USS Mission Bay ( CVE - 59 ) USS " Mission Bay " ( CVE - 59 ) was a of the United States Navy . Named for Mission Bay , California , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Originally scheduled to be built as AVG - 59 , USS " Mission Bay " ( CVE - 59 ) , it was redesignated ACV - 59 on August 20 , 1942 ; laid down by Kaiser Co . , Inc . , Vancouver , Washington on December 28 , 1942 ; launched on May 26 , 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . James McDonald ; redesignated CVE - 59 on July 15 , 1943 ; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on September 13 , 1943 ; and commissioned at Astoria , Oregon the same day , with Captain William L . Rees in command . Service history . After shakedown off California , " Mission Bay " departed San Diego on 15 November for the east coast via the Panama Canal , arriving Portsmouth , Virginia on 5 December . Assigned to convoy and antisubmarine duty , she got underway for Europe the 26th , arriving Casablanca , French Morocco ( now Morocco ) , 14 January 1944 . Two days later the escort aircraft carrier sailed for the east coast , reaching Portsmouth 8 February . On 20 February , " Mission Bay " steamed from New York with a load of Army planes and personnel for India , stopping at Recife , Brazil , and Cape Town , Union of South Africa , before arriving at Karachi on 29 March . By 12 May , she was back at Portsmouth . On the 28th , the carrier departed New York again on another trip to North Africa . " Mission Bay " arrived Casablanca on 6 June to steam for home 2 days later , entering the New York channel on the 17th . That same day she collided with a dredge and had to continue on to Portsmouth for repairs , mooring on 22 June . On 8 September , " Mission Bay " steamed from Portsmouth for the South Atlantic . After refueling at Dakar , French West Africa ( now Senegal ) on 20 September , she conducted antisubmarine operations into November ending at Portsmouth on the 25th . Her next cruise from Portsmouth on 21 December took her to the Caribbean for exercises between Mayport , Florida and Guantánamo Bay , Cuba into March 1945 . In February , " Mission Bay " was ordered to sail in the direction of Gibraltar to meet on the 23rd , and escort the heavy cruiser returning in convoy from the Yalta Conference from 4 – 11 February , with President Franklin D . Roosevelt and party embarked . " Mission Bay " left the convoy en route to Newport News , Virginia , mooring at Bermuda , British West Indies on the 27th before continuing on to Portsmouth to arrive 9 March . After antisubmarine duty in the North Atlantic from March 29 to May 14 during Operation Teardrop , " Mission Bay " cruised off the east coast , training pilots , until she sailed for Guantanamo Bay on 19 July . The escort carrier returned to Quonset Point , R . I . on August 2 to continue training operations off the east coast through the Japanese surrender on August 15 into December . On Navy Day , October 27 , 1945 , she was part of the celebration at Wilmington Del . that hosted Adm Bill Halsey . On December 19 , " Mission Bay " was assigned to the 16th Fleet , with Norfolk as her home yard , to serve in an incommission , in reserve status the next year . Placed in service in reserve on February 21 , 1947 , she entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Norfolk to remain there until she joined the New York Group on November 30 , 1949 . On June 12 , 1955 , she was redesignated CVU - 59 . The utility aircraft carrier was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on September 1 , 1958 , and sold to Hugo Neu Corp of New York City on April 30 , 1959 , where she was subsequently scrapped .