USS Nehenta Bay ( CVE - 74 ) USS " Nehenta Bay " ( CVE – 74 ) was an " Casablanca " class escort carrier of the United States Navy . She was launched by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co . , Vancouver , Washington , 28 November 1943 , under Maritime Commission contract : sponsored by Mrs . Robert H . Smith ; acquired 3 January 1944 : and commissioned at Astoria , Oregon , the same day , Captain Horace A . Butterfield in command . " Nehenta Bay " made her shakedown cruise from San Francisco Bay to Pearl Harbor 6 February to 12 February 1944 , carrying replacement aircrews and planes . She put into San Diego 21 February with damaged planes returned from combat zones for repair . After further West Coast training , she sailed for Pearl Harbor 18 March , again with replacement aircraft and aviation materiel , added to her lading in Hawaii , and reached Majuro 7 April to deliver mail , men , and aircraft to fast carriers moored there . She returned to San Diego from Majuro and Pearl Harbor 27 April , bringing home wounded and other passengers , along with damaged aircraft . After combat readiness training off California and in Hawaii , " Nehenta Bay " left Pearl Harbor 18 June for the Marianas assault , staging at Eniwetok late in the month . With TF 51 , her planes flew antisubmarine and combat air patrols during operations against Tinian , which they strafed 5 July and 7 July , blasting gun emplacements and a sugar refinery . Returning to Eniwetok 16 July to refuel and replenish , " Nehenta Bay " next sailed , with " Midway " and 12 destroyers , for antisubmarine and combat air patrols off Guam and Saipan , striking targets on the latter . Next assigned to escort fleet oilers during at - sea replenishment operations , " Nehenta Bay " played an essential part in the 3rd Fleet ' s victory - winning operations from August 1944 through January 1945 . The ships she guarded made it possible for the fast carriers to remain at sea for extended periods , smashing at targets in the Carolines and Philippines , on Formosa , and on the Chinese coast . Such attacks in turn made possible the capture of the Palaus , and the return to the Philippines . With Manus and Ulithi as her bases , " Nehenta Bay " faithfully and tirelessly protected her vulnerable charges , fighting through the December typhoon despite heavy damage and shooting down a Japanese attacker 12 January 1945 . She returned to San Diego 19 February for overhaul , refreshed her training in Hawaiian waters , then qualified new aviators off Guam before arriving at Ulithi 9 May to prepare for strikes on Okinawa . Her planes flew patrols and made direct strikes on enemy positions to aid fighting men ashore , blasting the Japanese from eaves and ridges . Her formation came under kamikaze attack 7 June , when two of her sisters were crashed . From the end of June through early August , " Nehenta Bay " again guarded oilers as they served the 3rd Fleet in its climactic raids against Japan itself . She was en route to operations in the Aleutians when hostilities ended , and her task force sailed 31 August for occupation duties around Japan , patrolling and dropping supplies to prisoners of war . She returned to Pearl Harbor 24 September to disembark her air squadron and all aviation equipment and gasoline , thus making room for passengers . She sailed 30 September to embark homeward - bound troops in the Marshalls , and with them reached San Francisco in mid - October . In November she sailed to the Philippines on similar duty , returning to the West Coast 27 November . Sailing via the Panama Canal , " Nehenta Bay " arrived Boston 31 January 1946 for inactivation . She decommissioned and entered reserve at Boston 15 May 1946 . Reclassified CVU – 74 on 12 June 1955 and AKV – 24 on 7 May 1959 , " Nehenta Bay " was sold to Coalmarket , Inc . , 29 June 1960 and scrapped . " Nehenta Bay " received 7 battle star s for World War II service .