USS DuPage (APA-41) Association

Official Web Site

USS DuPage (APA-41) San Francisco, CA 11 May 1945

USS Dupage's LAST Reunion

Scheduled for September 2009

Louisville, KY

With much debate and discussion, the USS DuPage Association has voted, at its Nashville, TN reunion 9/12/2009, to hold its last reunion September 2009.  The location will be Louisville, KY.  Please hold this date in your calendar and keep checking this OFFICIAL WEBSITE for further information.

This site is dedicated to the brave men of the United States Navy who fought and sacrificed  for our freedom and to ensure that their story not be forgotten.

President and Treasurer:             John Richardson

Ship’s Historian:                            Jim Milewski

Web Master:                                     Rob Carr  

USS DuPage Association Trustees:

Jim Milewski, Cynthia Neilson, Oliver Neumann, Rob Carr

Ship Statistics:

Named for:  DuPage County, Illinois                 Length:  491’ 8”

Displacement:  7,846 metric tons                     Beam:      69’ 6”

Speed:  17 knots                                                Draw:       26’ 6”

Complement:  640                                         Main Armament:  2– 5”

Ship's Crew:  575                                    Troop Capacity:  2,824 Max.

Ship’s History:

    DuPage reached San Diego, from Norfolk, 2 November 1943 to serve as flagship for a transport division during training.  She sailed from San Diego 13 January 1944 carrying Marines for the assault landings on Kwajalein, where she remained from 31 January to 6 February 1944.  DuPage sailed by way of Funafuti, Ellice Islands, to Guadalcanal, arriving 18 February 1944.

    Based at Guadalcanal, DuPage served in the redeployment of troops in the Solomon's and carried troops for the assault landings at Emirau Island on 11 April 1944 and supported landings at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, from 28 April to 1 May 1944.  On 3 June 1944 she got underway for the invasion of Guam, landing her troops from 21 to 26 July.  After evacuating casualties to Eniwetok, and exercising off Espiritu Sand, DuPage returned to Guadalcanal 27 August to replenish, overhaul her landing craft, and train for the invasion of the Palau Islands.  DuPage sortied from Guadalcanal 8 September 1944 and landed her troops in the assault of Peleliu a week later.  For twelve days she remained in the area providing logistics support for landing craft and small patrol vessels.  Three of her own landing craft were lost and one man killed during bitter fighting.  Arriving at Hollandia, New Guinea, 30 September, DuPage prepared for the invasion of the Philippines.  She carried Army troops for the initial landing at Leyte on 20 October and sailed at once to bring reinforcements from Hollandia for support landings on 14 November 1944.  

    After rehearsal landings in New Guinea, DuPage sailed from Aitape 28 December 1944 for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf, landing her troops on the beaches near San Fabian 9 January 1945 and embarking casualties from the beach and other ships.  On the evening of the next day, 10 January 1945, while DuPage was preparing to leave the area, enemy aircraft attacked.  Despite the heavy antiaircraft fire, a kamikaze crashed to port damaging her severely as well as starting fires, which stubbornly re-occurred and were fought throughout the night.  The kamikaze killed 35 and 157 wounded.  Five men were blown over the side and were picked up by an escort destroyer several hours later.  Despite her injuries DuPage continued to fulfill her duty as a guide ship and arrived safely at Leyte three Days later to transfer her casualties and undergo emergency repairs.

    After landing troops at Zambales Luzon on 29 January 1945, DuPage left San Pedro Bay 11 February and embarking Marines at Manus and Pearl Harbor en route, arrived at San Francisco 10 March for overhaul and battle damage repairs.  She sailed from Alameda 14 May to embark troops at Seattle, Wash. for Pearl Harbor.  She continued to Eniwetok for amphibious exercises, then transported troops and cargo from Ulithi to Okinawa, arriving 5 July.  Three days later she sailed with combat tested Marines to Guam, then continued to Eniwetok and San Francisco where she arrived 28 July.  After minor alterations she was designated as flagship for Transport Division 63 and sailed 12 August with Army Air Force personnel who then disembarked at San Pedro Bay, Leyte, 5 September.  DuPage sailed from Linguyan Gulf, 1 October 1945 with troops for the occupation of Japan, landing her passengers at Nagoya on 26 October.  Three days later she was assigned “Magic Carpet” duty and made two voyages between Guam and the west coast to return veterans until 5 January 1946 when she arrived at Portland, Oregon.  Two weeks later, she got underway for the east coast, arriving at New York, 7 February.  DuPage was decommissioned 28 March 1946 and transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal 27 June 1946.  

     Shortly afterward, the gallant ship reverted back to the Maritime Commission.  In 1947 she was acquired by the Pope and Talbot Steamship Company and rename the P&T Pathfinder.  As such, she carried general cargo between the west coast of the United States and South America.  In 1957 Moore-McCormick bought her renaming her the Mormacsun.  While with Moore-McCormick she served South America from the east coast of North American.  Central Gulf Lines then purchased the ship and, in 1964, renamed her the Green Port.  She serviced Central Gulf's route from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mediterranean.  In 1967 States-Marine Lines took the old warrior and gave her the name Pine Tree State.  With States-Marine she became a tramp, running wherever the cargo was.  She was scrapped in Kaosiung in May 1973.

     The C3-S-A2 ship known as the USS DuPage (APA-41) had fulfilled her calling.  She served in war and peace, transporting adapting - performing exactly as intended.  The USS DuPage helped fill the need for military ships and became part of the foundation of America's postwar merchant marine.

USS DuPage (APA41) received Six Battle Stars for World War II Service

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