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CVE-106 Crew Memories
(Music is "Sentimental over you ")

The memories of the crew of CVE 106 were from a different world and a complete different circumstance. With over 300 of their shipmates being taken off the ship to be replaced by marines some close friendship were lost and at the time thought maybe forever. The feeling toward the Japanese was much different than that of the Germans. The Japanese chose to attack Pearl Harbor, which was at the time a U.S. possession. The Japanese also treated their prisoners of war much different than the Germans. Until this attack on Pearl Harbor the close association with the war was taken from the stories of the news media. The attitude of the entire nation changed over night the first day after that attack.

While History shows that the Germans killed many American Soldiers after they were captured it was not under the orders of Adolph Hitler. The last thing that Hitler wanted was for the US to become involved in the war because he also knew that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor awoke that sleeping giant. He knew that mistreatment of those captured prisoners would only cause those sleepy eyes to become even clearer. Leaders of the "hard core" German SS gave those orders and paid the price in the War Crimes Trails after the war.  America was really the only Country that Hitler feared and when the British and American Navy's cleared out the submarine menace his dream of the "Master Race" started to crumble. With the submarine force defeat the United States then could concentrate their full "carrier force" to the Pacific. The American CVEs that were stationed in the Atlantic remained to provide air cover for the invasion of France. 
This was another world that the crew of CVE 21 was entering. Gone were the crew members of the 4 Destroyer Escorts who had saved so many of their lives when CVE 21 was sunk. This new world created a circumstance that would completely change the memory process of the entire crew, even the replacement Marines.

They were also being placed in an environment unlike any other Marines had faced. When CVE 106 went into service the war with Japan had changed from a defensive operation to a total offensive operation. Many ships and many crews had gone before them which was not the case of the world of CVE 21. 

As CVE 106 pulled into Ulithi Atoll to join the hundreds of ships in the 3rd and 7th Pacific Fleets at anchor the crew faced their first change. The only ship that was underway was CVE 106, with all of her airplanes lashed tightly to her flight deck. This was the case of all the aircraft carriers there at anchor. All of the sudden the general quarters alarm was sounded and over the loud speakers came the words "this is not a test" Japanese aircraft have been spotted just 5 miles out from the fleet. These Navy crew members had never experienced being involved in this type of war as on CVE 21 all of their concerns were enemies from under water not overhead above the clouds. The crew felt defenseless there with all their aircraft strapped tightly to the deck. However, all of the sudden Army Air Force P-38s appeared overhead and quickly destroyed these Japanese planes before they could drop their bombs or get off shots from their guns.

When the task forces were formed with as many as 7 other aircraft carriers in each group this was another major change. However, with CVE 106 being designated the Flag Ship of the Group the position of leadership the crew had on CVE 21 returned.

  Probably the crews of the USS Santee (CVE-29) and CVE-106 will best remember an errand of mercy undertaken by these two ships in rescuing some 1,200 allied prisoners of war held by the Japanese on the Island of Formosa. (Now  Taiwan).

The facts and the actions taken in this rescue could best be told in an entire book publication. The picture below was taken on the hanger deck of the CVE-106.  

(click on picture for a larger view) 

Somewhere in this picture lays a man  by the name of Maurice A. Rooney who is from the United Kingdom and spent over three years in the Japanese POW Camps. He has maintained contact with some of the CVE 106 crewmembers over the years. In March of 2003 Maury sent and "E" mail to one of the crew members indicating that he had been "under the weather" and would not be able to attend the 2003 Reunion. His Widow,
Barbara,  notified his friends that he died April 3, 2003 . On May 29, 2002 Maury sent the following message to be included on the Website.

Admiral Dixwell Ketcham  presented a citation to the Task Force and forwarded one from Admiral Thomas Kincaid. 

The citation reads:

"For evacuating prisoners of war from Formosa you were nothing short of sensational. To every officer and man in your ships is due resounding applause for shoving your noses into Kiirun before the occupation without thought of self in a most worthy cause. The handling of passengers and their care, like everything else in the operation, was done in the American way, and there is not better.

"I pass to you the message of the Commander of the Seventh Fleet: "Prompt and determined action in the Formosa evacuation under difficult circumstances was a magnificent performance and a God-send to our prisoners. Well done. Signed Kincaid!' (Admiral Thomas Kincaid).

