USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31)

Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) is considered the second ship of the name despite the difference in spelling, an error which may have crept in as early as the 1860s when the name was assigned to a steam frigate that was never built and which later was compounded, no doubt, by the haste with which an enormous number of ships were named during World War II .

The second Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) was laid down on 1 February 1943, at the New York Navy Yard; launched 29 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John S. McCain, wife of Vice Adm. McCain; and commissioned on 26 November 1944, Captain A.O. Rule Jr., in command.

Bon Homme Richard departed Norfolk 19 March 1945 to join the Pacific Fleet and arrived at Pearl Harbor, T.H., on 5 April 1945. Following additional training in Hawaiian waters, the carrier joined Task Force (TF) 38 off Okinawa 6 June 1945. During 7–10 June, she joined in the attacks on Okino Daito Jima and then served with the Third Fleet during the air strikes against Japan (2 July–15 August). She remained off Japan until 16 September and after a short training period off Guam, proceeded to San Francisco, Calif., arriving on 20 October. She left San Francisco on 29 October and steamed to Pearl Harbor to undergo conversion for troop transport duty. From 8 November 1945 to 16 January 1946, she made trans-Pacific voyages, returning service members to the United States during Operation Magic Carpet , before being decommissioned on 9 January 1947.

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From the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, compiled by the Naval History and Heritage Command (Bon Homme Richard II (CV-31)). A work of the United States Government, in the public domain.