USNS Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley (T-APC-116)

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USNS Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley, built as Link Splice under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2489), was laid down on 29 January 1945 by the Southeastern Shipbuilding Corp., Savannah, Ga.; launched on 17 March 1945; sponsored by Mrs. L. W. Grothaus; and delivered to the War Shipping Administration for operation by the Moore-McCormack Line on 28 August 1945.

Less than a year later, Link Splice was returned to WSA; and, on 20 June 1946, she was transferred to the Army for use as a coastal cargo ship. Renamed Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley on 31 October 1947, the ship served the Army Transportation Service as an XAKc until the spring of 1948. Conversion followed; and, during her last year of Army service, she carried passengers and cargo.

In October of 1949, the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) was established. Five months later, the converted C1-MKAV1 was transferred to the Navy for MSTS use; placed in service as USNS Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley (T-APC-116) ; and assigned to North Atlantic operations. For almost a decade, she carried passengers and limited cargo from east coast ports, primarily New York, to northern bases, primarily Argentia and St. Johns, Nfld. In November 1959, her passenger service was discontinued; and she commenced cargo runs between the same ports which, with few interruptions, she continued for another 10 years.

In November 1969, Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley was replaced by Mirfak; and, on the 24th, she returned to New York for the last time. She was then placed out of service and inactivation was begun. In late December, she was shifted to Norfolk; and, on the 22d, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration for berthing in the James River unit of the National Defense Reserve Fleet where she remains into the fall of 1974.