Captain Jeff Gumport has been a volunteer with the SS John W. Brown for seven years. His father was a merchant mariner who sailed Liberty Ships during World War II, so for Jeff, being onboard is really something special. The Brown is one of only two remaining, fully operational Liberty ships that participated in World War II. The ship looks now almost exactly as she did toward the end of World War II. Despite her grey paint and many guns, she is not a warship but rather a merchant ship. The Brown was built by the government and was under the control of the War Shipping Administration. John W. Brown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.