceroy | Empire Wallace* |
| Enid Victory | Escambia | Escanaba Victory | Eithopia Victory | Eugenie |
| Exmouth | Fairhope | Federal Voyager | Ferdinand Westfall | Fora C. |
| Frederic C. Collins | Frederick Brouchard | Frederick Collin | Frederick C. Williamson | Free State Mariner |
| Fribourg Trader | Frontenac Victory | Furman Victory | Gainsville Victory | Gen. George Patton |
| George A. Lawson | George Culuaunds | George Eastman | Geroge F. Duval | Golden City |
| Golden Mariner | Great Falls Victory | Greece Victory | Greeley Victory | Green Bay Victory |
| Green Harbor | Green Star | Green Valley | Gretna Victory | Grinnell Victory |
| Groton Trails | Gulf Water | Halalua Victory | Hamilton Victory | Hannibal Victory |
| Harold Andrews | Harold D. Whitehead | Harold L. Winslow | Harpoon | Harvard Victory |
| Hattiesburg Victory | Hawaii Bear | Hawaiian | Hawkeye Mariner | Helen Lykes |
| Helen Stevenson | Hendry D. Lindsley | Heywood Brown | Hibbing Victory | Holy Star |
| Honda Knot | Hongkong Transport | Hoosier Mariner | Hoosier State | Hope Victory |
| Hunter Victory | Hurricane Ike (former Sea Daring) | Iran Victory | Irene Star | Issac Van Zandt |
| Israel Putnam | James B. Weaver | James H. Couper | James H. Price | James McHenry |
| Jefferson City Victory* | Jelandside | Jericho Victory | John B. Whidden** | John Ball |
| John C. | Hohn H.B. Lathrobe | Hohn H. Marion | John Hanson | John Howland |
| John Kulkundis | John L. Sullivan | John Lyras | John Paul Jones | John T. McMillan |
| Johns W. McKay | John W. Powell | Joliet Victory | Joplin Victory | Jose Marti |
| Joseph Feuer | Joseph Lee | Joseph Priestly | Josuah Slocum | Jumper Hitch |
| Katharine B. Sherwood | Kelso Victory | Kenneth Stevenson | Kenyon Victory | Kern |
| Keystone Mariner | ***Kimball R. Smith | Knox Victory | Lafayette | Lafayette Victory |
| Lahaina Victory | Lake Minnewanka | Lake Pennask | Lakeland Victory | Lakeside* |
| Lakewood Victory | Lane Victory | Laredo Victory | Lawrence Victory | Letitia Lykes |
| Lewis H. Emory Jr. | Libery Bell | Liberty Flag | Lilica | Linfield Victory |
| Lipari | Loma Victory | Lone Star Mariner | Longview Victory | Loyola Victory |
| Lucille Bloomfield | Lumber Carrier | Lumberman* | Luxembourg Victory | Lynn Victory |
| M.E. Comerford | Macalester Victory | Madaket | Malden Victory | Manderson Victory |
| Mankato Victory | Marine Snapper | Mariner | Marquette Victory | Marshfield Victory |
| Martin Behrman | Marven | Mary Adams | Mary J. Goulandris | Mascoma |
| Massillon Victory | Mayfield Victory | Mayfield Victory | Meredith Victory | Meridian Victory |
| Michael J. Goulandris | Michael Moran | Millicoma | Minot Victory | Mission Buenaventura |
| Mission Capistrano | Mission Carmel | Mission De Pala | Mission Dolores | Mission Loreto |
| Mission Los Angeles | Mission Pursimia | Mission San Antonio | Mission San Carlos | Mission San Diego |
| Mission San Fernando | Mission San Francisco | Mission San Gabriel | Mission San Juan | Mission San Jose |
| Mission San Luis Obispo | Mission San Miguel | Mission San Rafel | Mission Santa Ana | Mission Santa Barbara |
| Mission Santa Cruz | Mission Solano | Mission Soledad | Mohawk | Mohican |
| Monroe Victory | Morgantown Victory | Mormacdale | Mormacelm | Mormacmar |
| Mormacmoon | Mormacpine | Mormacport | Mormacrio | Mormacson |
| Mormacspruce | Mormactide | Mormacwave | Morning Light | Mother M. L. |
| Mountain Mariner | Muhlenberg Victory | Muir Woods | Nashua Victory | Nat Brown** |
| Nathaniel Crosley | Navajo Victory | Neptunes | Nevadan | New Rochelle Victory |
