SS American Victory SS " American Victory " is a Victory ship built during World War II . " American Victory " was preserved in 1998 to serve as a museum ship in Tampa , Florida . She is the main feature of the American Victory Ship & Museum , also known as the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship . History . Named after American University in Washington , D . C . , the ship was built at the California Shipbuilding Yard ( Calship ) in Los Angeles , California and was delivered on 20 June 1945 . " American Victory " carried cargo in the Pacific until the end of the war , when she collected military equipment from Calcutta and Port Said for return to the United States Post - WWII Service . From June 1946 until November 1947 , " American Victory " was chartered by American Export Lines , carrying foodstuffs and machinery exported from the United States to Europe under the Marshall Plan . She was then laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet until she was again chartered by commercial shipping lines from 1951 until January 1954 , when she entered the Sabine River Reserve Fleet in Texas . In 1963 plans were made to convert her and 14 other Victory ships to " forward depot " vessels , to be loaded with materiel and stationed near potential flashpoints to provide American forces with pre - positioned supplies . This scheme was cancelled in February 1966 after only three conversions had been carried out . Had " American Victory " been converted , she would have been renamed USNS " Carthage " and assigned pennant AG 185 . " American Victory " was removed from reserve in 1966 and chartered to the Hudson Waterways Corporation , which used her to ferry military equipment to American forces in South Vietnam . She was deactivated again in October 1969 and placed in the James River Reserve Fleet in Virginia where she remained until 1985 . " American Victory " was then renovated as part of a program to determine the efforts needed to reactivate mothballed Victory ships . In June , after $ 2 . 5 million had been spent to bring her up to operational condition , she sailed for just 26 hours before returning to the Reserve Fleet . Current status . One of several Victory ships due to be scrapped , she was rescued in October 1998 for preservation as a museum ship and memorial . " American Victory " arrived at Tampa under tow on 16 September 1999 . She is now on display and included on the National Register of Historic Places . Guided and self - guided tours of the ship are available , though some areas are off limits for tours , such as the lower areas of the engine room ( but visible from a catwalk ) . Photos of her drydock restoration are hanging in the mess hall . Several rooms , such as the captain ' s quarters and galley cold storage , have been restored and are decorated in original period memorabilia . " American Victory " has been upgraded with modern VHF radio and radar ( visible on the command deck ) , and more modern electronics have been added to the electricians ' quarters and radio room , but she is generally in her historic form . Her 3 - inch bow mounted deck gun is still in place , although it has been demilitarized . The museum " crew " take pride in the fact that she is a seaworthy vessel . In addition to her floating museum role , " American Victory " still sails for " Living History Day Cruises " . Of the 534 Victory ships completed , only three remain working : " American Victory " at Tampa , at Los Angeles , and at Richmond , California . Until November 2012 , a fourth , USNS " Range Sentinel " , originally , was in storage , but she has been sold for scrapping . In late 2009 , a Facedown Records music video by the Christian metal band Onward To Olympas was shot aboard " American Victory " for their song , " Sink or Swim " .