 The Manila Times of  September 12, 1945 carried an article that the men read with great pride and joy. The headline reads, "Rescue of Formosa POWs Results in Navy Citation," and the first two paragraphs read as follows:

For being the first Allied units to enter the heavily mined waters of northern Formosa which was effected at Kiirun on September 5 "under difficult circumstances" and, on top of  it, for successfully evacuating 1,200 Allied prisoners of war from Formosa, the commanders and men of the U.S.S. Kretchmer and U.S.S. Gary, two destroyer escorts, as well as the destroyers (escorts) Finch and Brister and the transports (escort carriers) Santee and Block Island have been cited by Rear Admiral D. Ketcham, of the United States Navy. This was made public in Manila this morning.

The two leading destroyer escorts missed being sunk by a matter of yards from mine fields that they miraculously passed between on their way to the docks.

Maurice Rooney visited the United States several years back and while here attended one of the Ships Reunions.
At that Reunion he was given a baseball type hat that bore a picture of the Block Island and and the name of the Association. This is the type of  hats that are found in every household, every garbage dump, floating around on our lakes and rivers, laying on the streets and freeways and next to billboards is the number one "advertising" media of the world. However, this hat was very important to him because it represented a time in his life when he faced conditions that came very close to ending  his life. Like the little Ronson cigarette lighter that is shown as a survivor of the sinking of CVE 21, these little, what is considered incidental, keepsakes become very important to the memory process when it involves a "life and death matter".

Maury was in the airport terminal in an Eastern U.S. City and went to the rest room. He took the hat off and when he went outside to his waiting station he remembered that he left the hat in the rest room. Back he went and it was not there. He has been very ill for the past few years and the loss of the hat has been on his mind many times. These "E" mails are a part of that process relating to it's recovery.

(click on picture for a larger view)
"BUT, SIR.  IT'S THE  ONLY THING LEFT WITH LESS THAN 400 HOURS."

This cartoon was given to CVE-106 by a crew member of the USS Santee when CVE-106 had to go on 24 hour flight operations.  In the day time air strikes and task force air coverage, and at night it was overhead combat air patrol.  At one time, the CVE-106 had the only F6F-5N radar equipped airplanes available to protect the entire task force during the darkness of night.  This was important because these were the days of the Japanese kamikaze air attacks on the fleet.

In the critique the Navy undertook after the Japanese surrendered it was pointed out that this circumstance of three pronged (night fighters, daytime fighter and bomber operations) should never again be undertaken by the smaller aircraft carriers because of the strain that it put on the ships crews.
To accomplish the tasks that were being undertaken the crews had to take cots to their work stations and maintain what was designated "condition 1 easy" or just a relaxed "general quarters", some times for many days. 

The crew of the CVE 21 had much experience fighting the storms of the north Atlantic but not the many typhoons of the Pacific. Now the crew of CVE 106 was faced with these typhoons on three different occasions. CVE 106 was the first carrier of it's class to undertake actual "war time related operations" and as such got stuck with another E on it class, that being "experimental". This was the first circumstance where the "sea worthiness" of the class could be tested.

On one operation (June 1945) CVE 106 was detached to join the "big boys" (the large carriers, battle wagons, cruisers and destroyers) to provide night combat patrol activities. On that occasion the entire fleet was over taken by the major typhoon of that year. While CVE 106 faired very well under the circumstances this was not the case of many of the other larger ships. The crew saw the flight decks of two carriers folded back like a book page, two others had all of their aircraft pushed overboard from their strapped down positions on their flight decks, a cruiser and a battle ship lose their forward gun turrets, and a cruiser get pushed up out of the water and come down so hard in the water as to break some forward beams. All of these ships had to return to port for major repairs. Not CVE 106 as it withstood mother nature much better that was expected by it's designers. Sure many of the crew members got sick and the corpsmen had to pass out thousands of sea sick pills and all the decks were covered with hot chocolate because the cooks could not cook but the very next day their airplanes were back providing air cover for the fleet.
                                                                   
When the CVE aircraft undertook air cover for these big aircraft carriers they were not use to seeing them when they were ready to land back on their ships deck. However one plane was directed to land on one of these larger carriers and over the radio this answer was heard "which runway am I to take"?
When CVE 106 was directed to depart from this Task Force to sail for the landings at Borneo on it own, one of the Combat Air Patrol pilots radioed the larger carriers and reported "sorry fellows you are on your own now"!
Mother nature can be much more of a menace to the ships as an actual battle because the crews can at least defend themselves from enemy action. While the picture above shows CVE 106 riding out the typhoon without even the loss of its aircraft tied down on the flight deck, this was not the case of many of the other ships.
The following is just a one day report of the damage that was done to the task force by this typhoon. Shown is the official Navy damage report for one day involving 37 ships.

