A VGS-29 Grumman TBF-1 Avenger being brought to the flight deck on USS Santee's (ACV-29) forward elevator during August 1942, location unknown.

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

Port bow view of USS Santee (ACV-29) in the rare Measure 17 camouflage pattern. U.S. Navy photo, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., serial # 3706(42), September 11, 1942.

Port broadside view of USS Santee (ACV-29). U.S. Navy photo, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., serial # 3707(42), September 11, 1942.

USS Santee (ACV-29) photographed on 24 September 1942, the day the first plane landed on her flight deck (according to some sources, the photo was taken on 27 September). She is wearing the subdued "dazzle" construction of the Measure 17 disruptive system. The pattern was identical on both sides of her hull (US National Archives photo #80-G-11826).

From Naval camouflage 1914-1945: A Complete Visual Reference, by David Williams.

Grumman TBF Avenger being hoisted aboard USS Santee (ACV-29), circa October 1942.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-469839).

USS Santee's port side showing the complete symmetry of the pattern on both sides (compare to NS0302920). US National Archives photo #19-N-34871.

From Naval camouflage 1914-1945: A Complete Visual Reference, by David Williams.

A photo of USS Santee (ACV-29) probably taken on October 16, 1942. Santee was the only one in her class ever camouflaged in Ms.17, a disruptive system with the same geometric patterns on both sides of the ship. In fact, Ms.17 was only applied to three ships: heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31), fleet oiler USS Chicopee (AO-34), and Santee.

Another view of USS Santee probably taken in late 1942.

USS Santee (ACV-29) at anchor, 16 October 1942. Note the location of the ship's main machinery smoke stacks on the side of the flight deck aft. Santee is painted in Camouflage Measure 17.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (# NH 43508).

Port broadside view of USS Santee (ACV-29) in Measure 14 (Ocean Gray) camouflage. U.S. Navy photo, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., serial # 4378(42), December 21, 1942.

Port quarter view of USS Santee (ACV-29). U.S. Navy photo, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va., serial # 4379(42), December 21, 1942.

USS Santee (ACV-29) silhouetted against the Atlantic while escorting convoy UGS-10 to North Africa, June 1943 (National Archives photo # 80-G-74762).

Sangamon Class. From U.S. Naval Ships & Aircraft (ONI 54-R), condensed and printed for FM 30-50, NAVAER 00-80V-57 (Recognition Pictorial Manual of Naval Vessels). Supplement 4 - 4 August 1943.

As above. Top photo shows USS Sangamon (ACV/CVE-26).

USS Santee (CVE-29). Photo believed to have been taken at Casablanca, 13 November 1943.

General Motors FM-2 Wildcat fighter on combat air patrol over USS Santee (CVE-29), during the Leyte Invasion, 20 October 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-287594).

At 0740, 25 October 1944, during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, a Japanese plane made a suicide dive on the Santee, crashing through the flight deck and stopping on the hangar deck. Santee was the first ship to sustain a kamikaze attack: the plane tore a 30-foot gash into the flight deck, killed 16 men, wounded 27 others and started several fires. At 0756, a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-56 struck the ship, causing flooding of several compartments and a 6-degree starboard list. Emergency repairs were completed by 0935.

USS Santee (CVE-29) is hit by a Japanese kamikaze, at 0740 on 25 October 1944. Bright orange flames fed by burning avgas billow above Santee's flight deck as fragments of the Zeke, probably piloted by PO1c Kato splash to either side. Santee survived, but had to return to the U.S. for permanent repairs to battle damage and general overhaul. The escort carrier was back in the Philippines in March 1945.

Fires rage after the ship was hit by a Kamikaze at 0740 hours on 25 October 1944, during the 2nd Battle of the Philippine Sea (aka the Battle of Leyte Gulf.) Official US Navy photograph.

Kamikaze strikes USS Santee (CVE-29), 25 October 1944.

Santee radio shack, Battle of Leyte Gulf: makeshift arrangements needed to monitor all circuits. Note spare parts boxes proping up a typewriter.

USS Guest (DD-472) comes alongside USS Santee (CVE-29) in April 1945. Both ships were off Okinawa and about to exchange mail. NARA photo (80-G 335565).

Air Groups attached to USS Santee.

