USS General John Pope ( AP - 110 ) USS " General John Pope " ( AP - 110 ) was a troop transport that served with the United States Navy in World War II . After the war she was transferred to the Army and redesignated USAT " General John Pope " . She later served in the Korean and Vietnam War s as a civilian - manned Military Sea Transportation Service vessel , as USNS " General John Pope " ( T - AP - 110 ) . " General John Pope " was launched under a Maritime Commission contract 21 March 1943 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Kearny , New Jersey ; acquired by the Navy 2 July 1943 ; placed in ferry commission the same day for transfer to Baltimore for conversion to a transport by Maryland Drydock Company , and commissioned in full 5 August 1943 , Captain George D . Lyon in command . World War II . After shakedown " General John Pope " sailed for Newport News 5 September 1943 with over 6 , 000 troops and civilians bound for Greenock , Scotland ; and , after disembarking her passengers there , returned to Norfolk , Virginia 25 September . From 6 October to 19 November she made a troop - carrying voyage to Brisbane , Australia ; and , after touching Townsville and Milne Bay , put in at San Francisco on the latter date . Underway again 10 December with over 5 , 000 troops for the Pacific fighting and 500 staff . " General John Pope " debarked them at Noumea 23 December and returned via Pago Pago to San Francisco 10 January 1944 with 2 , 500 veterans . In the months that followed , " General John Pope " sailed in support of the giant amphibious offensive on New Guinea ' s northern coast , spearheaded by Rear Admiral Barbey ' s famed VII Amphibious Force . On a 3 month round - trip voyage out of San Francisco , beginning 23 January , she took troops to Guadalcanal , Auckland , and Noumea , and brought 1 , 300 men back to San Francisco 9 March . " General John Pope " then embarked another full complement of troops , including the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment , and sailed 6 April for Noumea and Oro Bay , New Guinea . Returning via Noumea to embark casualties , the ship reached San Francisco 18 May 1944 . During the summer of 1944 , the far - ranging transport made two round - trip voyages from San Francisco : on the first she got underway 27 May for New Guinean ports , Guadalcanal , and the Russell Islands , debarking 3 , 800 men of the famous 1st Marine Division at San Diego , California before returning to San Francisco ; and on the second she departed 26 July for Honolulu and returned 8 August . In the early fall , another voyage out of San Francisco 14 August brought " General John Pope " on a troop rotation run to New Guinean ports ; and subsequently , after embarking 5 , 000 Army troops at San Pedro , California , she sailed via Melbourne for Bombay . Nearly 4 , 000 fighting men , mainly troops of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force s , were embarked and delivered safely to Melbourne and Wellington before the ship moored again at San Pedro 16 January 1945 . The spring of 1945 saw a round - trip troop - carrying voyage begin in San Francisco 26 March , which took her to Manila , Leyte , and Biak before returning 21 May . " General John Pope " next stood out from the Golden Gate once more 2 June 1945 , this time bound for Marseilles , where 5 , 242 troops were embarked and taken to Manila . After Hostilities . The transport returned to Seattle 17 August following this long voyage , but she was underway again 11 days later via Ulithi , Cebu , and Leyte for Yokohama , returning to San Francisco 8 October with over 5 , 000 veterans . From 19 October 1945 to 7 May 1946 , four more " Magic - Carpet " and troop rotation voyages were made , two from San Francisco and two from Seattle , to the Philippines and Yokohama . Finally , missions accomplished , " General John Pope " departed San Francisco 15 May bound for New York , where she decommissioned 12 June 1946 and was returned to the War Shipping Administration ( WSA ) . She was then transferred to the Army where she served as USAT " General John Pope " . Korean War . Reinstated on the Navy List 20 July 1950 , " General John Pope " was assigned to MSTS 1 August . During the Korean War she carried American troops to Japan and Korea to take part in the giant effort to hold back the Communist invasion . Following the war , " General John Pope " continued to sail to Japanese and Korean ports on troop rotation duties , finally being placed in reduced operational status at Seattle 14 May 1955 . The veteran transport was returned to the Maritime Administration ( MARAD ) and entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Olympia , Washington , 5 September 1958 . Vietnam War . " General John Pope " reactivated 17 August 1965 to serve again as a civilian - manned ship of MSTS , operating from San Francisco . From 1965 through 