USS Virginian ( ID - 3920 ) USS " Virginian " ( ID - 3920 ) was a United States Navy troop transport in commission in 1919 . Construction , early career , acquisition , and commissioning . " Virginian " was built in 1903 as the commercial cargo ship SS " Maine " at Sparrows Point , Maryland , by the Maryland Steel Company for the Atlantic Transportation Company . The American - Hawaiian Steamship Company of New York City purchased her in 1908 and renamed her SS " Virginian " . Her home port was New York City . The U . S . Navy acquired her early in 1919 for service as a troop transport , assigned her the naval registry Identification Number ( Id . No . ) 3920 , and commissioned her on 1 February 1919 at Hoboken , New Jersey , as USS " Virginian " with Lieutenant Commander John S . Greene in command . United States Navy service . Soon after commissioning , " Virginian " shifted to Fletcher ' s Dry Dock Company at Hoboken for repairs and conversion into a troop transport . She remained at Fletcher ' s shipyard through the end of February 1919 . Assigned to the Cruiser and Transport Force , " Virginian " got underway on 11 March 1919 anchored in New York Harbor abreast the Statue of Liberty . She then moved to Pier 7 , Bush Terminal , at Brooklyn , New York , where she took on board cargo - - billet steel , oats , and potatoes — and provisions for her crew . Repairs and alterations necessary to complete her conversion into a troop ship continued apace until she backed clear of her berth at 17 : 13 hours on 21 March 1919 , with orders to proceed independently to France . " Virginian " dropped anchor off Charpentier Point , near St . Nazaire , France , on 3 April 1919 , and shifted to St . Nazaire on 4 April 1919 . She unloaded her cargo there for the next two days before she began embarking United States Army troops returning home after their World War I service in Europe for transport to the United States . Her passengers included 74 officers and 4 , 097 enlisted men , from units that ranged from the 362d Infantry Machine Gun Company to the 127th Convalescent Detachment . She got underway at 07 : 40 hours on 8 April 1919 to return to the United States . Arriving at the north side of Army Dock Number 7 , Hoboken , on the morning of 20 April 1919 , " Virginian " discharged the troops before shifting to the Morse Dry Dock Company at Brooklyn for repairs to her propellers . She shifted back to the Army dock at Hoboken on 27 April 1919 , then got underway for Europe on 30 April 1919 to pick up more returning " doughboy s " for passage to the United States . " Virginian " reached St . Nazaire on the afternoon of 11 May 1919 , took on board 56 officers and 4 , 069 men , and departed on 13 May 1919 bound for Hampton Roads , Virginia . After a 12 - day passage , she moored at the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway docks at Newport News , Virginia , on the afternoon of 25 May 1919 and had all of the troops disembarked within an hour . After a brief period of upkeep and repairs at the Norfolk Navy Yard at Portsmouth , Virginia , " Virginian " again departed for France on 1 June 1919 . She returned to Hampton Roads carrying returning American servicemen on 25 June 1919 . " Virginian " departed Hampton Roads on her fourth voyage to pick up troops in France on 1 July 1919 . On 3 August 1919 , she completed this voyage , arriving at Hoboken . She had discharged the last troops by 09 : 45 hours on 4 August 1919 . " Virginian " then began her conversion back into a cargo ship and other preparations for demobilization . After the last troops had disembarked , shipyard workmen and the ship ' s crew bent to the task of taking down troop fittings , performing routine maintenance tasks , discharging ballast s , cleaning holds , and inventorying equipment . At 16 : 00 hours on 19 August 1919 , she was decommissioned and formally turned over to a representative of the American - Hawaiian Steamship Company , Captain John S . Greene , who as Lieutenant Commander Green had served as USS " Virginian " s first commanding officer . Later career . The ship then resumed her mercantile service as cargo ship SS " Virginian " with the American - Hawaiian Shipping Company . She served that firm , home - ported at New York City , until 1947 , when she was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission and laid up . She was sold for scrapping in April 1948 . She steamed out of the Baltimore area in June 1945 in route to Italy as one of the first vessels to assist in Heifers for Relief , the precursor to Heifer International . She was crossing the Atalantic on her return to Baltimore when she learned of the surrender of the Japanese in WWII .