A merchant name retained. A Franciscan mission in colonial California.
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Mission Santa Ana was laid down 18 April 1945, under a Maritime Commission contract by Marine Ship Corp., Sausalito, Calif.; launched 25 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. D. J. Johnson; and delivered 25 October 1945.
Chartered to Pacific Tankers Inc., for operations, she carried fuel to our forces stationed overseas until 3 April 1946 when she was returned to the Maritime Commission and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Columbia River, Oreg.
Acquired by the Navy 9 January 1948, and chartered to Pacific Tankers Inc., for operations, she was placed in service with the Naval Transportation Service as Mission Santa Ana (AO‑137). Taken over by the Military Sea Transportation Service, when it absorbed the functions and duties of the Naval Transportation Service, on 1 October 1949, her designation was changed to USNS Mission Santa Ana (T‑AO‑137). She served with MSTS until 3 April 1950, when she was taken out of service and berthed in the San Diego group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She lay at San Diego, in reserve, until 27 January 1955 when she was transferred to the Maritime Administration and laid up in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Wash. She was struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register 22 June 1955.
Reacquired by the Navy 3 July 1956, she was once again placed in service with MSTS and operated, under charter, by Joshua Henry Corp. She served with MSTS until 25 February 1958, when she was struck from the U.S. Naval Vessel Register and transferred to the Maritime Administration for layup in the Maritime Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, where she remains into 1969.
