USS Rotanin ( AK - 108 ) USS Rotanin ( AK - 108 ) was a commissioned for the Merchant Marines for service in World War II . She was responsible for delivering troops , goods and equipment to locations in the war zone . " Rotanin " ( AK - 108 ) , originally named " SS William Kelly " , was laid down 24 July 1943 under Maritime Commission contract ( MCE - 1872 ) by the California Shipbuilding Co . , Terminal Island , California ; launched 18 August 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Andrew R . Bone ; and commissioned 23 November 1943 , Lt . William L . Howard , USNR , in command . World War II Pacific Theatre operations . Completing shakedown 5 December , " Rotanin " loaded her first combat cargo and embarked her first military passengers at Port Hueneme , California , and on the 12th sailed for Noumea . Arriving 5 January 1944 , she carried troops and cargo to Guadalcanal , then , on the 27th , continued on to the Russell Islands . By 2 February , she had discharged all cargo and was underway back to the Guadalcanal - Florida Island area . From then until March , she carried cargo and personnel throughout the Bismarck Archipelago , the Solomons , the Fijis , and the New Hebrides . In April she completed a run to Auckland , New Zealand , and in May she moved supplies to Manus . She then resumed runs in the Solomons - New Hebrides - Fiji area . Supporting the Allied invasion forces . In August , " Rotanin " shifted to the Marshalls - Marianas area and at the end of the month she moved further west , to Ulithi . In October , she carried Army units to the Palaus , embarked marines there , and transported them to the Russells . In November , she returned to operations in the Marianas , extended them to the Carolines , and in January 1945 , returned to Nouméa . February and March took her back to Micronesia and New Zealand . In April she was in the Solomons , and , in May , she took on Army supplies and reinforcements for the Okinawa campaign . Arriving off the Hagushi beaches on the 21st she completed offloading by the end of the month and on the 31st she steamed east . End - of - war activity . During June and July , " Rotanin " again operated in the Marshalls and Marianas . On 28 July she headed for Hawaii and the west coast . En route when hostilities ceased , she arrived at San Francisco , California , on 17 August . In October she joined the ships assigned to transpacific operations to ferry occupation troops to Japan and Korea and to return veterans to the United States . Post - war inactivation and decommissioning . On 2 February 1946 , " Rotanin " arrived at San Francisco and reported to the Commander , 12th Naval District for inactivation . She was decommissioned on 5 April 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission . Her name was struck from the Navy List on 17 April . Final Disposition : fate unknown . The novel " Mr . Roberts " and its stage and cinematic adaptations , may have been inspired in part by the " Rotanin " , one of two Navy cargo vessels on which Thomas Heggen , author of the novel , served during World War II . Military awards and honors . " Rotanin " earned one battle star during World War II . Her crew was eligible for the following medals :