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The SS ''Meredith Victory'' was a United States Merchant Marine Victory ship, a type of cargo freighter built for World War II. It is best known for evacuating more than 14,000 refugees in a single mission during the Korean War. Under the stewardship of Captain Leonard LaRue, the SS ''Meredith Victory'' performed the largest humanitarian rescue operation by a single ship.〔http://www.usmma.edu/about/news/feature.asp?StoryID=344 〕 The vessel has often been described as the "Ship of Miracles" as it was designed to carry only 12 passengers with a 47 person crew. ==History== The SS ''Meredith Victory'' was named after Meredith College, a small women's college in North Carolina. The ship was built to transport supplies and equipment overseas during World War II. It was then deployed in the Korean War. In December 1950, United Nations Command troops were retreating from northeast Korea after a massive assault by Chinese and North Korean forces. Over 100,000 UNC soldiers were to evacuate the city of Hungnam on 193 ships. Nearly the same number of civilians had also gathered at the port, hoping to board these vessels heading to safety in the southern port of Pusan. News of the evacuation had spread in the region and many refugees fleeing from the communists had lined up on the shores seeking rescue. On December 21, Captain Leonard LaRue of the SS ''Meredith Victory'' made the decision to unload nearly all weapons and supplies from his ship in order to evacuate as many refugees as possible. Boarding went on from the afternoon of December 22 until the next morning. Using booms and makeshift elevators, the refugees filled the five cargo holds and the entire main deck. Although built to accommodate only 12 passengers, besides the crew and staff, the ship took aboard more than 14,000 Korean civilians fleeing the approaching Communists. The ''Meredith Victory'' departed shortly after 11 am on December 23 for Pusan, about 450 sea miles away, as gunfire from UNC ships and explosives destroyed the port in an "enemy-denial-operation" razing. The ship had no escort or means of self-defense.〔 Years later, LaRue would reflect on that trip:〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=A Miracle )〕
Despite the fact that the refugees were "packed like sardines in a can" and most had to remain standing up, shoulder-to-shoulder, in freezing weather conditions during the entire voyage, there were no injuries or casualties on board. There was very little food or water, and the people were virtually unable to move. J. Robert Lunney, Staff Officer on the ship and a navy veteran of World War II, stated:
First mate D.S. Savastio, who only had first aid training, delivered five babies during the three day passage to safety. The ship arrived in Pusan on Christmas Eve, but no one was allowed off except a few wounded and those identified as Communist sympathizers.〔 The ''Meredith Victory'' had to travel another 50 miles to Geoje Island before it could debark its passengers on December 26.〔 Captain LaRue remained in command until the ship was decommissioned in 1952.〔 After the Korean War, the ship sat in the harbor of Bremerton, Washington as part of the "mothball fleet" until it served in some minor missions during the Vietnam War. The SS ''Meredith Victory'' was later sold to Nishant Import/Export Co. of London to later become scrap metal in China. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「SS Meredith Victory」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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