USS Henderson ( AP - 1 ) The first USS " Henderson " ( AP - 1 ) was a transport in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II . In 1943 , she was converted to a hospital ship and commissioned as USS " Bountiful " ( AH - 9 ) . Named for Marine General Archibald Henderson , she was launched by Philadelphia Navy Yard on 17 June 1916 ; sponsored by Miss Genevieve W . Taylor , great - granddaughter of General Henderson ; and commissioned at Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on 24 May 1917 , Lt . C . W . Steel in command . Service history . World War I , 1917 – 1918 . " Henderson " arrived New York on 12 June 1917 and sailed two days later with Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves ' Cruiser and Transport Force , which carried units of the American Expeditionary Force to France . In her holds she had space for 1 , 500 men and 24 mules . Reaching Saint - Nazaire on 27 June she disembarked troops and returned to Philadelphia on 17 July 1917 . Subsequently , " Henderson " made eight more voyages to France with troops and supplies for the allies in the bitter European fighting . She established two large base hospitals in France during 1917 . In constant danger from submarines , the transport was steaming near Army transport on 17 October 1917 when the latter was torpedoed . " Henderson " escaped attack by wrapping herself in an envelope of smoke . But torpedoes were not her only danger . She sailed for her seventh voyage on 30 June 1918 to France . A serious fire broke out in a cargo hold on 2 July 1918 . Destroyers and transferred her troop passengers to nearby transports without loss of life , and determined firefighting crews soon brought the flames under control . She sailed again from Philadelphia Tuesday 13 August 1918 and arrived at the port of Brest , France Monday 25 August 1918 . Caribbean , 1918 – 1923 . Following the armistice , " Henderson " made eight more transatlantic voyages bringing home members of the A . E . F . She carried more than 10 , 000 veterans before returning to Philadelphia on 27 December 1919 . She then took up duty as troop rotation ship for Marine units in the Caribbean , carrying Marines , their dependents , and supplies to bases in Cuba , Haiti , and other islands . She also participated in Marine training maneuvers in Florida before returning to Philadelphia on 6 July 1920 . After an extended period of repairs , the transport resumed her duties in the Caribbean . This was interrupted from 21 June to 21 July as " Henderson " carried military and civilian leaders to observe the historic bombing tests off the Virginia Capes . During the next few years , she also performed ceremonial duties , embarking a congressional party to observe fleet maneuvers in the Caribbean in the spring of 1923 , and carrying President Warren G . Harding on an inspection tour of Alaska . The President called at Metlakatla , Ketchikan , Wrangell , Juneau , Skagway , Seward , Valdez , Cordova and Sitka in Alaska , as well as Vancouver , Canada . He reviewed the fleet off Seattle from the deck of " Henderson " , and departed on 27 July 1923 , only five days before his death . Pacific , 1924 – 1941 . During Fleet Problem III in early 1924 , " Henderson " participated in a mock amphibious invasion of the Panama Canal Zone . This major training operation by the fleet helped practice assault techniques and led to improved landing craft as well . The ship also aided in the protection of American interests in the volatile Caribbean states and in the Far East . " Henderson " arrived Shanghai on 2 May 1927 with Marines for the garrison there , and remained in China for six months protecting American nationals in the war - torn country . Here members of her crew originated the " Domain of the Golden Dragon , " having cruised back and forth across the International Date Line . The troop transport was engaged in carrying replacements for the fleet and the Marines in China for the next fourteen years . World War II , 1941 – 1943 . " Henderson " had left Pearl Harbor to transport troops to California not long before the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941 . On hearing of the attack , the captain feared that the Japanese flotilla would continue on to California , having eliminated any opposition from Hawaii . " Henderson " would be a slow , conspicuous , and solitary target in their path . He set course for Alaska to avoid being overcome , maintaining strict radio silence even in the face of repeated attempts by the Navy to contact the ship and verify its survival . " Henderson " then hugged the Pacific Northwest coast down to San Francisco Bay , arriving several days after it had been presumed missing in action . During the Pacific War , " Henderson " continued its service as a transport between California and Hawaii , making over 20 such voyages with fighting men , civilian passengers , and cargo . On her last voyage she departed Port Hueneme on 18 July 1943 and arrived Nouméa with 71 much - needed nurses . The transport then sailed to the Solomon Islands with SeaBee s before returning to San Francisco on 24 September 1943 . " Henderson " decommissioned on 13 October 1943 for conversion to a hospital ship at General Engineering & Dry Dock Company , Oakland , California . Hospital ship , 1944 – 1946 . The ship was recommissioned as USS " Bountiful " ( AH - 9 ) on 23 March 1944 , Comdr . G . L . Burns in command . " Bountiful " departed San Francisco on 1 April 1944 for Honolulu , returned later that month , and sailed once more on 1 May for the western Pacific . After brief service at Honolulu and Eniwetok the ship arrived on 18 June at the Saipan invasion beaches . She made three passages to the hospitals on Kwajalein with casualties of the Marianas invasions . About this time " Bountiful " established one of the few blood banks in a Naval ship . The floating hospital remained at Manus until 17 September when she sailed for the Palaus to bring casualties of the Peleliu landing to hospitals in the Solomons . After November " Bountiful " operated between Leyte and the rear bases carrying veterans of the Philippines campaign . She departed Manus on 24 February 1945 for Ulithi and Saipan to receive casualties of the bitter Iwo Jima assault , and in the next months sailed to rendezvous with the fleet to take on wounded from Iwo Jima , Okinawa , and the fleet units themselves . Returning to Leyte Gulf on 15 June , she remained until 21 July , and then got underway for California . " Bountiful " arrived after war ' s end , sailing into San Francisco Bay on 21 August 1945 . " Bountiful " was then assigned as hospital ship at Yokosuka , Japan , departing San Francisco 1 November 1945 . She arrived on 24 November to support the occupation forces , and remained until 27 March 1946 when she sailed for San Francisco . After delivering her patients , the ship sailed on 26 May for the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll , and after providing medical services during the series of nuclear blasts during " Operation Crossroads " , she returned to Seattle on 15 August 1946 . Decommissioning and sale . " Bountiful " decommissioned on 13 September 1946 , and was sold for scrap by the Maritime Commission on 28 January 1948 to Consolidated Builders , Inc . , Seattle . Awards . " Bountiful " received four battle stars for World War II service .