President Monroe

(Carlo Marquardt CM-226)

Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia, 1940

Service: One of seven combo liners (C3-P&C design) laid down in 1939-40 to Maritime Commission contracts for American President Lines around-the-world service. All were called to service as transports during World War II, with President Monroe serving as AP-104 and earning four battle stars in the Asia-Pacific theater. The others were President Jackson (AP-37 later APA-18), President Hayes (AP-39 later APA-20), President Garfield (renamed Thomas Jefferson prior to launching, AP-60 later APA-30), President Adams (AP-38 later APA-19), President Van Buren (renamed Thomas Stone AP-59 later APA-29) and President Polk (AP-103). Postwar, only President Monroe and President Polk were returned to APL. They made three-month circumnavigations from New York to Cristobal, Balboa, Acapulco, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Yokohama, Kobe, Hong Kong, Saigon, Singapore, Penang, Cochin, Bombay, Karachi, Port Suez, Port Said, Alexandria, Naples, Marseilles, Genoa, and Leghorn, before returning to New York. They would also make coastal swings to load additional cargo at Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Norfolk. They were withdrawn from service in 1965, with President Monroe sold to Greek buyers and renamed Marianna VI; scrapped in 1973. President Polk became the South American "cattle boat" Gaucho Martin Fierro and later the Greek-flagged Minotaurus.