06/05/45  Tue. Typhoon in the Okinawa area, Ryukyu Islands, heavily damages United States naval vessels. United States naval vessels damaged by typhoon, Okinawa area:

Battleship INDIANA (BB-58), 22 d. 51'N,, 132 d. 14'E. Battleship MASSACHUSETTS (BB-59), 22 d. 48'N., 132 d. 11'E. Battleship ALABAMA (BB-60), 22 d. 58'N., 132 d. 15'E. Battleship MISSOURI (BB-63), 23 d. 30'N., 131 d. 30'E. Aircraft carrier HORNET (CV-12), 22 d. 54'N., 132 d. 25'E. Aircraft carrier BENNINGTON (CV-20), 23 d. 03'N., 132 d. 04'E. Light carrier BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24), 22 d. 45'N., 132 d. 10'E. Light carrier SAN JACINTO (CVL-30), 22 d. 53'N., 131 d. 55'E. Escort carrier WINDHAM BAY (CVE-92), 22 d. 37'N., 131 d. 34'E. Escort carrier SALAMAUA (CVE-96), 22 d. 30'N., 131 d. 56'E. Escort carrier BOUGAINVILLE (CVE-100), 22 d. 18'N,, 131 d. 53'E. Escort carrier ATTU (CVE-102), 22 d. 38'N., 131 d. 58'E. Heavy cruiser BALTIMORE (CA-68), 22 d. 48'N., 132 d. 14'E. Heavy cruiser QUINCY (CA-71), 22 d. 59'N., 132 d. 12'E. Heavy cruiser PITTSBURGH (CA-72), 22 d. 50'N., 132 d. 06'E. Light cruiser DETROIT (CL-8), 22 d. 17'N., 131 d. 48'E. Light cruiser SAN JUAN (CL-54), 22 d. 28'N., 132 d. 24'E. Light cruiser DULUTH (CL-87), 22 d. 55'N., 132 d. 12'E. Light cruiser ATLANTA (CL-104), 22 d. 46'N., 136 d. 12'E. Destroyer SCHROEDER (DD-501), 22 d. 48'N., 132 d. 14'E. Destroyer JOHN RODGERS (DD-574), 22 d. 45'N., 132 d. 10'E. Destroyer MCKEE (DD-575), 22 d. 54'N., 132 d. 19'E. Destroyer DASHIELL (DD-659), 22 d. 55'N., 132 d. 15'E. Destroyer STOCKHAM (DD-683), 22 d. 48'N., 132 d. 14'E. Destroyer DE HAVEN (DD-717), 22 d. 51'N., 132 d. 10'E. Destroyer MADDOX (DD-731), 22 d. 42'N., 132 d. 45'E. Destroyer BLUE (DD-744), 22 d. 51'N., 132 d. 25'E. Destroyer BRUSH (DD-745), 22 d. 34'N., 132 d. 22'E. Destroyer TAUSSIG (DD-746), 22 d. 43'N., 132 d. 04'E. Destroyer SAMUEL N. MOORE (DD-747), 22 d. 48'N., 132 d. 14'E. Destroyer escort DONALDSON (DE-44), 22 d. 35'N., 131 d. 56'E. Destroyer escort CONKLIN (DE-439), 22 d. 17'N., 131 d. 48'E. Destroyer escort HILBERT (DE-742), 22 d. 32'N., 131 d. 40'E. Oiler LACKAWANNA (AO-40), 22 d. 31'N., 131 d. 36'E. Oiler MILLICOMA (AO-73), 22 d. 12'N., 131 d. 36'E. Ammunition ship SHASTA (AE-6), 22 d. 17'N., 131 d. 48'E.

Then the Navy needed to find out how CVE-106  could take typhoon conditions anchored in a bay . On the south side of Okinawa was Buckner Bay where all of the supplies and materials were delivered to the forces fighting to take the island. At some point in June of 1945 another major typhoon hit and down went the anchor of CVE 106. The crew saw LCVPs, LSTs and large supply ships pushed up on the beaches of Okinawa but again the ship stood off the elements and late that night went back to air coverage of the fleet and for the marines fighting to take the island. 

