USS Ara ( AK - 136 ) USS " Ara " ( AK - 136 ) was a commissioned by the U . S . Navy for service in World War II , named after the constellation Ara . She was responsible for delivering troops , goods and equipment to locations in the war zone . " Ara " was laid down on 17 July 1941 as the liberty ship SS " Daniel Boone " by the California Shipbuilding Corp . , Wilmington , California ; launched on 14 January 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . J . K . Doolan ; acquired by the Navy under a bare - boat charter on 3 December 1943 ; renamed " Ara " ( AK - 136 ) ; and commissioned on 4 January 1944 , Lt . Comdr . W . B . Hudgins in command . World War II . " Ara " sailed on 7 February for Hawaii . Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor , the ship reported to Service Squadron 8 for duty . On 4 March , Ara sailed in a convoy bound for the Marshall Islands and discharged her cargo at Majuro and Kwajalein Atolls . Ara left the Marshalls on 14 April ; made a brief stop at Pearl Harbor on the 28th ; and then the ship got underway for Port Hueneme , California . After loading new cargo , " Ara " was back in Pearl Harbor on 29 May . The ship sailed on 7 June with Task Group ( TG ) 51 . 6 , bound for Eniwetok ; anchored there on 18 June ; and remained through 23 July . South Pacific . On 23 July , " Ara " was ordered to proceed to Guam to deliver U . S . Army personnel to that island . She remained offshore until 3 August and then disembarked troops and unloaded equipment . " Ara " got underway for Eniwetok on 20 August and arrived four days later . After a reprovisioning period , the transport sailed for Hawaii and moored at Pearl Harbor on 9 September . Supplying Guam and Saipan . There , she loaded cargo destined for Roi Namur and Majuro and sailed on 19 September for the Marshalls . From 4 October to 20 November , supplies were discharged and taken on board at Majuro and Kwajalein . On 25 November , the ship headed for Ulithi . Five days later , " Ara " arrived at the atoll . She sailed again on 8 December for the Marianas to unload the remainder of her provisions at Guam and Saipan . Ara called at Eniwetok on 23 December and then continued on to Tarawa . There , she refilled her cargo holds and sailed on 4 January 1945 for Makin Island . Shuttling cargo between island bases . During the first two months of 1945 , " Ara " repeated her cargo shuttle services . Her ports of call included Kwajalein , Eniwetok , Ulithi , Guam , Tinian , and Saipan . From Saipan , " Ara " headed for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on 20 March . Two days later , " Ara " sailed for San Pedro , California , where she arrived on 1 April for repairs . After successfully completing trials , " Ara " sailed on 6 May to Tacoma , Washington , to load cargo and remained there until 23 May , when she began steaming independently for the Philippines . Supplying troops in the Philippines and Saipan . " Ara " began discharging cargo at Samar , Philippines , on 25 June . She then received orders to sail to New Zealand and got underway on 6 July . " Ara " moored at Auckland on 21 July and commenced loading supplies earmarked for U . S . Marines stationed on Saipan . She departed Auckland on 27 July and arrived at Saipan on 14 August . The next day , while she was still there , Japan capitulated on 15 August . " Ara " set a course for the west coast on the 21st , entered San Francisco Bay on 9 September , and began voyage repairs . Post - war decommissioning . The transport left the west coast on 6 October , bound , via the Panama Canal , for Norfolk , Virginia , and arrived there on 27 October . She was decommissioned on 26 November and turned over to the War Shipping Administration in whose custody she resumed the name SS " Daniel Boone " . The name , " Ara " , was struck from the Navy List on 5 December . SS " Daniel Boone " was listed in registers of American merchant vessels until the early 1970s until she was scrapped in 1972 . Military awards and honors . " Ara " won one battle star for her World War II service . Her crew was eligible for the following medals and campaign ribbons :