From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

Omar Bundy, born 17 June 1861 at New Castle, Ind., graduated from the Military Academy in 1883 and served on the American frontier, participating in campaigns against Crow and Sioux Indians. During the Spanish-American War he fought with the 5th Army Corps in Cuba and received the Silver Star for gallantry at El Caney. From 1899 to 1902 he served in the Philippines during the insurrection and subsequently, after teaching law at Fort Leavenworth, Kans., fought the Moros in the Philippines in 1905-06. General Bundy served within the continental United States until 1917 when he assumed command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Expeditionary Division, and sailed for France in June 1917. As a division and corps commander during World War I he participated in the occupation of the Toulon Rupt, and Troyon Sectors and served in the Aisne-Marne Operations and in the occupations of the Chateau-Thierry and Pas Fini Sectors. Following the war he commanded Camp Lee, Va., the VII Corps Area, the Philippine Division, and the V Corps Area. For his services in World War I, General Bundy was awarded the French Legion of Honor, Commander, and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. He died in Washington, D.C., 20 January 1940.

(AP - 152: dp. 17,250; l. 522'10"; b. 71'6"; dr. 26'6"; s. 16.5 k.; cpl. 356; trp. 3,823; a. 4 5", 4 40mm.; cl. General G. O. Squier; T. C4-S-A1)

General Omar Bundy (AP-152) was launched 5 August 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Kaiser Co., Richmond, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. Lawrence of Richmond; acquired and simultaneously commissioned 6 January 1945, Captain L. Wainwright in command.

General Omar Bundy stood out of San Francisco Bay 10 March 1945 with 2,700 sailors and marines bound for the Southwest Pacific, and after delivering them to Pearl Harbor, Ulithi and Guam, returned to San Diego 11 May with over 1,700 homeward-bound troops after debarking 200 Japanese POW's at Pearl Harbor on 3 May. Six days later she sailed for the Atlantic via the Panama Canal and put in at Norfolk, Va., 31 May. Underway again on 9 June, she touched Marseilles to embark 2,800 troops for redeployment to the Pacific theater and brought them safely to Manila on 6 August 1945 via Panama. She brought nearly 500 officers and men from Manila to Tacloban, Leyte, Philippine Islands, and after embarking 1,500 veterans there, sailed via Ulithi and Guam to off-load her passengers at Seattle, Wash., on 4 September. Continuing her Magic-Carpet duties, General Omar Bundy transported 3,000 replacement troops from Seattle to Okinawa in late September and October, returning to Portland, Oreg., on 2 November 1945 with nearly 3,000 victorious soldiers. The ship returned to the Philippines in November to embark 3,300 returning veterans, and brought them home to San Francisco on 19 December 1945.

In 1946 General Omar Bundy continued her "Magic-Carpet" and troop rotation duties, homeported at San Francisco and calling at Japan and Manila in February and at the Philippines again in April, returning to San Francisco after this last round-trip voyage and sailed from that port 17 May 1946 bound for New York via the Panama Canal. She decommissioned 14 June 1946 and was delivered to the Maritime Commission the next day. General Omar Bundy was struck from the Navy list on 8 October 1946.

The transport was transferred to the War Department 30 August 1946 and carried troops for the Army until returned to the Maritime Commission 12 December 1949. General Omar Bundy entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet and was berthed in the James River until delivered to the Bethlehem Steel Corp. 10 April 1964. Converted to a freighter, she operates under the name Portmar.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)