The crews of all the ships of the Pacific Fleet who had to rearm their ships with shells, bombs, rockets and spare parts at a little island called Kerama Retto just west of Okinawa and only some 300 miles south of Tokyo, Japan and less than 20 miles from the Japanese lines. The crew of CVE 106 will always remember this point in their service.
Before you enter the harbor you have to lash all of the aircraft down to the decks, clear all of the elevators and all hands must "turn to", including all of the officers, to prepare to take on the much needed supplies and ammunitions.

These picture look harmless enough but that is not what the crew will forever remember. Like Ulithi back in early 1945, here set the ship at anchor with eight large barges with all sizes of bombs, rockets, shells, explosive fluids (napalm ) , and torpedoes tied up tight against the ship. All of this ammunitions spread all over the flight and hanger decks and crew members working at a fever pitch trying to get it loaded into the magazines. Here again comes the heartbreaking sound of "Bong Bong Bong general quarters, this is not a test, enemy aircraft approaching less than 2 miles to the south flying low over the water, man all battle stations". In the crew members minds was the sights of the USS Sagamon or the USS Franklin that took bomb and kamikaze suicide attacks when their decks were scattered with ammunitions. Those ships were torn to slithers and hundreds of sailor lost their lives. For a period of some time the ship was like a bee hive of action. The bay was fogged in and the picket boats were spreading smoke screens to help make the anchored ships hard to detect. The crew members on the flight deck then saw that famous Air Force P38 swoop down out of the clouds and splash a Japanese Zeke that was less than a mile down the bay from the ship. The other Japanese plane took off over the mountain top of the island and was met by other Army aircraft. In about 20 minutes the "all clear was sounded". While the feelings of the crew was relaxed their pace of storing the ammunitions in the magazines was at a much greater pitch.

The circumstances of “loading ammunitions and supplies” at Kerama Retto for all the many ships that had to go into that Harbor plays a part of Naval History for all of those ships because of the dangers that were brought about.

The 2nd above picture of an F4U attacking Japanese dug in troops on Okinawa is a story in itself. The  Pilots, be it Air Force, Navy or Marine,  like to spruce up their aircraft with all sorts of paintings. Being the first Marine Pilots to operate in mass off a Navy Carrier they wanted the square block for Block Island and the M  to show that they were Marines. (see first above photo) Take a look at the F4U going in on an attack and note that the tail is a very flat black with something showing under the black. The Navy, in their effort to keep the Japanese  from knowing that the Marines now had their own Carrier, ordered that the identification be removed. With an all out effort the next day for as many aircraft as possible "flat Black" was the plan of the day. The picture was taken from a patrol plane and was found on the Navy's Historical site United States Navy Aviation 1910-1995. At Okinawa alone 2,516 Japanese Aircraft were destroyed in the air and the shore based Marine Squadrons  based there on the captured Yontan Airbase, and on the air base taken over from the Japanese at Kerama Retto, destroyed another 506 on the ground. The "Baby Flatops" far surpassed the time that the larger carriers in Task Force 58  were on the line at Okinawa.

                         
 CVE 106 served with many escort ships in the Pacific and to show just a few of the dangers this story was provided by Lt.(jg) Sid Morrow who served on the Destroyer Escort USS O’Flaherty  DE 340 when it served as an escort.

Notwithstanding the conditions of the seas the CVE Carriers had to refuel with both aviation gas and fuel at sea every  6 to 9 days. The carrier then must also act as a fuel supply ship for the escorts. All of this action must be taken while the ships are underway. Landing and launching aircraft and refueling are two of the most "non-enemy action" dangers these ships face depending on weather conditions. Shown here is the tanker which is along side the carrier and the escort ship "standing in" to receive fuel. Note the fuel lines extending over to the carrier and the condition of the seas. While the carrier is not shown (picture taken from the carrier) the sponsons and the flight deck extend well beyond the sides of the carriers and are actually extending over the refueling ships. One such action brought about the following action. 

During an operation to refuel O'FLAHERTY and also to load munitions from BLOCK ISLAND CVE-106, to transfer to SANTEE CVE-29 on 14 June 1945, a sudden swell of ocean waves pushed O'FLAHERTY into BLOCK ISLAND and rammed the barrel of the forward 5" Gun through a sponson. The ships were locked together for several moments while the orders were issued by bells to stop the engines so the gun could be disengaged. Several crew-members have recollected their memories of the collision – CMM Rich Sider was in the Chief's quarters where the deck was peeled aside giving him a view of the sky! He immediately rushed to the forward Engine Room where "all hell was breaking loose". Lt. (jg) Sid Morrow was in the 5" director and recalls how the officers immediately ordered the munitions removed from the location to avoid an explosion. 