Source: "History of USS Santee," by ENS Jaquelin S. Holliday, USNR.

Recife, Brazil, February 1943.

Image of most of the USS Santee's E Division personnel. This picture was taken during the summer of 1944 somewhere in the South Pacific. There were approximately 30 EM's aboard at the time, but some who were standing watch are not included in the pic. The Division Officer in the center was Walter T. Poole.

Officers and Chief Petty Officers, K Division, October 1944.

Front row, left to right:ENS Walsh (Publications Officer); LT(JG) Parsons (Ship Secretary); LT(JG) Edson; LT(JG) Stevens; LT Edward Joseph Clarke (Communications Officer); LT Roberts (Radio Officer); LT(JG) McCue (Division Officer); LT(JG) Funke (Signal Officer); CRE Clifford (Warrant Officer).

Rear row, left to right: Nichols, Chief Yeoman; Charles Erlandsen, Chief Radioman; Daly, Chief Signalman; Kiawaja, Chief Yeoman.

Officers and Enlisted men, K Division (Communications Department), October 1944.

Left to right: Henry Menke ACMS; Chief Mallette holding the fish he caught in Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides; S. Waller, CBM; and the chopped hair in the back groud is C. Erlandsen, CRM.

V-2 Division, date unknown. Official US Navy photo.

V-2 Division, Engineering crew, date unknown. Official US Navy photo.

R.C. Boggess and shipmates, date unknown. Official US Navy photo.

Top: Flight deck crew catching some well needed rest in the safety nets alongside the deck.

Bottom: Aviation Painter Third Class, Jerrold E. Thomas posting the score of Jap kills. (Thanks to Dianne Goode, daughter of J. E. Thomas).

Frank J. Bennett (right) with two friends aboard USS Santee (CVE-29), shortly before the kamikaze attack. Frank was wounded, but his friends were killed...

Fighting Squadron 26 (VF-26).

This photo belonged to the collection of Ross Belford Jolley (1906–1946), USN (Ret.). [Detail of photo NS0302937.]

Fighting Squadron 26 (VF-26), USS Santee (CVE-29), 3 December 1944.

This photo belonged to the collection of Ross Belford Jolley (1906–1946), USN (Ret.). [Detail of photo NS0302937b.]

Fighting Squadron 26 (VF-26) sailors. It is likely, but not certain, that this photo was taken aboard USS Santee (CVE-29).

This photo belonged to the collection of Ross Belford Jolley (1906–1946), USN (Ret.). [Detail of photo NS0302937d.]

Torpedo Squadron 26 (VT-26), May 1944.

ENS George J. Baldini is on the extreme right, second row.

ENS George J. Baldini (#299269, left), Higginbothan and Iannucci, Torpedo Squadron 26 (VT-26).

ENS Baldini and his crew were killed when their plane, a TBF-1C Avenger (BuNo 48019), crashed on Morotai, Moluccas Islands, 26 September 1944.

"Tito" Puente, Sr. (1923–2000), born Ernesto Antonio Puente, Jr. "He went to boot camp in June of 1942 and joined [Santee] in August 1942 for the shake down prior to the Morocco Invasion and remained on the ship throughout the war."

"'Tito' was one of the ship's buglers and also a co-leader of the ships band."

"'Tito' was an acclaimed Latin music percussionist/arranger orchestra leader who formed his first big band following the war. He grew to becoming an icon in the field of Latin jazz with eight Grammy's to his credits, including television specials, movies, compositions and numerous awards."

(Quoted text courtesy of Josephine Powell.)

NS0302935b: USS Santee band ("Tito" kneeling). The officer with a saxo appears to be the famed "Sonny" Burke (Joseph Francis Burke), arranger and composer of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and a host of luminaries; if you can identify him, please let us know.

Shipmates lost due to enemy action.

Source: "History of USS Santee," by ENS Jaquelin S. Holliday, USNR.

"Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep."
"Ancient and Sacred Order of the Golden Dragon."
"Royal Order of Purple Porpoises."

R.C. Boggess, USNR, enlisted as a CMM (Chief Machinist's Mate) July 2, 1942 and was honorably discharged as an AM/1c (Aviation Metalsmith 1st class) on October 1, 1945.