USS Anacostia ( AO - 94 ) USS " Anacostia " ( AO - 94 ) was a acquired by the United States Navy for use during World War II . She had the dangerous but necessary task of providing fuel to vessels in combat and non - combat areas . She served in the Pacific Ocean Theater of operations late in the war , and returned home proudly with one battle star . The ship was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 1829 ) on 16 July 1944 at Sausalito , California , by the Marinship Corp . , as " Mission Alamo " . Renamed " Anacostia " ( AO - 94 ) on 24 July 1944 , she was launched on 24 September 1944 , sponsored by Mrs . Henry F . Bruns , the wife of Rear Admiral Bruns , and acquired by the Navy and placed in commission on 25 February 1945 , Lt . Comdr . Thomas H . Hoffmann in command . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . After a final fitting out period , the oiler left San Francisco Bay on 23 March 1945 and proceeded to San Diego , California , where she underwent three weeks of intensive shakedown training . " Anacostia " departed the U . S . West Coast on 27 April and set a course for Hawaii . She reached Pearl Harbor on 3 May and reported for duty to Service Squadron 8 , Service Force , Pacific Fleet . Two days later , the vessel left Hawaiian waters and sailed to the Caroline Islands . Upon her arrival at Ulithi on 16 May , " Anacostia " joined Task Group ( TG ) 50 . 8 and proceeded with that group to Okinawa . Early in June , the oiler arrived in a designated fueling area off Okinawa and replenished the bunkers of various ships . After completing this task , she sailed to Saipan to take on a cargo of gasoline to be distributed among forces there at Okinawa . During August and September , " Anacostia " made two more round - trips between Ulithi and Okinawa , taking on fuel at the former port and discharging it at the latter . End - of - war operations . At the time of the Japanese capitulation on 15 August , " Anacostia " was in port in Ulithi . She moved on to Okinawa six days later and remained there through 25 October . The oiler then sailed to the Japanese home islands and touched at Kanoya on the 30th . She also visited the Japanese port of Kagoshima , Kyūshū . At each point , she acted as station tanker at U . S . Army air bases . " Anacostia " got underway for the Philippines early in December and arrived at Manila shortly thereafter . She operated in Philippine waters for approximately two months before commencing another trip to Okinawa on 2 February 1946 . From that island , she sailed for Pearl Harbor and reached Hawaiian waters on 7 March . The next day , she weighed anchor and shaped a course for the Gulf Coast via the Panama Canal . She transited the canal late in March and arrived at New Orleans , Louisiana , on 29 March . " Anacostia " moved to Mobile , Alabama , on the 30th and began inactivation preparations there . She was decommissioned at Mobile on 16 April 1946 and was transferred by the Maritime Commission that same day . Her name was struck from the Navy List on 8 May 1946 . Assigned to Naval Transport Service . The vessel was reacquired on 28 February 1948 by the United States Naval Transport Service . During the next two years , Anacostia operated along the east coast of the United States ; made numerous voyages through the Suez Canal to Ras Tanura , Saudi Arabia , and Bahrain to take on petroleum ; visited ports in England and northern Germany ; carried out several trips to Aruba to load up with petroleum ; and paid calls to Japanese ports of Yokohama , Yokosuka , and Sasebo . Assigned to MSTS . She was assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service ( MSTS ) on 18 July 1950 and reported to Tankers Co . Inc . , for operation under an MSTS contract , was redesignated USNS " Anacostia " ( T - AO - 94 ) , and was run as a non - commissioned vessel manned by a civil service crew . During the next seven years , " Anacostia " continued her service as an oiler . She made frequent trips to ports along the Texas gulf coast as well as to the Persian Gulf ports of Ras Tanura , Saudi Arabia , and Bahrain to take on petroleum . Her cargoes were then delivered to facilities at ports in Japan , England , the Netherlands , and Germany . The oiler remained active until December 1957 , when she reported to Norfolk , Virginia . She was then turned over to the Maritime Administration and laid up with the National Defense Reserve Fleet in the James River . Her name was struck from the Navy List on 17 December 1957 . Awards . " Anacostia " earned one battle star for her World War II service