The real hero was Gunnery Officer Lt. George Carmichael whose quick thinking to remove the loose powder and live ammunition from the gun area and throw it over the side, averted a possible explosion with resulting damage and loss of life. Crewmembers are still wondering how he got there so quickly to handle this emergency detail. Harry Mais was at his station on the bridge and saw Lt.Carmichael  "act immediately on the spur of the moment when someone is in peril". Ensign Bob Piper also recalls that Cdr. Callan who was at the conn expressed his dismay at the thought,  "I'll probably get sent to an LST" As another crewmember Ralph Bailey recalls, "I was in the 5 inch when we had the collision . . we were lucky the gun did not fire as the barrel was compressed down against the shell and powder case". K. C. Sinnett relates, "My big thing was to keep the refrigerators working to keep our food cold so I was not in the know of a lot that was going on."

There was no blame placed over the collision with BLOCK ISLAND. These types of maneuvers were very difficult at most and this particular one had been halted and resumed a few times so CVE-106 could dispatch flyers and continue the refueling procedure, not only with O'FLAHERTY but also with SANTEE.

O'FLAHERTY was dispatched to Kerama Retto to await repairs in July 1945, and the crew was called to General Quarters numerous times as the Japanese suicide bombers stuck several ships in the outside harbor.

                     

The O'FLAHERTY'S young crew watched while anchored in Berth K-104, as kamikaze hit and sunk the four-stacker USS BARRY, converted to APD-29 and also sunk USS LSM-59. Again at General Quarters, DE-340 also wit-nessed the strikes on USS KENNETH WHITING AV-14 and USS CURTISS AV-4. These incidents also served to remind the crew of their "luck" and brought  them closer together as shipmates.

Finally, "Destroyer Tender" CASCADE AD-16 took O'FLAHERTY and began the 5" gun repairs. USS OBERRENDER DE-344 was also in port with her damage considered beyond repair.  An Order was issued to all ships of her class to board her to salvage any parts that were needed. CMM Sider then received permission to board with a party of men and removed a 6-inch high-pressure steam valve that was sorely needed on DE-340. While aboard OBERRENDER, Sider recalls the ship damage was unbelievable and the men marveled over how she managed to stay afloat and the courage of the survivors who brought her to Kerama Retto.

The O'FLAHERTY earned 4 battle stars while escorting various CVEs participating as HUNTER KILLER GROUPS and providing the support  for the invasions of: Guam, Lingayen Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
                                                  

While CVE 106 was credited with many "firsts" , however, the stories behind the "first" is what is in the memories of the crews. Like the "first" major ship to enter the Makassar Straits between Borneo and Celebes since 1942 when the Japanese invaded and took possession of these islands. The news reports told of the feat and how the marine aircraft from a US aircraft carrier provided ground support for the British and Australian troops in their effort to retake Balikpapan after over three years of Japanese control. These news reports failed to mention that the operations were delayed until CVE 106 had completed another mission or why that particular ship was used.

Many of the Marine pilots flying off CVE 106 had been involved in ground troop close air support prior to boarding the ship and had just undertaken the same task at Okinawa. This type of action was direly needed in this invasion because of the dense forests and the massive underbrush. These same news reports failed to mention that the Japanese had heavily mined these straits and that very little mine sweeping had taken place before the planned operations.

The story of "mine detection" is what is remembered by these crew members. Take an aircraft carrier and two destroyer escorts undertaking flight operations, having to turn into the wind each time that planes are to be launched or recovered and at all times zigging and zagging within the straits in an area loaded with floating mines and you have the real story. How were these floating mines detected is the memories. Not with the modern mine detection equipment that we have today but by "eyesight" from lookouts and "sharp shooters" who were stationed on the catwalks and sponsons of the carrier with rifles and scopes firing at the mines until they exploded 
                                                                                                                               

                                             Those "sharp shooters" held the lives of some thousand shipmates and three ships in their sights. These are the real memories stored in the minds of these shipmates. The crews were very busy during these operations and because "taking pictures was not a top priority of the day" we have none to show on the Website. 

