World War II Vet Revisits USS Cabot

Photo By Jason Bortz | The USS Cabot (CVL-28) shortly after being hit by a Kamikaze attack on November 25, 1944. Alden Wadleigh, who was on the flight deck at the time of the attack, visited Naval Air Station Pensacola on July 27, 2022. Photo from the National Museum of the U.S. Navy.  

UNITED STATES

08.08.2022

Courtesy Story

Naval Air Station Pensacola

Story by ENS Hayden Hoekstra and ENS Frank Bell

NAS PENSACOLA, Florida – “I truly love this boat.” This was 97-year-old Alden Wadleigh’s reaction as he had an emotional reunion with the replica of the vessel he served on during World War II at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.

The Navy veteran, who had not seen the USS Cabot (CVL-28) replica in person since 2001, was able to relive his days aboard the ship while visiting here on July 27, 2022.

Wadleigh, along with several of his friends and family, had made it a point for many years to visit the museum from his home now in Nevada. He was generous enough to take time during his visit to share some of his experiences while aboard the USS Cabot.

Growing up in Boston as the son of a lawyer, Wadleigh always saw himself following his family's path in the practice of law. However, he also had a family history in the Navy that began at NAS Pensacola. Before becoming a lawyer, Wadleigh’s father went through flight school in Pensacola as naval aviator number 401. This family history and desire to serve his country led Wadleigh to enlist in the Navy at the young age of 17.

After enlisting, he was quickly sent to his first ship, the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). However, not long after reporting to the Bunker Hill, Wadleigh received new orders to the USS Cabot. In early 1942, the ship was one of nine Cleveland-class light cruiser hulls ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt to be converted to an Independence-class light aircraft carrier. These conversions were made because only one U.S. aircraft carrier remained operational at the time and there was a high demand for carrier operations with the increasing role of naval aviation during the war. The USS Cabot was soon commissioned as a light carrier in 1943, with Wadleigh being a part of the first working crew.

The ship joined Task Force 58 in the Pacific Theater on January 15, 1944, and played an important role in much of the fighting that took place in the region. While aboard the USS Cabot in 1944, Wadleigh took part in both the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Both of these battles proved to be important victories for the Allies in taking control back of the Pacific and crippling the Japanese fleet.

On November 25, 1944, about a month after the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese launched a series of kamikaze raids on U.S. carriers off the coast of the Philippines, the USS Cabot being one of the targets. The air wings of these carriers were conducting airstrikes near Manila at the time and were unprepared for the raids that launched from Luzon to the north. As a light carrier, the ship also had less defensive capabilities than the fleet carriers making it more vulnerable to kamikaze attacks. This allowed for one of the kamikazes to make it through the defenses of the ship for a direct hit on the port side of the USS Cabot.

“I was on the flight deck at the time of the attack and saw the plane come crashing into the ship from above,” Wadleigh said.

Aboard the ship, 62 men were killed or wounded from the attack; Wadleigh himself suffered injuries from the impact to one of his lungs. Over a span of almost two years, Wadleigh received several medical treatments and eventually recovered with only one functioning lung. While a patient at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, he was visited by President Harry Truman. Truman sat down with Wadleigh and talked about how incredibly thankful he was for the sacrifices made by him and the men aboard the USS Cabot. Before leaving, Truman made sure Wadleigh received the Presidential Unit Citation medal, which is awarded to units for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after December 7, 1941.

The NAS Pensacola community was incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to host Wadleigh and his family. Near the end of his visit, Wadleigh commented he is "thankful for those who make the decision to serve this country" and gave the advice to "never be fearful." The new generation of service members can look towards individuals like Wadleigh to understand true sacrifice and dedication to one's country.

• Date Taken: 08.08.2022
• Date Posted: 08.09.2022 09:36
• Story ID: 426849
• Location: US