After WWII ended, the number of Liberty Ships was declining as they became obsolete and sold for scrap. Rear Admiral Thomas J. Patterson, himself a former Liberty Ship sailor and US Maritime Administration official, took decisive action. Recognizing the historical importance and the sacrifices of those who built and served on these vessels, he spearheaded the preservation effort of the O'Brien along with a group of dedicated volunteers. She was selected due to her excellent condition and integrity of original design; she had no alterations or modifications since her launching on June 19, 1943.
An all-volunteer crew invested hundreds of hours of labor to prepare the O'Brien for sailing. After 33 years in the Naval Reserve fleet, she steamed under her own power out of Suisun Bay on October 6, 1979, to San Francisco’s Pier 70 dry-dock. No other ship had ever steamed out of a reserve or “mothball” fleet under its own power.
Following dry-docking with generous donations of money and supplies by numerous individuals and companies, and thousands of hours of restoration work by her volunteer crew, the old vessel entered service in a like-new condition as the National Liberty Ship Memorial.
She pays tribute to the civilian seamen of the US Merchant Marine and servicemen of the US Naval Armed Guard who served valiantly on Liberty Ships throughout World War II. She also serves as a tribute to the men and women who built the largest single class of ships in history.
She continues to function as a fully operational museum ship offering visitors interpretive historical tours and annual cruises for the public.
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The SS Jeremiah O'Brien continued making history during her epic return fifty years later to the beaches of Normandy!