She was later transferred to the United States Army and served briefly during the Korean War as USAT General W. P. Richardson before entering commercial service.

AP-118 was laid down under United States Maritime Commission contract 2 February 1944 by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Kearny, New Jersey; named General R. M. Blatchford (AP-118) on 15 April 1944; renamed General W. P. Richardson (AP 118) on 1 July 1944; launched 6 August 1944; acquired by the Navy 31 October 1944, and commissioned at Bayonne, New Jersey, 2 November 1944.

Through the summer and fall of 1945 the transport made four round-trip voyages from Boston to France, two to Le Havre and two to Marseilles to help ensure an even flow of men and supplies from the New World to the Old.

General W. P. Richardson was decommissioned at New York 14 February 1946 and returned to the Maritime Administration for peacetime operations as an Army transport until 10 March 1948.

The Army then briefly reacquired her for service in Korea until November 1952, when she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at James River.