View source for SS Lane Victory

{{short description|Victory ship of WWII}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Vincent Thomas Bridge.jpg
|Ship caption=SS ''Lane Victory''
at its previous berth by the [[Vincent Thomas Bridge]].
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=[[United States]]
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1970}}
|Ship name= SS ''Lane Victory''
|Ship namesake= [[Lane College]]
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=California Shipbuilding (Calship)
|Ship homeport=[[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California|San Pedro]], [[California]]
|Ship yard number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=1945 [[Los Angeles]], [[California]]
|Ship maiden voyage=June 27, 1945
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship in service=1945
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck=
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship identification=*{{IMO Number|5203205}}
*{{MMSI Number|366969950}}
*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: KECW
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate=
|Ship status=Museum Ship
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=VC2-S-AP2 [[Victory Ship]]
|Ship tonnage={{DWT|10,750|long|disp=long}}
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length=455 feet
|Ship beam=62 feet
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft=28 feet 6 inches
|Ship propulsion=* [[Allis-Chalmers]] [[Compound turbine|cross-compound]] [[steam turbine]] with double reduction gears
* 6,000 horsepower @ 90 revolutions per minute
|Ship speed=17 knots
|Ship range=23,500 miles
|Ship complement=62 [[United States Merchant Marine]] and [[United States Navy Armed Guard]]
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship capacity=500,000 cubic feet (approximate)
|Ship armament=*[[5 inch (127 mm)/38 caliber gun|5-inch stern gun]],
*[[3"/50 caliber gun|3-inch bow anti-aircraft gun]],
*eight [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=none
|Ship aircraft facilities=none
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
 |embed=yes
 | name = ''Lane Victory''
 | nrhp_type = nhl
 | image =
 | caption =
 | location= Berth 52, Port of San Pedro, [[San Pedro, California]]
 | coordinates = {{coord|33|43|02|N|118|16|24|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = USA Los Angeles Metropolitan Area#California#USA
 | area =
 | built =1945
 | architect= [[California Shipbuilding Corporation]]
 | architecture=
 | designated_nrhp_type = 14 December 1990<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2103&ResourceType=Structure|title=Lane Victory (Victory Ship)|access-date=2008-06-29|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080614120154/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=2103&ResourceType=Structure|archive-date=2008-06-14}}</ref>
 | added = 14 December 1990<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref>
 | governing_body =
 | refnum=90002222
}}
|}

'''SS ''Lane Victory''''' is an American [[Victory ship|Victory-class]] cargo ship used in [[World War II]], the [[Korean War]] and [[Vietnam War]]. The ship was preserved in 1989 to serve as a [[museum ship]] in the [[San Pedro, Los Angeles, California|San Pedro]] area of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]. As a rare surviving Victory ship, she was designated a U.S. [[National Historic Landmark]].

SS ''Lane Victory'' was named after [[Lane College]], which was established as a high school for black youths in 1882 at [[Jackson, Tennessee]], by [[Isaac Lane]], a bishop of the [[Christian Methodist Episcopal Church|Colored Methodist Episcopal Church]] in America.

==World War II==
''Lane Victory'' was built in Los Angeles by the [[California Shipbuilding Corporation]] and [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on May 31, 1945. On her first voyage, June 27, 1945, ''Lane Victory'' carried war supplies in the Pacific. The [[War Shipping Administration]] gave the operations of the ship to the [[American President Lines]]. United States Merchant Mariners operated the ship. The United States Navy Armed Guard, who manned the ship's guns, worked as signalmen and radiomen. She made two Pacific cruises, beginning July 10, 1945, to [[Manus Island]], and the second starting August 30, 1945, to Guam, Saipan and Hawaii.  The trip to Guam was to bring food to the island. On the way ''Lane Victory'' sailed through a [[typhoon]] and was tossed around for 14 days. On February 27, 1946, her second voyage ended. With the end of World War II, she started shipping aid. In March 1946 she started delivering goods to Europe under the [[Marshall Plan]]. With the end of the aid plan, on May 11, 1948 ''Lane Victory'' was laid up at [[Suisun Bay]], California.

