Ara-AKA-136

Ara

The Greek goddess of vengeance and destruction.

(AK-136: dp. 14,550; 1. 441'6"- b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4"; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 225; a. 15", 13", 8 20mm.; cl. Crater; T. EC2-S-C1)

Daniel Boone (MCE hull 69) was laid down on 17 July 1941 by the California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Calif; launched on 14 January 1942; sponsored by Mrs. J. K. Doolan; acquired by the Navy under a bare-boat charter on 3 December 1943; renamed Ara (AK-136); and commissioned on 4 January 1944, Lt. Comdr. W. B. Hudgins in command.

Ara sailed on 7 February for Hawaii. Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor, the ship, reported to Service Squadron 8 for duty. On 4 March, Ara sailed in a convoy bound for the Marshall Islands and discharged her cargo at Majuro and Kwajalein Atolls. Ara left the Marshalls on 14 April; made a brief stop at Pearl Harbor on the 28th; and then the ship got underway for Port Hueneme, Calif. After loading new cargo, Ara was back in Pearl Harbor on 29 May. The ship sailed on 7 June with Task Group (TG) 51.6, bound for Eniwetok; anchored there on 18 June; and remained through 23 July.

On 23 July, ra was ordered to proceed to Guam to deliver Army personnel to that island. She remained offshore until 3 August and then disembarked troops and unloaded equipment. Ara got underway for Eniwetok on 20 August and arrived four days later. After a reprovisioning period, the transport sailed for Hawaii and moored at Pearl Harbor on 9 September. There, she loaded cargo destined for Roi and Majuro and sailed on 19 September for the Marshalls. From 4 October to 20 November, supplies were discharged and taken on board at Majuro and Kwajalein. On 25 November, the ship headed for Ulithi. Five days later, Ara arrived at the atoll. She sailed again on 8 December for the Marianas to unload the remainder of her provisions at Guam and Saipan. Ara called at Eniwetok on 23 December and then continued on to Tarawa. There, she refilled her cargo holds and sailed on 4 January 1945 for Makin Island.

During the first two months of 1945, Ara repeated her cargo shuttle services. Her ports of call included Kwajalein, Eniwetok Ulithi, Guam, Tinian, and Saipan. From Saipan, Ara headed for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on 20 March. Two days later, Ara sailed for San Pedro, Calif., where she arrived on 1 April for repairs. After successfully completing trials, Ara sailed on 6 a to Tacoma, Wash., to load cargo and remained there until 23 May to when she began steaming independently for the Philippines.

Ara began discharging cargo at Samar, Philippines, on 25 June. She then received orders to sail to New Zealand and got underway on 6 July. Am moored at Auckland on 21 July and commenced loading supplies earmarked for marines stationed on Saipan. She departed Auckland on 27 July and arrived at Saipan on 14 ulated ust. The next day, while she was still there, Japan capitul ated on 15 August. Ara set a course for the west coast on the 21st, entered San Francisco Bay on 9 September, and began voyage repairs.

The transport left the west coast on 6 October, bound, via the Panama Canal, for Norfolk, Va., and arrived there on 27 October. She was decommissioned on 26 November and turned over to the War Shipping Administration in whose custody she resumed the name Daniel Boone. The name, Ara, was struck from the Navy fist on 5 December. Daniel Boone was listed in registers of American merchant vessels until the early 1970's.

Ara won one battle star for her World War II service.