1970 , she transported troops to bases in the Pacific and Far East , supporting the anti - communist struggle in Vietnam . During three consecutive months , November and December 1966 , and January 1967 , the " General John Pope " , along with the USNS General Daniel I . Sultan , transported U . S . military troops to Southeast Asia . On 6 June 1966 , elements of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment boarded the " General John Pope " at Oakland Army Base . Eighteen days later on 24 June 1966 , the 503rd PIR disembarked at Vung Tau , South Vietnam . On 23 July 1966 , elements of the 64th Transportation Company boarded the " General John Pope " , and departed from the Tacoma , Washington Outport Facility , arriving in Okinawa on 5 August 1966 . Departing Okinawa the following day , she disembarked the 64th TC at Qui Nhon , South Vietnam on 10 August 1966 . On 20 November 1966 the first elements of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade departed the Oakland Army Base on the General Daniel I . Sultan . Two days later , on 22 November 1966 , the " General John Pope " departed Oakland Army Base with the second of two elements of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade , elements of the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the 9th Infantry Division , and the 58th Field Depot . On 12 December 1966 , the 199th Light Infantry Brigade and 9th Infantry Division disembarked the " General John Pope " in Vung Tau , South Vietnam . Three days later , on 15 December 1966 the 58th Field Depot disembarked the " General John Pope " at Qui Nhon . In early January 1967 , the " General John Pope " returned to San Francisco Bay . On 8 January 1967 , she departed Oakland Army Base with the remaining elements of the 9th Infantry Division to South Vietnam , disembarking the units at Vung Tau on 30 January 1967 . In April 1967 , she transported the 589th Engineer Battalion to Qui Nhon from Oakland . On 7 July 1967 , the " General John Pope " departed U . S . Naval Base San Diego , transporting elements of the U . S . Army 244th Aviation Battalion ( aerial surveillance ) , elements of D Company , 2nd Battalion , 28th Infantry Regiment ( C Packet ) , and elements of the 3rd Marines , 9th Marine Regiment . On 21 July 1967 , she arrived in Okinawa to disembark partial elements of the 3rd Marine Regiment . She arrived at Vung Tau on 29 July 1967 to disembark the 244th Aviation Battalion and the 2nd Battalion , 28th Infantry Regiment . She sailed on to Da Nang to disembark remaining elements of the 3rd Marines . On 1 September 1967 , she departed Oakland Army Base with elements of the 1st Battalion ( Mechanized ) 50th Infantry , reaching Okinawa on 18 September 1967 . She departed Okinawa the following day and on 22 September 1967 disembarking the 1st Battalion , 50th Infantry at Qui Nhon . On 1 November 1967 , the " General John Pope " again departed Oakland Army Base with elements of the 61st Assault Helicopter Company , the 92nd Assault Helicopter Company , the 134th Assault Helicopter Company , and the 45th Military Intelligence Detachment , arriving in Okinawa on 17 November 1967 for a 24 - hour layover . Departing Okinawa the following day she arrived at Qui Nhon , South Vietnam on 21 November 1967 and disembarked the 61st Assault Helicopter Company . She then departed and arrived at Cam Ranh Bay South Vietnam on Thanksgiving Day , 23 November 1967 disembarking all units . Final years . The final years of the " General John Pope " began when she was placed out of commission once again on 1 May 1970 , transferred to MARAD , and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , California . She was struck from the Naval Register on 26 October 1990 . On 5 May 2010 , after resting nearly forty years at anchor in Suisun Bay , the " General John Pope " was towed to Pier 70 dry dock for hull cleaning at BAE Shipyards , in San Francisco Bay . On 18 May 2010 , the last surviving P2 - S2 - R2 U . S . Army Transport vessel of her type , the " General John Pope " departed San Francisco Bay for her final voyage to Texas . After a brief stop in San Pedro California , she made passage through the Panama Canal on 15 June 2010 , continuing on to ESCO Marine in Brownsville , Texas where she arrived at her final destination for dismantling . Awards . " General John Pope " received numerous awards for service in the Second World War , Korean War and Vietnam War : American Campaign Medal , European - African - Middle Eastern Campaign Medal , Asiatic - Pacific Campaign Medal , World War II Victory Medal , Navy Occupation Service Medal ( with Asia clasp ) , National Defense Service Medal ( w / 2 service star s ) , Korean Service Medal ( w / 6 service stars ) , Vietnam Service Medal , United Nations Service Medal , Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal , Republic of Korea War Service Medal .