==Korean War==
{{Main article|Hungnam evacuation}}

In 1950 ''Lane Victory'' was taken out of storage and by October 1950 was back in service. She was then deployed to evacuate Korean civilians and [[United Nations]] personnel at [[Wonsan]], North Korea. During December 1950 she evacuated over 3,800 U.S. troops and 1,100 vehicles from [[Hungnam]] while under attack during the [[Battle of Chosin Reservoir]]. ''Lane Victory'' offloaded troops, vehicles and cargo as the [[cruiser]] {{USS|Saint Paul|CA-73|6}} and [[destroyer]]s laid down a covering fire. After unloading she evacuated 7,010 men, women and children, taking them south to safety. When the ship arrived 7,011 passengers disembarked, as a baby had been born during the voyage.<ref>[http://moorecountyboyscouts.org/scoutingresources/battleship_listinging.html Battleship listing per state USA]</ref> On October 10, 1953, she was laid up in Suisun Bay, California, storage.<ref>[http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=50864 THE HISTORICAL MARKER DATABASE]</ref> An annual Korean War tribute day is held aboard SS ''Lane Victory'' in honor of those saved.

==Vietnam War==
In 1966 the ship was restored to duty again for the Vietnam War. She also saw duty during the conflict moving ammunition and supplies to and from the war zone in Vietnam. On April 29, 1970 ''Lane Victory'' was laid up again at Suisun Bay for storage in the [[National Defense Reserve Fleet]].

During her three-war career, she traveled through the Far East Pacific, made a few transatlantic crossings and one circumnavigation of the globe.

==Post-war==
Because of the ship's excellent condition in storage at Suisun Bay, the [[Maritime Administration]] decided to set aside ''Lane Victory'' for preservation. President [[Ronald Reagan]] signed into law H.R. 2032 on October 18, 1988, which turned over the ship to the United States Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II. Joe Vernick, John Smith and a group of Merchant Marine veterans had worked for years for the ship to be released from the Reserve Fleet.

Volunteers from the United States Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II worked for three years to restore the ship to working condition after she had sat, slowly deteriorating, in Suisun Bay for nearly two decades. Many upgrades were performed in order to bring ''Lane Victory'' up to [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] standards. She was drydocked in 1992, and her hull was found to be sound. On September 10, 1992, her [[sea trials]] started and proved her seaworthy.<ref>[http://www.armed-guard.com/lv.html armed-guard.com Lane Victory Sails Again]</ref><ref>[http://www.armed-guard.com/needvols.html The Deck Crew  – S.S. ''Lane Victory'' by Jan Michaelis]</ref>

In May 1994 ''Lane Victory'' sailed south along the Baja Peninsula with the intention of joining the Liberty ship {{SS|Jeremiah O'Brien}} on the 50th Anniversary of D-Day in France.  On May 2, 1994, she passed the Sailing Vessel Blythe Spirit about 500 feet off the starboard side according to the day log of S/V Blythe Spirit. This encounter was just north of Cabo San Lucas.  Before reaching the Panama Canal the ''Lane Victory'' had engine problems that prevented it from going across the Atlantic Ocean in time to arrive for the D-Day Anniversary. It was reported on the Maritime Mobile Service Net later in May that the Victory Ship had chosen to return after repairs were completed to a California port to await the return of the ''Jeremiah O'Brien''.<ref>Day-Log of S/V Blythe Spirit (unpublished)</ref>

In June 1994 ''Lane Victory'' participated in a mock Normandy invasion in the [[Santa Barbara Channel]] in celebration of the 50th anniversary of [[Normandy landings|D-Day]]. In September 1994 she escorted the Liberty ship {{SS|Jeremiah O'Brien}} from San Pedro to San Francisco in celebration of ''Jeremiah O'Brien''{{'}}s return from her [[SS Jeremiah O'Brien#50th Anniversary of D-Day|voyage]] to Normandy.

On October 9, 2007, SS ''Lane Victory'' received a Special Heritage Award from the World Ship Trust in San Diego.

She serves as a training facility for the [[Los Angeles County Fire Department]], [[Los Angeles City Fire Department]], local law enforcement agencies, FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard and other United States Armed Forces.
* Of the 534 Victory-class cargo ships completed, only three remain working – SS ''Lane Victory'' at Los Angeles, {{SS|American Victory}} at Tampa, Florida, and {{SS|Red Oak Victory|AK-235|6}} at Richmond, California.

