USS Makin Island ( CVE - 93 ) USS " Makin Island " ( CVE - 93 ) was an " Casablanca " class escort carrier of the United States Navy . Named for the 1942 Makin raid , she was laid down on 12 January 1944 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company , Vancouver , Washington ; launched 5 April 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . B . B . Nichol ; and commissioned at Astoria , Oregon , 9 May 1944 , Commander W . B . Whaley in command . Service history . Following a brief west coast shakedown cruise , on the eighth of June , " Makin Island " left for San Diego , California , stopping at Alameda , California , to load bombs and aviation gasoline . " Makin Island " departed San Diego on 19 June 1944 , to ferry aircraft and men to Pearl Harbor , Majuro , and Kwajalein , returning to San Diego 24 July . The escort carrier then trained out of San Diego , preparing for combat until 16 October , when she sailed for Ulithi via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok , arriving 5 November . On 10 November , the ship got underway for Leyte , protecting convoys in transit to the invasion beachhead . Extensive air operations were conducted , but no enemy resistance was encountered . On 22 November , she sailed to Manus for the forthcoming invasion of Luzon . Flying the pennant of Rear Admiral C . T . Durgin , Commander TG 77 . 4 , " Makin Island " left Manus 27 December to rendezvous with the invasion force in Surigao Strait , Leyte . Sailing for Lingayen Gulf , 3 January 1945 , the carrier was subjected to fierce , almost continuous enemy air attack during the passage to the assault beaches . Though sister carrier was sunk and a number of other ships damaged , " Makin Island " arrived unscathed 6 January . For the next 11 days , she remained off the beachhead flying air support for the amphibious operation , then sailed for Ulithi . Admiral Durgin flew his flag in " Makin Island " once more , during the invasion of Iwo Jima , off which she arrived 16 February . Her planes made pre - invasion strikes and after the landings provided aerial fire support , essential to success in the hot action ashore , until 8 March . The carrier group again came under heavy Japanese " kamikaze " attacks , but " Makin Island " once more was not hit . After replenishing at Ulithi , she sailed for Okinawa , again as flagship . From her arrival off Japan ' s last great island bastion , Okinawa , 25 March , " Makin Island " remained on station for 67 days , flying constant fire support , supply , and reconnaissance missions for the ground forces . The ship ’ s aircraft , from Composite Squadrons 84 and 91 ( VC - 84 and - 91 ) , flew 2 , 258 combat sorties , recording over 8 , 000 hours of flying time . Relieved 1 June , the carrier sailed for Guam , arriving 5 June . She sailed again 11 July , to provide air cover for ships conducting minesweeping and raiding operations in the East China Sea and to launch airstrikes against Japanese targets on the Chinese coast . On 13 August she anchored in Buckner Bay , Okinawa , and on 9 September proceeded to Wakanoura Wan , in southern Honshū , for occupation duty . Among her missions was providing air cover for the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war . She sailed for San Francisco 18 October , arrived 5 November , then voyaged to Shanghai to return troops ( including the famous Flying Tigers ) to the United States at Seattle 30 December . " Makin Island " was decommissioned on 19 April 1946 at Puget Sound , was stricken from the Navy list on 11 July , and sold on 1 January 1947 . Awards . " Makin Island " received five battle star s for World War II service .