The Federal Aid Highway act of 1956, aslo called the National Interstate and Defense Highway Act received the Majority of its funding from the National defense budget. It was called the Defense Highway act because the program was meant to connect all of the Air force bases across the united states.
Several of these ships were actually transporting munitions to European powers. Some of them were trying to reach various shorelines. Or maybe even trying to go along their usual route doing their best to avoid the war... That's all I have.