SS Red Oak Victory, Museum ship in Richmond, United States.

The SS Red Oak Victory is a Victory-class cargo vessel measuring about 139 meters long, docked at Shipyard 3, with multiple decks open to visitors. Naval artillery and the ship's original fittings are visible throughout the interior, offering a glimpse into wartime maritime operations.

Built by Permanente Metals at Richmond Shipyard No. 1 and launched on 9 November 1944, the ship was acquired by the U.S. Navy on 5 December 1944 as USS Red Oak Victory (AK-235). She carried ammunition from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor and then to Ulithi, supplying the fleet from the Philippines until August 1945 without a single casualty. Decommissioned in 1946, she later sailed for Luckenbach and American Mail Lines, including a dozen Vietnam voyages, before being laid up in Suisun Bay from 1968 to 1998.

The ship is named after Red Oak, Iowa, whose county, Montgomery County, ranked third among Iowa counties in World War II casualties per capita. The name ties the vessel to a specific place and its wartime losses, a link visitors can trace in the ship's museum displays.

The vessel can typically be visited on weekends, and guests should be prepared for stairs and narrow passages throughout the ship. Comfortable footwear is recommended, and visitors should allow adequate time to explore the multiple levels at their own pace.

The ship's welded hull, laid down at Permanente Metals' Richmond No. 1 Yard, is still intact after more than 60 years, though Victory ships were never meant to last. It is one of only a few of the 534 Victories transferred from the Merchant Marine to the U.S. Navy.