USS West Virginia ( ACR - 5 ) The first USS " West Virginia " ( ACR - 5 ) , also referred to as " Armored Cruiser No . 5 " , and later renamed " Huntington " ( CA - 5 ) , was a United States Navy armored cruiser . The ship was launched on 18 April 1903 by Newport News Shipbuilding , Newport News , Virginia , sponsored by Miss Katherine V . White , and commissioned on 23 February 1905 , Captain C . H . Arnold in command . Pre - World War I . After shakedown training , " West Virginia " cruised with the New York Naval Militia as a unit of the Atlantic Fleet until 30 September 1906 when she sailed for duty with the Asiatic Squadron . The ship remained with the Asiatic Squadron on training operations for two years , and after overhaul at Mare Island in 1908 joined the Pacific Fleet for similar exercises along the West Coast of the United States . In 1911 – 1912 , she made a cruise with the Fleet to Hawaiian waters and in 1914 steamed on special duty off the west coast of Mexico for the protection of American interests . She remained off Mexico during the Veracruz crisis , and returned to Bremerton , Washington , to become a part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet . " West Virginia " remained at Bremerton until 20 September 1916 , when she again sailed to Mexico for the protection of American lives and property and to back up U . S . diplomacy . While on this service , she was renamed Huntington on 11 November to permit the assignment of her old name to a newly - authorized battleship , . After five months service off Mexico , she steamed to Mare Island for the installation of catapult devices on the quarterdeck and equipment to accommodate four seaplane s on the boat deck ways . World War I . " Huntington " was detached from the Reserve Force and placed in full commission on 5 April 1917 . She departed Mare Island on 11 May and steamed to Pensacola , Florida , via the Panama Canal . Detached from the Pacific Fleet after her arrival in Florida on 28 May , she spent the next two months at the Naval Air Station Pensacola , engaging in a series of important early experiments with balloons and seaplanes launched from the deck . The cruiser then sailed for Hampton Roads on 1 August and arrived New York five days later . There , " Huntington " formed with a convoy of six troopship s bound for France departing on 8 September . " En route " , several balloon observation flights were made , and on one of these on 17 September , the balloon was forced down by a squall while being brought back on board and the observer , Lieutenant ( jg ) Henry W . Hoyt , was knocked out of the basket and caught underwater entangled in its rigging . Seeing the emergency , shipfitter Patrick McGunigal jumped overboard to release the crewman from the balloon basket , by then overturned and underwater . For his heroic action , McGunigal was awarded World War I ’ s first Medal of Honor . The day after the rescue , the convoy was turned over to American destroyers in European waters ; and " Huntington " steamed back to Hampton Roads , arriving 30 September . After replenishing at Norfolk , " Huntington " sailed to New York on 5 October to have her catapult and seaplanes removed . She got underway on 27 October and arrived Halifax , Nova Scotia , two days later to embark on a high - level U . S . Commission to confer with the Allies . Presidential envoy , Colonel Edward M . House ; Admiral William S . Benson ; General Tasker H . Bliss ; and other dignitaries took passage in " Huntington " , arriving Davenport , England on 7 November , to be met by British officials . " Huntington " departed for New York , via Hampton Roads , arriving on 27 November . Subsequently , the cruiser returned to the important duty of escorting convoys of troops and supplies to Europe , making nine such voyages to Europe and back from 19 February - 13 November 1918 . In addition , " Huntington " made three coastal convoy passages from New York to Hampton Roads . She entered Brooklyn Navy Yard on 17 November for conversion to a troop transport . Inter - war period . Assigned to Cruiser and Transport Force , Atlantic Fleet , " Huntington " next sailed for France to bring home veterans of the European fighting . She departed New York on 17 December , arrived Brest 29 December , and brought over 1 , 700 passengers to New York on 14 January 1919 . The ship made five more voyages to France and return , bringing home nearly 12 , 000 troops , and terminated her last voyage at Boston on 5 July . Detached from Transport Force , she was reassigned to Cruiser Force and became flagship of Flying Squadron 1 on 8 July . " Huntington " decommissioned at Portsmouth Navy Yard , Kittery , Maine on 1 September 1920 . She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 12 March 1930 and sold in accordance with the London Naval Treaty on 30 August .