==Museum ship==
After her 1988 acquisition by the U.S. Merchant Marine Veterans of World War II, ''Lane Victory'' was towed to the [[Port of Los Angeles]] in San Pedro on June 12, 1989. She was turned into a [[Museum ship|museum]] and work ship again. In 1990 ''Lane Victory'' was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]]. A volunteer crew maintain and operate the ship and her two onboard museums. On September 13, 2000, Congress passed Resolution 327,<ref>[http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/106/hconres327 H.Con.Res. 327 (106th)], GovTracks.us</ref> recognizing SS ''Lane Victory'' as a representative of the service and sacrifices of the [[United States Merchant Marine|U.S. Merchant Marine]] to the nation during times of conflict: "Whereas vessels of the United States merchant marine fleet, such as the S.S. LANE VICTORY, provided critical logistical support to the Armed Forces by carrying equipment, supplies, and personnel necessary to maintain war efforts"<ref>{{NHLS url|id=90002222|title=MARITIME HERITAGE OF THE UNITED STATES NHL THEME STUDY LARGE VESSELS, Lane Victory}} by James P. Delgado with Maritime Historian Organization: National Park Service, Date: April 18, 1990</ref>

In February 2012 she moved from Berth 94 in Los Angeles Harbor by the [[Vincent Thomas Bridge]] to Berth 46 in Los Angeles Harbor at the end of Harbor Boulevard-Miner Street, south of the bridge. She was reopened to the public on February 17, 2012.<ref>[http://maritimematters.com/2012/03/s-s-lane-victory-on-the-move/ Maritime Matters, S.S. LANE VICTORY On The Move], March 9, 2012, by Shawn Dake</ref><ref>[http://vintage.johnnyjet.com/folder/archive/John-Clayton-SS-Lane-Victory-Ship-California-2010.html John Jet, One Day Cruise Aboard The S.S. Lane Victory, by John Clayton]</ref> She was moved, again, to Berth 49 in early 2013 as Berth 46 was being converted into a future super cruise ship dock.

[[File:Port of LA.jpg|thumb|300px|USGS Satellite picture taken March 29, 2004. SS ''Lane Victory'' is now at the near end of the dock on the left side. Berth 49 is to the left of the boat with the zig-zag white wake trail.]]

==Usage in Hollywood==
''Lane Victory'' has been used in a number of movies, TV shows and commercials because of her excellent working condition.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/73RE5j13ZuQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180512083642/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73RE5j13ZuQ Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73RE5j13ZuQ| title = Jackass 3.5 Extras | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 6 August 2012 }}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ship's wakes were used in the 1997 blockbuster movie ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' for the [[RMS Titanic|titular ocean liner]]'s wakes.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fxguide.com/featured/titanic-stories/ | title=Titanic stories | date=4 April 2012 | publisher=fxguide | access-date=4 May 2014}}</ref> She also served as the setting for the climax of the comedy film ''[[The Pest (1997 film)|The Pest]]'' the same year.
Other films in which the ship appeared are: ''[[Deadwater (film)|Black Ops (Deadwater)]]'' (2008), ''[[Flags of Our Fathers (film)|Flags of Our Fathers]]'' (2006), ''[[GI Jane]]'' (1997), ''[[Pearl Harbor (film)|Pearl Harbor]]'' (2001), ''[[The Thin Red Line (1998 film)|The Thin Red Line]]'' (1998), ''[[U-571 (film)|U-571]]'' (2000) '' and [[Twin Sitters]] (1994) (note: this is a partial list)''

The ship was featured in ''Visiting... with [[Huell Howser]]'' Episode 406.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lane Victory- Visiting (406) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University |url=https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1996/10/28/lane-victory-visiting-406/}}</ref>

