CVE-109 was initially named Willapa Bay for a bay off southwestern Washington state, adjacent to Pacific County (NS0310911). (ACV-53, later CVE-53, had been named Willapa.)

Renamed Cape Gloucester, 26 April 1944, after the cape in New Guinea where the 7th Amphibious Force (commanded by Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey) successfully landed the 1st Marine Division under heavy enemy air attack, on 26 December 1943.

NS1016020202: An M-4 Sherman tank of the First Marine Division landing from USS LST-202, at Cape Gloucester, 26 or 27 December 1943. USS LST-204 is in the background. US Coast Guard photo # 3058, from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office, via Mike Green.

(Map NS0310911 courtesy of Hamstermap.com. Map NS0310911a courtesy of Google Maps.)

Overhead view of USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109) underway off Vashon Island, Washington, 17 March 1945.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No.1996.488.035.012, Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection.

USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109), date and location unknown. Official USN photo.

USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109) underway off the U.S. West Coast in 1945. USN photo.

USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109) seen from the foc'sle of USS Putnam (DD-757) in an Okinawa anchorage on 16–17 or 21–22 July 1945. They were operating in TF 32 at that time.

Photo from the George Hansen collection.

USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109) anchored in mid-stream at Nagasaki, waiting to take aboard liberated Allied prisoners of war. Photographed by Private First Class L.F. DeRycke, 5 September 1945.

Official U.S. Marine Corps Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 127-GW-1643-138641.

A TBM-3E Avenger of VMTB-132 being hooked up by the catapult crew ready for launch from onboard USS [Cape] Gloucester (CVE-109), during operations against Kyushu, Japan, on 8 September 1945. USMC, courtesy Robert J. Cressman.

Photo and text from Carrier Air War in Original WWII Color, by Robert Lawson and Barrett Tillman.

A TBM-3E Avenger of VMTB-132 about to land back onboard USS [Cape] Gloucester [(CVE-109)] the same day [8 Sept. 1945]. USMC, courtesy Robert J. Cressman.

Photo and text from Carrier Air War in Original WWII Color, by Robert Lawson and Barrett Tillman.

F4U-1D Corsairs of VMF-351 (assigned to MCVG-4), are readied for launch from USS [Cape] Gloucester [(CVE-109)], during operations against Kyushu, Japan, on 8 September 1945. USMC, courtesy Robert J. Cressman.

Photo and text from Carrier Air War in Original WWII Color, by Robert Lawson and Barrett Tillman.

Aboard USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109), a Plane Director uses arm signals to position a TBM Avenger bomber on the ship's starboard catapult, during operations off Kyushu, Japan, 8 September 1945. Flight deck crewmen are attaching a catapult bridle to the plane. Note rockets (probably 3.5-inch) mounted under the TBM's wing, and resting on the cart in the left center background. U.S. Marine Corps photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) (# USMC 136542).

USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109), War Diaries for 14–21 September 1945.

CAPT Burroughs inspects crew.

Captain Sherman E. Burroughs was the first Commanding Officer of the Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake, where extensive guided missile and rocket testing and research occurred. Burroughs High School at Inyokern, site of the NOTS, is named after him.

Aerial view of Pearl Harbor, circa 16–23 January 1946. Ships present are: USS Bennington (CV-20) moored across the channel at NAS Ford Island; USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109), opposite Bennington; USS Troilus (AKA-46), moored astern of Cape Gloucester; USS LST-1078, moored astern of USS LST-1070; USS Terror (CM-5); USS LST-459 with LCT-1015 secured to her main deck, astern of USS LST-863. Moored forward of LST-863 are two unidentified minesweepers and three larger, unidentified ships. The next pier has two unidentified ships, possibly AKs; the survey ship USS Sumner (AGS-5); and two unidentified minesweepers. USS LST-737 moored astern of USS LST-45, moored astern of numerous minesweepers. And possibly USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85).

Official US Navy photo, file number 496019, from CINCPAC, released 23 January 1946. Also stamped "BUAer, 496019".

Edward Earl VonKline (aka Red), Charles's grandfather, aboard USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109), in a photo believed to have been taken 16–23 January 1946, while the ship was moored at Pearl Harbor.

USS Mount Katmai (AE-16) at time of Inclining Experiment at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 2 March 1949. Cape Gloucester is "mothballed" and USS Princeton (CV-37) being prepared for inactivation on the opposite pier.

US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo # NY8-3148 now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.

As above.

US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo # NY8-3151 now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.

As above.

US Naval Shipyard Puget Sound photo # NY8-3152 now in the collections of the US National Archives, Seattle Branch.

Ex-Cape Gloucester and other ships in "mothballs," date unknown.