| New World Victory | New Zealand Victory | Newaden | Newcastle | Niantic Victory |
| Nicholas C.H. | Nigel | Noon Day | Norcuba | North Heaven |
| North Light | North Pilot (former Westchester) | North Platte Victory | Norwich Victory | Nutmeg Mariner |
| Oberlin Victory | Ocala Victory | Occidental Victory | Ocean Betty | Ocean Lotte |
| Ocean Navigator | Ocean Seaman | Ocean Skipper | Ocean Star | Ocean Victory |
| Ocean Villa | Oceanic | Ocklawaha | Old Colony Mariner | Old Dominion |
| Mariner | Old Dominion State | Olympic Pioneer | Omega | Ontonagon |
| Oshkosh Victory | P & T Explorer | P & T Navigator | P & T Pathfinder | Pacific Victory |
| Paducah Victory | Palmetto Mariner | Pamanset | Pan American Victory | Park Benjamin |
| Pecos | Pegor | Pelegia (former Sea World) | Pelican Mariner | Petaluma |
| Peter Dell II* | Pierre Victory | Pine Tree Mariner | Pioneer Dale | Pioneer Valley |
| Piscataqua | Plymouth Victory | Portland Trader | Prairie Mariner | President Harrison |
| Princeton Victory | Provo Victory | Purdue Victory | Purple Star | Queens Victory |
| Ragnor Naess (former Sea Pender) | Red Oak Victory | Reef Knot | Rheinholt | Rice Victory |
| Richard H. Davis | Rider Victory | Rincon | Robert B. Forbes | Robert G. Ingersoll |
| Robin Goodfellow | Robin Gray | Robin Hood | Robin Kirk | Robin Mowbray |
| Robin Trent | Rock Springs Victory | Rose Knot | Rutgers Victory | Sailor's Splice |
| San Mateo Victory | Santa Clara Victory | Santa Venetia | Sappa Creek | Sapulpa Victory |
| Saugatuck | Saxon | Schuyler | Schuyler Otis Bland | Schuylkill |
| Sea Bon | Sea Champion | Sea Cliff | Sea Comet II | Sea Coral |
| Sea Coronet | Sea Daring | Sea Faith | Sea Fort | Sea Garden |
| Sea Gate | Seat Glamor | Sea Glider | Sea Globe | Sea Herald |
| Sea Leader | Sea Legend | Sea Life | Sea Manor | Sea Merchant |
| Sea Merit (former Simon Benson) | Sea Monitor | Sea Mystery | Sea Pender | Sea Ranger |
| Sea Splendor | Sea Star | Sea Victory | Sea Wind | Sea World |
| Seaborne | Sebec | Selma Victory | Seton Hall Victory | Sharon Victory |
| Shawnee Trail | Shinecock Bay | Simmons Victory | Sioux Falls Victory | Soubarissen |
| South Bend Victory | Southwestern Victory | St. Augustine Victory | Stathes Yamaglias* | Stock Star |
| Saumico | Sue Lykes | Sunion | Susquehanna | Swarthmore Victory |
| Sword Knot | Tabitha Brown | Taddei | Tainaron | Tallulah |
| Tamalpais | Tar Heel Mariner | Texan | Thunderbird | Timber Hitch |
| Tomahawk | Towanda Victory | Transamerican | Transatlantic | Transoceanic |
| Transpacific | Transunion | Trinity Victory | Trojan Trader | Tucson Victory |
| Tulane Victory | Tuskegee Victory | Twin Falls Victory | Union Victory | USO Victory |
| Valdosta Victory | Vanderbilt Victory | Vercharmain* | Virginia City Victory | Volunteer Mariner |
| Wabash | Wake Forest Victory | Valcosta | Walter F. Perry | Waltham Victory |
| Walton* | Warrior | Warwick Victory | Wellesley Victory | Wesleyan Victory |
| West Linn Victory | Westchester | Western Ocean | Western Rancher | Western Trader |
| Westport | William Carruth | William Clagatate | William Coddington | William Eaton |
| William F. Lester** | William McLean | William Wilmer | Wolverine Mariner | Woodstock Victory |
| Xavier Victory | Yankee Pioneer | Yugoslavia Victory |
Sources
All Hands, “One Year of Korea,” June 1951, 10.
Cagle, Malcom W. and Frank A. Manson The Sea War in Korea (1957).
MSTS Magazine “Five Years of Service to the Services,” October 1954.
Seafarers Log “The Merchant Marine Goes to War in Korea,” September 1950.
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