A former carrier, the ship was reactivated on 16 May 1958 as USNS Card and operated with a civilian crew under Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) control as an aircraft transport. On 2 May 1964,
while moored dockside in Saigon, a North Vietnamese frogman planted an explosive charge that blew a hole in the hull. Card settled in 20 feet (6.1 m) of water. She was patched and pumped out, and raised on
19 May, and towed to Subic Bay, and then Yokosuka for repairs. Card returned to service on 11 December.