USS Neshanic ( AO - 71 ) USS " Neshanic " ( AO - 71 ) was a constructed for the United States Navy during World War II . She was the only U . S . Navy ship named for the Neshanic River in New Jersey . History . " Neshanic " was built as the SS " Marquette " , ex MC hull 519 under Maritime Commission contract by the Bethlehem Shipyard , Inc . , Sparrows Point , Maryland ; launched as " Neshanic " , 31 October 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . Richard C . Culyer ; and , acquired and commissioned 20 February 1943 , Comdr . Albert C . Allen , USNR , in command . Following shakedown , " Neshanic " cleared Hampton Roads in convoy on 20 April 1943 , and sailed for Aruba , N . W . I . , whence she steamed , on the 27th , with a full cargo of petroleum products , for the Pacific to join the vital chain supplying American forces fighting in the Solomons . She arrived at Nouméa , New Caledonia , delivered part of her cargo , and then continued on to the New Hebrides to discharge the remainder at Espiritu Santo and Efate . From Efate , she returned to the United States , arriving at San Pedro , California on 19 June . Thence she commenced a series of supply runs to the Hawaiian and Aleutian Islands . Operating amongst the latter , in August , she provided logistical support to the newly established Naval Operating Base , Adak , and the air facilities at Adak , Attu and Shemya , in addition to fueling , at sea and in harbors , ships assigned to the protection of and extension of American and Canadian control in those islands . In October , the tanker returned to duty in the Central Pacific . Sailing from San Pedro on the 2nd , she arrived at Nadi , Fiji Islands , on the 31st to commence harbor fueling operations for the vessels preparing to rejoin the fighting in the Solomons and those preparing for the invasion of the Gilberts , at Tarawa and Makin , on 20 November . Before returning to San Pedro on 18 December , she completed two underway fueling missions in support of those operations . After a brief respite at San Pedro , " Neshanic " returned to Pearl Harbor , underwent training exercises , and on 22 January 1944 set out to supply the fuel needed for the Marshalls ’ campaign . On 31 January , Marines and Army troops landed on Kwajalein and Majuro atolls , while Eniwetok came under attack by the fast carrier group . On 4 February , the tanker " Neshanic " arrived at the second named , reported to Task Group 50 . 17 , and fueled ships . Between the 7th and 18th , she completed a replenishment trip to the Ellice Islands and then steamed to Kwajalein where she served as station tanker , at Roi , until departing for Pearl Harbor on 6 March . Back at Majuro on 26 March , she soon departed to refuel ships operating in the Carolines and off New Guinea , operating out of Seeadler Harbor , Manus , Admiralties , after 20 April . Refueling the fast carriers twice before heading back to Hawaii , she procured another cargo at Pearl Harbor and immediately sailed west again , to Eniwetok . Thence , on 13 June , she proceeded to a fueling area off Saipan . Off Saipan on 18 June , her support force was subjected to almost continuous Japanese air attacks from 1640 to 1830 . At 1641 , several bombs landed close aboard " Neshanic " , with no damage to the tanker . A minute later , however , a hundred pound bomb landed on her cargo deck , aft on the starboard side , amongst drums containing lube oil . The bomb , without piercing the deck and the fuel oil tanks below , set off fires and blew fragments which cut fuel hoses and destroyed fueling station rigs and bridge fittings . The fires , which were brought under immediate control , caused 1st , 2nd and 3rd degree burns to 33 of the damage control party , while retaliation was gained , to some extent , by the splashing of a " Zeke " and a " Tony " by the gun crews . That night the damaged tanker refueled the vessels which , the next day , went out to meet the enemy in what would be known as the Battle of the Philippine Sea . " Neshanic " sailed to Eniwetok for repairs and then returned to the Marianas to support the Guam offensive , retiring to Eniwetok again on 26 July . Proceeding from there to San Pedro , she underwent overhaul and returned to the Admiralties on 24 October to serve as station tanker at Manus until 29 January 1945 . On that date she sailed for Ulithi , proceeding from there to Saipan , from which she sortied on 21 February to resupply the forces engaged in fighting in the Iwo Jima area . She returned to Ulithi on 7 March , departing again on the 26th to rendezvous with the forces preparing the way for the Okinawa assault . On 1 and 2 April , she remained in the refueling area to the southeast of the Ryūkyūs , proceeding , on the 3rd , to Kerama Retto . For the next five months she continued to provide logistical support for Operation Iceberg , returning to Ulithi when necessary for replenishment . At Ulithi when the war ended , on 14 August she conducted one more underway replenishment mission from that base before departing for Tokyo Bay on 21 September . Arriving in the Japanese home islands on the 26th , she remained until 24 October when she got underway for the United States . She arrived at Norfolk , Virginia on 28 November and decommissioned on 19 December . On 8 January 1946 , she was struck from the Navy List . Post - war . On 28 June 1946 , was transferred to the custody of the Maritime Commission . Later sold by that agency , she was placed in service as SS " Gulfoil " by the Gulf Oil Corporation , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Gulfoil hauled oil until 7 August 1958 , when the ship collided with the gasoline tanker " S . E . Graham " near Newport , Rhode Island . The " Graham " sank and most of " Gulfoil " ' s crew died but the heavily damaged " Gulfoil " was taken to Baltimore . The ship was rebuilt as a straight deck bulk carrier and lengthened from 500 - feet to 730 - feet , the maximum size for the new Saint Lawrence Seaway , reentering service in 1961 . She was sold to Pioneer Steamship Co . , and renamed SS " Pioneer Challenge " . She was again resold in 1962 to the Oglebay Norton Corporation , renamed SS " Middletown " . In 1982 , she was converted to a self - unloader at Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay . In 1986 , off Wisconsin , " Middletown " suffered an explosion in its boiler room caused by methane offgassing from its coal cargo . Several crewmmembers are injured . She was sold in 2006 , to Liberty Steamship Company , a wholly owned subsidiary of American Steamship , and renamed SS " American Victory " . She was still operational on the Great Lakes , but has been in long - term lay - up since . Awards and honors . " Neshanic " ( AO - 71 ) was awarded 9 battle star s for her World War II service .