During WWII the US War Department had a program. Any group or entity raising $10,000,000 or more selling war bonds would have a "Liberty Ship" named after their group. By the summer of 1944, Codington Co. Post 17 had sold $16,564,244 in war bonds.

AK-173 - USS Codington was launched 29 Nov. 1944 by Froemming Brothers Inc. in Milwaukee Wis. under a Maritime Commission contract and commissioned at Galveston Tx. 23 July 1945 under the command of LCDR A. F. Pittman USCG.

USS Codington departed Galveston 11 Aug. 1945 for Leyte, arriving 11 Oct. She assumed cargo operations in the Philippines with 1 voyage to New Guinea (1-27 December 1945). January 30 1946 she sailed from Subic Bay to Yokosuka. USS Codington was decommissioned at Tokyo Japan February 27 1946 and transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal.

Returned to Maritime Commission April 20th 1950 for lay up in National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia Group. Leased by Coastwise Line for Military Sea Transportation Service operations 20 Nov. 1951. Returned to Maritime Administration 27 Oct. 1955 for lay up in National Defense Reserve Fleet in Suisun Ca.Leased by Coastwise Line for Military Sea Transportation Service operations, 7 May 1956. Sold by Maritime Administration to South Korean buyer, 27 July 1956. Reflagged the "South Korean"

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