Some TV shows she was featured in are: ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]], [[Baywatch]], [[Huell Howser#California's Gold|California Gold]], [[JAG (TV series)|JAG]], [[Mail Call (TV series)|Mail Call]]'' (episode #70), ''[[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]]'', ''[[Murder She Wrote]]'', the [[The National Geographic Channel|National Geographic Channel]], ''[[NCIS (TV series)|NCIS]]'', ''[[Port Chicago Mutiny]]'' (TV movie), ''Return of the Pirates'' ([[History (U.S. TV channel)|History Channel]]), ''[[Special Ops Mission]]'' and ''[[Unsolved Mysteries]]''. In the [[List of King of the Hill episodes#Season 6: 2001–2002|Season 6]] ''[[King of the Hill]]'' episode "Returning Japanese: Part 2" (2002), Cotton is sent back to the U.S. aboard ''Lane Victory''. The [[History (American TV network)|History Channel]] series [[Mail Call (TV series)|Mail Call]] episode 6/04, "Lane Victory", was an hour long episode about the ship and the World War II Merchant Marine,. ''(note: this is a partial list)''

In 1999,  the ship was used in a [[Ford Super Duty]] commercial and Disney's "Golden Dreams" commercial. ''(note: this is a partial list)''

The engine housed in ''Lane Victory''{{'}}s forward hold exhibit space was used as the engine for the fictitious [[River gunboat|gunboat]] USS ''San Pablo'' in ''[[The Sand Pebbles (film)|The Sand Pebbles]]'' (1966).<ref>[http://www.thesandpebbles.com/san_pablo_engine/san_pablo_engine.htm ''San Pablo'' Engine used in ''The Sand Pebbled''], ''The Sand Pebbles'' site</ref>

==Awards==
''Lane Victory'' earned one ribbon for [[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II service]], two for Korean War service – [[United Nations Korea Medal]] & [[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation]] – and one for [[Vietnam Service Medal|Vietnam War service]].
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation (Korea).svg|width=106}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|}

==Gallery==
{{gallery|mode=packed
|File:Lane_Victory.jpg|SS Lane Victory at the dock
|File:US Navy 040527-N-7878F-002 The fully operational World War II (WWII) victory ship SS Lane Victory pulls into San Diego for Memorial Day weekend.jpg|SS Lane Victory pulls into San Diego
|File:Port_of_Los_Angeles.jpg|SS Lane Victory at Port of Los Angeles and Vincent Thomas Bridge
|File:SS-Lane-Victory-port-side-view.jpg|Side view of the ship from the water
|File:PortofEnsenada.jpg|View of the ship and dock from the air
}}

==See also==
*{{SS|Meredith Victory}}
*{{SS|American Victory}}
*{{SS|Red Oak Victory}}
*[[World War II United States Merchant Navy]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://lanevictory.org/ Lane Victory Official Site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071014043657/http://hnsa.org/ships/lanevictory.htm Historic Naval Ships Association], HNSA, Web Page: SS Lane Victory
* {{NHLS url|id=90002222|title=National Historic Landmark nomination file for the Lane Victory}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=vLg4iJR0J9kC&dq=September+13,+2000+Congress+passed+resolution+327&pg=PA17748 Congressional Record], V. 146, Pt. 12, July 27 to September 13, 2000
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBVhn80pyUM SS Lane Victory off Catalina Island August 2011 – YouTube]
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598126/ imdb.com, Mail Call: Season 6, Episode 4, S.S. Lane Victory (1 Apr. 2005) ]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqhMsNBQ4ew youtube.com, Korean Celebration aboard the S.S. Lane Victory]
* [http://lanevictory.org/anchorlight/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/march-08-for-web.pdf ''Lane Victory, The Anchor Light, My Story'', By Arnold R. Esparza]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} March 2008]
* [http://lanevictory.org/anchorlight/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/july-08-for-web.pdf ''Lane Victory, The Anchor Light'', July 2008]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* {{cite web|last=Howser|first=Huell|title=Lane Victory – Visiting (406)|url=http://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1996/10/28/lane-victory-visiting-406/|work=Visiting|publisher=[[Chapman University]] Huell Howser Archive|author-link=Huell Howser|date=October 28, 1996}}

{{MARCOMships}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{Victory ships}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{San Pedro, Los Angeles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane Victory}}
[[Category:Museum ships in California]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in California]]
[[Category:World War II merchant ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Victory ships]]
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:Museums in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:World War II museums in California]]
[[Category:Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:San Pedro, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:World War II on the National Register of Historic Places in California]]