USS Procyon ( AKA - 2 ) USS " Procyon " ( AKA - 2 ) was an named after " Procyon , " a star in the constellation " Canis Minor . " She served as a commissioned ship for 5 years and 4 months . Service history . " Procyon " ( AK – 19 ) was laid down 15 January 1940 as Maritime Commission C hull 22 , SS " Sweepstakes " , by the Tampa Shipbuilding Company , Tampa , Florida , launched and acquired by the Navy , through MARAD , 14 November 1940 ; sponsored by Miss Dorthy Ramspeck ; and commissioned on 8 August 1941 as " Procyon " ( AK – 19 ) , at Charleston , S . C . , Comdr . Lem P . Padgett , Jr . , in command . Pacific . After shakedown , " Procyon " was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service and she reported to Norfolk , Va . on 25 August to load cargo for Caribbean bases . She sailed 2 September reaching as far as Panama before returning to Norfolk on the 23rd . She put to sea again on 10 October , transited the Panama Canal 20 October bound for San Pedro , Calif . , and proceeded to Pearl Harbor 12 November . " Procyon " remained at Pearl 18 – 24 November and returned to California at the end of the month . She was entering the Mare Island Navy Yard the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor , when , receiving emergency sailing orders , she shifted to a San Francisco dock to load a cargo of blood plasma and medical supplies . Departing San Francisco 12 December , she entered Pearl Harbor on the 19th . " Procyon " returned to San Francisco 6 January 1942 and commenced round - the - clock loading of fighter planes and their Marine pilots destined for Pago Pago , Samoa . She completed three round trips between those points by 23 April . Invasion of North Africa . " Procyon " transported troops and equipment through August to Malevu Island , Noumea and Pearl , and then transferred to the Atlantic in September to join the Amphibious Force of the U . S . Atlantic Fleet for the planned invasion of North Africa . She sailed 24 October with the Southern Attack Group of Admiral H . Kent Hewitt ' s Western Naval Task Force , which gathered at midnight 7 – 8 November off the Moroccan coast . " Procyon " participated in the assault operations which brought about the surrender of Cape Fedhela and Casablanca and returned to Norfolk 30 November for conversion to an attack cargo ship . Redesignated AKA – 2 on 1 February 1943 , she spent the next two months conducting amphibious warfare exercises in the Chesapeake Bay area . In April she put into the yards at Philadelphia for the installation of radar and additional armament . Sicily , Salerno , and southern France . " Procyon " participated in the invasion landings at Sicily in July and at Salerno in September . Unloading army vehicles at Naples , following the invasion at Salerno , " Procyon " moved to Arzew , Algeria and commenced a program of shipboard indoctrination and practice assault landings for the training of Free French Forces , including Algerian and Senegalese troops . When this training ceased 22 November , she shifted to Oran and joined a convoy headed for the Clyde River in Scotland . She entered the Clyde River 9 December and docked at Glasgow to off - load mail , army personnel , and much needed aircraft parts and ammunition cases . Ten days later she passed out to sea in convoy and under escort by HMS " Searcher " , bound for the U . S . She arrived Norfolk 2 January 1944 , and following independent operations , shifted to New York 14 February to load cargo for shipment to the British Isles . Skirting known positions of German " wolf - packs " , she reached Swansea , Wales 11 March and sailed again 13 April with a merchant convoy bound for Algeria . She entered the now familiar Mers - el - Kebir Harbor 26 April and commenced a hectic training schedule in preparation for the invasion of Southern France . " Procyon " , with men of the 180th Battalion of the famed 45th " Thunderbird " Division embarked , participated in the landings at the Golfe de St . Tropez 15 August . Three times she returned to France carrying Army cargo from Naples before sailing 20 October to return to Philadelphia . Battle of Okinawa . " Procyon " departed Philadelphia 28 December for her second tour of Pacific duty , arriving Pearl Harbor 19 January 1945 . She operated in support of the Okinawa invasion during April , returning to San Francisco 19 May to begin a series of shuttle runs to Hawaii , Ulithi and Samar . In October she transported occupation troops to Japan from the Philippines , and by 2 November she was making best speed for Seattle , Washington . Decommissioning and sale . " Procyon " arrived Seattle 14 November , shifted to Portland , Oregon 18 November , and sailed two days later to report to the Mare Island Navy Yard for inactivation . She decommissioned there on 23 March 1946 , was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 12 April , and was returned to MARAD on 1 July for lay up at Suisun Bay , California . She was subsequently sold for scrap to Levin Metals Corp . on 19 November 1973 . " Procyon " earned five battle stars for World War II service .