.gif)
USS Menard (APA-201)
Encyclopedia
USS Menard (APA-201) was a that saw service with the US Navy in World War II, the Korean War
and Vietnam War
.
Menard was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver, Washington
on 12 July 1944; launched 11 October 1944 sponsored by Mrs. Clarence Gustaveson; acquired by the Navy 31 October 1944; and commissioned the same day at Astoria, Oregon
, Comdr. James B. Bliss in command.
, Menard embarked troops and loaded cargo at Port Hueneme, California
, before sailing for Hawaii
an waters 4 January 1945. Arriving 10 January, she participated in amphibious training exercises out of Pearl Harbor
until 22 February when she joined a convoy
bound for the western Pacific. She touched at American bases in the Marshalls
, the Carolines
, and the Palaus, and on 16 March reached Leyte Gulf
, Philippines
, where she staged for the impending invasion of Okinawa. Assigned to Transport Division 14, she cleared the approaches to Leyte
27 March and sailed northward for the Ryukyus.
Menard closed the coast of Okinawa early 1 April and boatloaded her assault troops for the amphibious
sweep to the invasion beaches. Thence, she began off-loading support cargo; despite numerous antishipping strikes by Japanese bombing and suicide planes, she continued these vital supply operations during the next week. On 6 April, an enemy suicide plane attacked her from starboard. Intense gunfire from Menard splashed it off the transport's port quarter.
Departing Okinawa 9 April, Menard steamed in convoy via the Marianas and the Marshalls to Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 25th. After conducting training operations in preparation for possible invasion of the Japanese mainland, she steamed to San Francisco between 11 and 18 May. She embarked 1,101 troop reinforcements on the 29th and the following day cleared the Golden Gate
en route to the Philippines. She reached Samar
23 June and discharged her troops. After embarking more than 300 wounded veterans, she departed for the West Coast 4 July and returned to San Francisco the 23d.
18 September and carried 1,467 occupation troops to Japan. She arrived at Nagasaki 23 September, debarked her troops, and sailed the 28th for "Magic Carpet" duty.
Steaming via the Philippines, Menard embarked 1,898 homeward bound troops at Okinawa and sailed 22 October for the United States. She reached Portland, Oregon
6 November; during the rest of 1945 she carried returning veterans to various ports along the West Coast. Between 2 January and 5 February 1946, she steamed to Guam
and back, arriving at Seattle with 2,057 troops embarked.
Menard proceeded to San Francisco 27 February and on 8 April, reported to the 19th Fleet at Stockton
. Remaining there, she was placed in commission, in reserve, 27 November 1946. On 20 March 1947, she was placed in service, in reserve. She decommissioned 14 June 1948 and remained at Stockton with the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
and corresponding demands on American seapower, Menard recommissioned 2 December 1950. After intensive shakedown, she steamed to the Far East
in early 1951 to support the movement of men and supplies to the war-torn Korean peninsula
. For more than 3 years, she operated between Japanese and South Korea
n ports and from the West Coast to the Far East to bolster the vital ocean supply lines to ground forces in South Korea. She provided valuable support to the U.S. effort of repelling Communist aggression in the Republic of Korea.
and carried refugees and supplies to freedom in the South.
for deactivation. She commissioned 18 October 1955 and remained berthed at Long Beach. Ordered to be transferred to the Maritime Administration in 1961, her name was struck from the Navy List 1 September 1961. In 1969, Menard was berthed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay
, California.
Final Disposition: Menard was sold to the Gillette Razor Company
in 1975 for scrap.
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...
and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Menard was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Shipbuilding of Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
on 12 July 1944; launched 11 October 1944 sponsored by Mrs. Clarence Gustaveson; acquired by the Navy 31 October 1944; and commissioned the same day at Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, Comdr. James B. Bliss in command.
World War II
After shakedown and training along the West CoastWest 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...
