Originally scheduled to be named Chapin Bay, the keel of the CVE-63 was laid on January 23, 1943, at Kaiser Shipyard in Vancouver, Washington. It was launched on August 17, 1943, and commissioned on October 23, 1943, at Astoria, Oregon, with Capt. Francis J. McKenna in command. Following a shakedown cruise, the ship made two trips to Pearl Harbor and a trip to Brisbane, Australia, transporting planes. Upon returning to our home port of San Diego, Composite Squadron 65 (VC-65) which had been in training, was received aboard and continued training...