 "Paducah" returned to the U.S. East Coast in early 1941, and through World War II, trained Naval Armed Guard gunners in Chesapeake Bay, thus giving vital service to the Merchant Marine’s crucial World War II assignment.Decommissioning 7 September 1945, "Paducah" transferred to the Maritime Commission 19 December 1946, and was sold the same day to Maria Angelo, Miami, Florida.After she was sold in Miami, the ship was obtained by the Israeli group Haganah and renamed "Geula", meaning "Redemption".