 Radio calls for assistance brought the U.S. Navy's Destroyer Division 7 to "Dakotan"s aid.The destroyer unit's medical officer boarded "Dakotan" and performed an appendectomy on the man, who was too ill to be moved off the ship.After the United States entered World War II, in 1941 - though most of Europe had been involved since summer 1939 - "Dakotan" was requisitioned by the War Shipping Administration (WSA), but continued to be operated by American-Hawaiian.