USS Haven ( AH - 12 ) USS " Haven " ( AH - 12 ) , was the lead ship of her class of hospital ships built for the U . S . Navy during World War II . Laid down as SS " Marine Hawk " , she was transferred from the Maritime Commission for conversion to a hospital ship , and served in that capacity through the end of the war . She was redesignated APH - 112 ( evacuation transport ) in June 1946 for participation in Operation Crossroads , returning to her original AP - 12 in October 1946 . " Haven " participated in the Korean War and eventually ending her military career acting as a floating hospital in Long Beach , California . She was later converted to a chemical carrier and scrapped in 1987 . Operational history . World War II . Initially named SS " Marine Hawk " , " Haven " was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Corp . , Chester , Pennsylvania , 24 June 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . E . Lang ; acquired and placed in service 15 June to 19 June 1944 for transportation to her conversion yard , Todd - Erie Shipyard , Brooklyn . Upon completion of her conversion to Navy use , she commissioned 5 May 1945 , Captain T . T . Patterson in command . Following shakedown training , the hospital ship sailed 14 June via the Panama Canal for the Pacific Theater , where the war was reaching its climax . Reaching Pearl Harbor 6 July the ship brought patients on board for return to San Francisco . After returning to Hawaii 11 August , just prior to the Japanese surrender , " Haven " sailed to Okinawa and Nagasaki . She arrived off the destroyed Japanese city 11 September and brought on board a group of allied ex - prisoners of war , some of them suffering from the effects of the atomic blast . During the remainder of 1945 the ship was engaged in transporting patients from Guam , Saipan , and Pearl Harbor to San Francisco , arriving after her second long voyage 31 January 1946 . At San Francisco " Haven " took on radiological equipment and scientific researchers in preparation for the forthcoming atomic tests in the Pacific , Operation Crossroads . She sailed 29 May for Pearl Harbor and arrived Bikini Atoll 12 June 1946 , temporarily re - designated APH - 112 . The ship remained in the test area supervising the medical aspects of the experiments throughout the operation , and arrived Kwajalein 26 August to assist in the inspection of the test ships . " Haven " departed 10 October for Pearl Harbor and the United States , and upon her arrival and decontamination was assigned once again to transport troops from the Pacific outposts to California as AH - 12 . This important duty occupied her until February 1947 , when she reported to San Diego and decommissioned 1 July . " Haven " entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet , San Diego group . Korean War . With the outbreak of the Korean War , hospital ships were desperately needed . Following the sinking of sister ship off fog - bound San Francisco in August 1950 , " Haven " was taken out of reserve and commissioned 15 September 1950 . She sailed 25 September via Pearl Harbor for Inchon , Korea , site of one of the most audacious and skillful amphibious operations in history . The hospital ship remained off Inchon caring for casualties until 6 January 1951 , when the attacking Chinese Communists forced her to move further south . She steamed via Pusan to Sasebo , Japan . " Haven " returned to Pusan - 5 February to care for battle casualties , and after another voyage to Inchon remained at Pusan until she sailed for the United States arriving San Francisco 30 October 1951 . Eager to get back into action , however , she began her second tour of Korean duty 7 January 1952 . She operated off Inchon and Pusan during the months that followed , receiving many of her patients by helicopters directly from the front lines on two floating helicopter landing pads with one moored on each side midway down her hull . " Haven " sailed again for the United States 16 September 1952 , and , after the installation of a new flight deck to facilitate helicopter evacuation of patients , once more steamed out of San Diego 24 January 1953 . She returned to her regular station in Inchon harbor where during the next 7 months she treated almost 3 , 000 patients . The veteran hospital ship sailed for the United States 20 August 1953 , and , after her arrival at San Francisco 3 September , operated off the coast of California . She began her fourth tour of duty in Korea 4 January 1954 , arriving Inchon 7 February to provide regular medical care for troops . " Haven " also made occasional visits to Japan ; and on 1 September with Korea in a state of uneasy truce , she was ordered to French Indochina , arriving Saigon 9 September . There she brought French troops on board as Viet Nam was partitioned and the French army withdrawn . " Haven " sailed to Oran and Marseille in October to disembark the soldiers , and completing her round - the - world voyage arrived Long Beach via the Panama Canal 1 November 1954 . Korean War campaigns . " Haven " won nine battle star s for its part in the Korean war , participating in the following campaigns : Later career . " Haven " took part in fleet maneuvers and provided hospital services for sailors through 1955 and 1956 and decommissioned at Long Beach 30 June 1957 . She was placed in an " In Reserve , In Service " status , and remained moored at Long Beach acting as a floating hospital . During this time she served as a backdrop for the CBS television series " Hennesey " . She was struck from the Navy List on 1 March 1967 . " Haven " was returned to the Maritime Administration Reserve Fleet on 5 June 1967 . Type C4 ship s of like " Haven " were then in demand for commercial service because of their relatively large size and engines - aft configuration . " Haven " was sold by the Maritime Administration in 1968 , lengthened by 145 feet ( 44 . 2 m ) , and converted into the chemical carrier " Clendenin " . Renamed " Alaskan " upon completion of conversion , she served with Union Carbide until sold for scrap in 1987 .