May 29, 1945, the 1st Anniversary of the sinking of CV 21, was well remembered by the surviving crewmembers who were still serving on CVE 106. A special cake was baked marking the Anniversary and the aviation ordinance personnel marked all the bombs and rockets to be used that day with chalk lettering marking the date. While the baking of the cake and the marking of the bombs and rockets was well planned the actions of the day had not been planned. May had been a very active month for the crew of CVE 106 who, from May 4 through June 16, had put over 1200 sorties over Japanese targets. All of these missions were well planned but the results of the day tempered the celebration. The following report for May 29 was forwarded to the Commander of the Fleet:
Bracelet (the given radio code name of CVE 106 ) to Federal 3 ( the given radio code name of the Task Force Commander)
"29, May, 1945: More casualties came our way. 2nd Lt. Jack Marconi, USMCR pilot; S/Sgt. Joe F. Survoy, USMC, turret gunner; S/Sgt. Ben D. Cannan, Jr., USMC, radio gunner, lost their lives while making a bombing run on targets in the edge of Ishigaki, a short distance from where we had our losses two days before. Anti-aircraft fire was intense and other pilots saw the TBM fail to pull up out of a bomb run and crash into the earth. Will you initiate a reconnaissance flight over the area with your next scheduled strike to observe if there were any survivors: BTTIME 2939005 " 
Later on that day, May 29, 1945 the following message was received: Federal 3 to Bracelet: "Reconnaissance planes sent out over your strike area observed no survivors. The planes brought back photographs and reports showing that your losses had not been in vain. Principal buildings in the neighborhood of the airfields had been gutted. Big radio stations were leveled and the radar dome completely demolished. The report finds that the airfields looked like hell's half acre. Will keep up with observance of the area in our nest strikes. End of com.
However, God Speed to those survivors of CVE 21; Federal 3 out!

Being 200 miles away from this action and out of eyesight, permitted the major part of the planned celebration to take place. The two following photographs were taken as a part of the very quiet celebration. 

Captain Hughes is shown with the surviving officers from his command on CVE 21 looking over the cake.

Five aviation ordinance men are shown marking the Anniversary date on bombs that were to go on the next strike.

The news papers and the airways were filled with the stories of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan and the schedules of their surrender that was to take place. Out at sea the ships and the crews were still awaiting this news to be given to all of the Japanese Commanders scattered out all over the islands in the Pacific. Word was out that the Japanese were taking their dejected feelings out on their prisoners of war. Conditions for these prisoners were very poor even before the proposed surrender and now there was a real concern that these prisoners should be a major concern of the entire US Forces. 

Such was the case of the many prisoners of war who had been held on the island of Formosa (now Taiwan) by the city of Taipei since early 1942 when Gen. McArthur had to leave Bataan. The Allies had many sounding boards on Formosa because of all the copper and zinc mines that the Japanese had taken in their conquests. These prisoners were made to be the main work-force of these mines and the reports were that their medical conditions were to a point where there were daily deaths.

CVE 106 was selected to be the main command of a force made up of the USS Santee and two small destroyer escorts to enter the harbor and assist in the rescue of these prisoners. Again the ship was going to be exposed to the mines that the Japanese had littered the harbor with. Again the "sharp shooters" were called to duty as was the case at Borneo. The entire story of this rescue would make copy for an entire book but the outcome of that operation will always be in the minds of these shipmates.

The picture taken on the hanger deck of CVE 106 of some 1200 prisoners that were rescued to be transported to Manila, PI where medical facilities were available for these prisoners. All of the reports that were made on their physical conditions were correct and the crewmembers will never forget these facts because they lived and cared for them for several days.
 
There were many American prisoners at the camps on Formosa but the bulk of the prisoners at the Taihoku Camp were Australian and British. Crew members on the rescue ships received letters of appreciation for the heroic action they took and to the treatment they received on their trip to Manila.

Quite a while ago I was in contact with you over the O'FLAHERTY story of
when they collided with you & then had to have their 5" gun replaced
with one from OBERRENDER.

MY husband served in USS THOMAS J. GARY DE-326 and we had lunch with a
shipmate & his wife on Monday. Anyway he gave me a bunch of stuff from
DE/DER 326 including a group of photos taken during the time of the POW
evacuation at Formosa. Of course BLOCK ISLAND played a very important
role during all of this but the initial contact was made by DE-326 who
had the distinction of being the first US War vessel in the Taiwan
Harbor since Commodore Perry in 1853.The Destroyer Escorts BRISTER,
FINCH, KRETCHMER AND THOMAS J. GARY secured the POW and transferred them
to the CVE's SANTEE and BLOCK ISLAND.

