One hundred years ago, at 11:00 a.m. Paris time on Nov. 11, 1918, now known as the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Germany and the Allied powers signed an armistice that brought an end to the fighting of World War I.

Although an armistice was signed, it was not until the Treaty of Versailles was signed in June 1919 that World War I officially ended. Diplomats from 32 countries and nationalities that participated in the war gathered to negotiate peace terms. President Woodrow Wilson represented the United States, crossing the Atlantic Ocean aboard USS George Washington (ID# 3018), the second U.S. Navy vessel to be named after the United States’ first president.

The ship was originally an ocean liner, built by Germany and launched in 1908, offering high-class comfort to passengers transiting the Atlantic Ocean. At the time of her launching, she was the third largest ship in the world. At the outbreak of World War I, the ship sought refuge in New York City, a neutral port at the time. When the United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the U.S. Navy seized George Washington and converted it to a troop transport. The ship first carried soldiers to the battlefield in Europe in December 1917. Over the course of the war, George Washington carried 48,000 passengers eastward to France and after the Nov. 11, 1918 armistice, it transported 34,000 passengers back to the United States.

George Washington’s biggest claim to fame during this time was the special honor the ship was afforded after hostilities in Europe ceased. President Woodrow Wilson rode aboard George Washington twice on his way to France for the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. The peace treaty that resulted established the League of Nations, imposed heavy reparations on Germany, and redrew the political boundaries of many nations.

In 1920, George Washington was decommissioned from naval service and returned to civilian passenger service.

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