The year 1955 marked a significant period in the operational history of naval transport ships, particularly for vessels like the General Simon B. Buckner (AP-123). This ship, a crucial asset for military troop transportation, played a vital role in U.S. military logistics during the Cold War era. Originally commissioned as Admiral E. W. Eberle (AP-123), the vessel was reacquired by the Navy from the Army Transport Service on March 1, 1950, and renamed General Simon B. Buckner, in honor of Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., a distinguished military leader who served in World War II and tragically lost his life in action on Okinawa in 1945.
Prior to its arrival in New York in 1955, the General Simon B. Buckner was actively engaged in the Pacific. Assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) with a civilian crew, the transport ship was heavily involved in operations throughout the Korean conflict. It tirelessly steamed across the Pacific Ocean, transporting essential troops and military equipment to Japan and other strategic staging areas. Its service in the Pacific continued until February 1955, when it departed San Francisco on the 15th, setting course for New York.
After a two-week voyage, the General Simon B. Buckner arrived in New York. This marked a shift in its operational theater from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Upon reaching New York, the transport ship was assigned to the New York-Bremerhaven routes, initiating a decade of extensive transatlantic service. For the next ten years, the General Simon B. Buckner became a familiar sight in the Atlantic, completing over 130 cruises from New York to Bremerhaven, Southampton, and various ports in the Mediterranean. This consistent service underscores the importance of navy transport ships like the General Simon B. Buckner in maintaining troop deployments and logistical support across the Atlantic during this period.
However, the ship’s service was not solely confined to the Atlantic. In August 1965, after departing New York on the 11th, the General Simon B. Buckner returned to the West Coast, arriving in Long Beach on the 27th. This redeployment was in response to the escalating situation in Southeast Asia. The transport ship was then tasked with assisting in the movement of troops and equipment to Vietnam. Following two cruises to Vietnam, the General Simon B. Buckner resumed its operations in the Atlantic, arriving back in New York on December 3rd.
Throughout the subsequent eight months, the General Simon B. Buckner continued its relentless transatlantic voyages, completing ten crossings and making stops at Bremerhaven and Southampton. In August 1966, the ship was once again called upon for service in the Pacific, returning to the West Coast to transport war material to Vietnam. Departing San Francisco on September 8th, it reached Da Nang, Vietnam, twenty days later. After another round-trip voyage to Vietnam, the General Simon B. Buckner finally returned to the Atlantic and entered ready reserve status, concluding an illustrious career of military troop and equipment transport across both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
The General Simon B. Buckner‘s arrival in New York in 1955 was a pivotal moment, transitioning it into a key player in transatlantic military transport for the next decade. Its extensive service highlights the vital role of these navy transport ships in global military logistics during the mid-20th century.