, Menard embarked troops and loaded cargo at Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
, before sailing for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an waters 4 January 1945. Arriving 10 January, she participated in amphibious training exercises out of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
until 22 February when she joined a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
bound for the western Pacific. She touched at American bases in the Marshalls
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
, the Carolines
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, and the Palaus, and on 16 March reached Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, where she staged for the impending invasion of Okinawa. Assigned to Transport Division 14, she cleared the approaches to Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
27 March and sailed northward for the Ryukyus.
Menard closed the coast of Okinawa early 1 April and boatloaded her assault troops for the amphibious
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
sweep to the invasion beaches. Thence, she began off-loading support cargo; despite numerous antishipping strikes by Japanese bombing and suicide planes, she continued these vital supply operations during the next week. On 6 April, an enemy suicide plane attacked her from starboard. Intense gunfire from Menard splashed it off the transport's port quarter.
Departing Okinawa 9 April, Menard steamed in convoy via the Marianas and the Marshalls to Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 25th. After conducting training operations in preparation for possible invasion of the Japanese mainland, she steamed to San Francisco between 11 and 18 May. She embarked 1,101 troop reinforcements on the 29th and the following day cleared the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
en route to the Philippines. She reached Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
23 June and discharged her troops. After embarking more than 300 wounded veterans, she departed for the West Coast 4 July and returned to San Francisco the 23d.
After hostilities
Following a brief overhaul at Seattle, Menard again sailed for the western Pacific 8 August. For more than a month she shuttled troops to U.S. bases in the Marshalls, the Carolines, and the Marianas. She departed SaipanSaipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
18 September and carried 1,467 occupation troops to Japan. She arrived at Nagasaki 23 September, debarked her troops, and sailed the 28th for "Magic Carpet" duty.
Steaming via the Philippines, Menard embarked 1,898 homeward bound troops at Okinawa and sailed 22 October for the United States. She reached Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
6 November; during the rest of 1945 she carried returning veterans to various ports along the West Coast. Between 2 January and 5 February 1946, she steamed to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and back, arriving at Seattle with 2,057 troops embarked.
Menard proceeded to San Francisco 27 February and on 8 April, reported to the 19th Fleet at Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
. Remaining there, she was placed in commission, in reserve, 27 November 1946. On 20 March 1947, she was placed in service, in reserve. She decommissioned 14 June 1948 and remained at Stockton with the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Korean War
In light of the Korean WarKorean 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...
and corresponding demands on American seapower, Menard recommissioned 2 December 1950. After intensive shakedown, she steamed to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
in early 1951 to support the movement of men and supplies to the war-torn Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
. For more than 3 years, she operated between Japanese and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n ports and from the West Coast to the Far East to bolster the vital ocean supply lines to ground forces in South Korea. She provided valuable support to the U.S. effort of repelling Communist aggression in the Republic of Korea.
Vietnam
Following the Armistice, which ended overt hostilities, Menard continued to operate in the Pacific in support of peacekeeping operations. As a unit of the ever-vigilant 7th Fleet, she steamed to the troubled waters of Vietnam and during the latter part of 1954, participated in the vital "Passage-to-Freedom" operations. During this period, she made runs from Communist controlled North VietnamNorth Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
and carried refugees and supplies to freedom in the South.
Decommissioning
Menard returned to the West Coast in mid-1955 and on 1 July reported to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Long BeachLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
for deactivation. She commissioned 18 October 1955 and remained berthed at Long Beach. Ordered to be transferred to the Maritime Administration in 1961, her name was struck from the Navy List 1 September 1961. In 1969, Menard was berthed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay
Suisun Bay
Suisun Bay is a shallow tidal estuary at in northern California, USA. It lies at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, forming the entrance to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, an inverted river delta...
, California.
Final Disposition: Menard was sold to the Gillette Razor Company
Global Gillette
Gillette is a brand of Procter & Gamble currently used for safety razors, among other personal care products. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was one of several brands originally owned by The Gillette Company, a leading global supplier of products under various brands, which was...
in 1975 for scrap.