USS Benevolence (AH-13) a United States Navy Hospital Ship, was built as SS Marine Lion in 1944 by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., in Chester, Pennsylvania, under a Maritime Commission contract. She was a C4-class ship, which were the largest cargo ships built by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) during World War II. Among the variations of the design were the Haven-class hospital ship, including Benevolence and five others.

The Haven class of hospital ships were built for the United States Navy (USN) during World War II. Haven-class ships also served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. They were among the first ships to be able to receive casualties directly by helicopter and were the first fully air conditioned ships in the USN. The first ship was laid down in July 1943, while the last was launched in August 1944. In that span the United States produced six Haven-class hospital ships. The last Haven-class ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1989. One ship sank in a collision in 1950; the five others were scrapped. Haven-class hospital ships were replaced with the Mercy-class hospital ships.