I'm attaching two photos as a sample. Let me know if you are interested!

Sincerely,
Pat Perrella
Volunteer with USS SLATER DE-766, Albany, NY

The day after President Truman announced the Japanese had agreed to a surrender Captain Beakley proclaimed several areas on the flight deck to be "land" to offset the naval regulations concerning "alcoholic beverages" on the ship and donated good old US of A beer packed in boxes of saw dust for the crew members.
The weather conditions were very poor but this did not stop the celebrations. The crew participated in an hour long victory march and the cooks made a big victory cake that was served that night at the dinner meal.

The next day protective tarps were placed over all of the ships guns which had been uncovered for over 10 months except for weather conditions.

Like so very many of the service personnel, who left the USA from the docks of the San Francisco , California to undertake action in the Pacific, the picture taken of CVE 106 returning to San Francisco as it went under the Golden Gate Bridge assured the crew that they were home at last. Many of the friends and relatives of the crew members were there waiting to greet them as they  left their ship.

Going Home at last.

CVE 106 continued "making history" in it's service to the Country by serving as an "on board" training facility for the boot camp (Camp Perry) at Williamsburg, VA and later as a training ship for the midshipmen at Annapolis, MD Naval School.
At the outbreak of the Korean War CVE 106 was converted to an all helicopter ship but that story is yet another "world" of CVE 106.

CVE 106 was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet at the outbreak of the Korean War. When the ship first left the Naval Academy (and while it was there) was involved to the great part with helicopter training and operations. However in 1952 the Block Island CVE 106 was assigned to the Caribbean and European submarine defense operations .

As is shown in the NEWS Section of this Website a Booklet was published that is entitled USS Block Island CVE 106 Caribbean and European Cruises 1953. Some excerpts from that Booklet are shown herein.

The Ship was very active all during that era flying submarine patrol missions and the training of both helicopter and fixed wing non-jet aircraft. Some pictures taken from the booklet follow

Waved off from a landing on the Carrier Block Island Pilot E. H. Barry caught his planes
arresting hook in the deck barrier. He and his plane dived into the ocean and the most
modern rescue means, the carrier's helicopter rushed to save him. However as he was
coming out of the water his chute opened and kept him attached to the airplane and drug
him back into the water. The airplane was sinking and a frustrated Chopper pilot had to hand
the rescue over to one of the seafarers oldest means of rescue that being the whale boat.
 

Flight Deck picture Korea Era                                                  Try second gear
                                                      

                 O I Division, March 1, 1952 Front Row, L to r:  Wilkins, AG2; Campbell,

                 PHC; Marshall, LTJG; Birdson, LT; Allen, LCDR; Huston, LT; Gracy, LTJG;

                 Doby, LTJG; Keller, CHAERO; Taylor, AGC; Smith, AF3.  Middle Row, L to

                 R:  Ward, RDSN; Kroger, AA; Runsat, RDSA; Burt, AG3; Theroux, AGAN;

                 Kuc, SN; Conkel, AB3; Wright, RDSN; McDaniels, RD2; Thompson, RD2;

                 Oetting, AGAN; Smith, AG3; Burkett, RD2.  Back Row L to R: Mancarella,

                 AGAN; Orrick, SA; Corbin, PH3; Erlson, RDSN; Plett, RD3; Dillion, RDSN;

                 Tilson, RDSN; DeCaprio, RDSA; Britt, RDSA; Murphy, RDSN; Zimmerman, PH2.
                                                                       

                             

Slop Chute Gitmo Naval Base, February 1952,

L to R:

Later history tells that CVE 106 was decommissioned in 1957 and sold for scrap iron like so many of the ships that served their crews during WW2. The memories of both CVE 21 and CVE 106 will remain with these crew members as long as they are still here on mother earth.
The majority of these crew members have passed away and the remainder are all in their late 70s and even late 80s. For this reason the Association has created this Website in an effort to remind the newer generations that the efforts of these crew members made a great contribution toward their lifestyle and to the world as it is today. 

The following is from the WWII memory bank.
                                                                                     

 .                                                      

Found on a locker door
CVE 106

Betty Grable

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