Excerpts from The Seas of War

Repose History   June 12, 1967   April 29, 1967

May 24, 1967   March 3, 1967   Nov. 29, 1966

History of the USS Repose*

REPOSE was built in 1944 as a C-4 cargo ship at Chester, Pennsylvania, by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company.  She was converted to a hospital ship at the Bethlehem Steel Company's Shipbuilding Division, Brooklyn Yard, and commissioned in the U.S. Navy in May, 1945.  During the remainder of World War II, she transported combat casualties in the Pacific area.

At the end of World War II, REPOSE remained in the western Pacific where she served until 1949 as the station hospital at Hong Kong, British Crown Colony, and at Shanghai and Tsingtao.  In April, 1949, REPOSE treated battle casualties from the HMS LONDON.  These men had been wounded when the HMS LONDON was fired on by shore batteries as she was enroute to the relief of the HMS AMETHYST, which was aground and under attack on the upper Yangtse River.

REPOSE returned to the United States after serving in the Pacific and was decommissioned in 1949.  She was recommissioned in 1951 for service in Korea. During 1951-53, REPOSE served in Korea as casualty evacuation ship and as station hospital at Inchon and Pusan.  She was awarded the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.  REPOSE again returned to the United States and was decommissioned in 1954.

Recommissioned the second time on 16 October 1965, REPOSE sailed on 3 January 1966 for Viet Nam where she has provided mobile hospital services to the United States and Free World Military forces in the I Corps Tactical Zone of the Republic of Viet Nam.  She is being presented the Navy Unit Commendation this date for service in Viet Nam in 1966 and 1967.

* History of REPOSE from construction through the year I was on REPOSE.