The tanker was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1948 as USS Mission Santa Ana (AO-137), but was transferred to the Military Sea Transport Service upon its creation in 1949. The ship was named for the Santa Ana Estancia (a station of Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of the twenty-one California missions), she was the only U.S. Naval Vessel to bear the name.
The tanker was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1948 and designated USS Mission Santa Ana (AO-137). It was later transferred to the Military Sea Transport Service in 1949, after its formation. The ship was named after the Santa Ana Estancia, a station of Mission San Juan Capistrano, one of the twenty-one California missions, making it the only U.S. Naval Vessel to bear that name.