USS Refuge ( AH - 11 ) USS " Refuge " ( AH - 11 ) , was a hospital ship of the United States Navy during World War II . The ship was built in 1921 by the New York Shipbuilding Corp . , of Camden , New Jersey , as SS " Blue Hen State , but was renamed SS " President Madison in 1923 for service with American President Lines . Acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration on 11 April 1942 for conversion to a troop transport , she was renamed USS " Kenmore " ( AP - 62 ) , and commissioned at Baltimore , Maryland , on 5 August 1942 , with Commander Myron T . Richardson in command . Merchant service . " Blue Hen State " was renamed " President Garfield " in 1922 . She was transferred to Dollar Line in 1938 and renamed " President Madison " , passing to the United States Navy in 1942 as USS " Kenmore " . Service as " Kenmore " ( AP - 62 ) . Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay , " Kenmore " put in at Norfolk , Virginia , on 6 September and embarked men and equipment of the 13th Marine Defense Battalion and the 18th and 19th Naval Construction Battalions . Departing on 19 September , she docked at Guantánamo Bay , Cuba , on 24 September and steamed in convoy for the Pacific on 4 October . Arriving off Nouméa , New Caledonia , on 11 November , she debarked her troops and offloaded her cargo , then reported on 9 November to Rear Adm . Richmond K . Turner , Commander , Amphibious Forces , South Pacific . " Kenmore " departed Nouméa on 28 November as a unit of Task Force 62 , arriving off the beach east of Togoma Point , Guadalcanal , on 3 December . There she offloaded troops and cargo for two days , thence returned to Nouméa on 11 December . She next steamed unescorted to San Francisco , arriving on 5 January 1943 for an overhaul at General Engineering & Drydock Company . From 8 February until 27 May , " Kenmore " transported troops and cargo between San Francisco and the Hawaiian Islands . Departing San Francisco on 13 June , she steamed for Nouméa , arriving on 6 July . A call at Tenaru Beach , Guadalcanal on 13 July was followed by a return to Nouméa on the 20th , with departure for the east coast of the United States five days later . She transited the Panama Canal on 19 August , took on passengers at Cristóbal , and steamed via Guantanamo for Norfolk , Virginia , arriving there on 2 September . She then decommissioned at Baltimore , Maryland , on 16 September , for conversion to a hospital ship by the Maryland Drydock Company . Recommissioned as " Refuge " ( AH - 11 ) . Renamed " Refuge " and redesignated AH - 11 , the ship recommissioned at Baltimore on 24 February 1944 , with Commander M . A . Jurkops in command . After a partial fitting out at Baltimore , she steamed on 10 March to the Norfolk Navy Yard . Assigned to the Service Force , Atlantic , she commenced assisting in the transport of casualties from the war zones to the United States . Atlantic Service . Departing Hampton Roads on 20 April , " Refuge " embarked patients at Mers El Kébir , Algeria , from 6 – 8 May , and returned to Charleston , South Carolina , on 24 May . From 1 June through 29 July 1944 , she made two voyages to the British Isles , embarking patients at Belfast , Northern Ireland ; Liverpool , England ; and Milford Haven , Wales . These patients were returned to Newport News and Norfolk , Virginia . Sailing again for the Mediterranean on 2 August , she arrived at Oran , Algeria on the 17th , thence proceeded to the southern coast of France for operations between St . Tropez Bay and Naples , Italy . She departed Naples on 16 September with embarked patients , took on additional patients at Oran , then steamed for New York , arriving on 6 October . South Pacific Duty . After an overhaul at New York , " Refuge " departed on 1 November 1944 for $ 3 duty with the Service Force , 7th Fleet . After stopping at $ 3 , Dutch New Guinea , on 16 December , she continued on three days later for the Philippines . Arriving San Pedro Bay , Leyte , on Christmas Eve , she commenced the embarkation of patients from small landing craft . By 30 June 1945 she had made six voyages from that area to deliver her casualties to either Hollandia , New Guinea or Seeadler Harbor , Manus , the Admiralties . She departed Seeadler Harbor on 1 July for Manila , where she received patients from various fleet units through to the end of August 1945 . " Refuge " departed Manila on 31 August for Jinsen , Korea , arriving 8 September . She sailed on the 17th , embarked evacuees at Shanghai , China , thence steamed for Okinawa , arriving 2 October . She then made two voyages between Okinawa and Tsingtao , China through 20 October . After embarking patients and troops for return to the United States , " Refuge " departed Okinawa on 22 October , took on additional patients at Saipan , and arrived in San Francisco on 18 November . An overhaul took her through 9 December , and two days later she departed for Yokosuka , Japan , arriving on 4 January 1946 . After embarking Army troops for transportation to the United States , she departed on 7 January and returned to Seattle , Washington , on the 28th . Decommission . " Refuge " decommissioned at Seattle on 2 April 1946 . Her name was struck from the Navy list on 8 May 1946 and she was delivered to the War Shipping Administration on 29 June 1946 . She was sold for scrap to Consolidated Builders on 2 February 1948 . USS " Refuge " received one battle star for World War II service .