Lectures with Lianne — The S.S. Lane Victory

Gordon Ghareeb is set to speak on Friday, July 10, about the S.S. Lane Victory, a preserved wartime cargo ship whose service stretched across World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The free talk, part of the “Lectures with Lianne” series, is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Fred Hesse Jr. Community Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, according to Palos Verdes Pulse. Ghareeb’s presentation is titled “The S.S. Lane Victory: The Ship of Miracles.” The event gives local audiences a chance to hear the story of a vessel that still operates more than 81 years after its 1945 maiden voyage. ### Why is the S.S. Lane Victory called “The Ship of Miracles”? The S.S. Lane Victory earned the nickname for its role in helping rescue more than 7,000 Korean refugees fleeing Communist forces during the Korean War in 1950, according to Palos Verdes Pulse. That episode has become the ship’s best-known chapter and the focal point of Ghareeb’s lecture. (palosverdespulse.com) The Lane Victory Maritime Center says the vessel now serves as a museum and memorial honoring Merchant Marine sailors and Navy Armed Guardsmen. The organization describes the ship as a National Historic Landmark and a surviving example of the Victory-class cargo ships built for wartime service. ### What kind of ship was it, and where did it come from? The S.S. Lane Victory was built in Los Angeles Harbor by the California Shipbuilding Corporation at Terminal Island and launched on May 31, 1945, according to the Lane Victory Maritime Center. (palosverdespulse.com) The center says the ship departed on its first voyage on June 27, 1945, near the end of the war in the Pacific. Palos Verdes Pulse says the vessel later sailed for American President Lines during much of its career before being deactivated and placed in reserve in San Francisco Bay. (lanevictory.org) Its long service record is part of why the ship remains a draw for maritime historians and preservation volunteers in the Los Angeles area. ### Who is Gordon Ghareeb? (lanevictory.org) Gordon Ghareeb is listed by the Lane Victory Maritime Center as a director on its board. The center’s visitor information page also identifies him as a contact for docent-led tours aboard the ship. Los Angeles Maritime Museum lists Ghareeb as co-author, with Martin Cox, of a book on the Los Angeles Steamship Company. Those credits place him within the local maritime history community that has helped document and interpret the ship’s past. (palosverdespulse.com) ### What is “Lectures with Lianne”? Lianne La Reine, editor of Palos Verdes Pulse, has produced the “Lectures with Lianne” series since 2021, according to the publication. (lanevictory.org) Palos Verdes Pulse says the program has featured talks on subjects ranging from local geology and lighthouses to the Port of Los Angeles and the Queen Mary. The same profile says La Reine has produced more than 400 lectures and hundreds of events. (lamaritimemuseum.org) Audience members quoted by the publication described the series as a regular forum for local history and other specialized topics. ### Where is the lecture, and where can people see the ship itself? Fred Hesse Jr. Community Park is a city facility in Rancho Palos Verdes with meeting rooms and a community center, according to the city’s parks page. (palosverdespulse.com) Palos Verdes Pulse lists Friday’s lecture there at 4 p.m. The ship itself is berthed in San Pedro at Berth 52, 2400 Miner Street, according to the Lane Victory Maritime Center. (palosverdespulse.com) The center says the vessel is generally open Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Sunday visits available by appointment. Friday’s talk is the next public step for people who want the background before visiting the ship. Palos Verdes Pulse says the lecture begins at 4 p.m. on July 10, 2026, and the Lane Victory Maritime Center lists tours and museum visits in San Pedro afterward for those who want to see the vessel in person. (rpvca.gov) (palosverdespulse.com) (lanevictory.org)