4 ; ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Miss ▁Margaret ▁Gr ady , ▁sister ▁of ▁the ▁names ake ; ▁and ▁commission ed ▁ 1 1 ▁September ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁L t . ▁Com dr . ▁Francis ▁R . ▁King ▁in ▁command . ▁ ▁Pacific ▁War ▁Gr ady ▁conducted ▁her ▁sh aked own ▁training ▁at ▁B erm uda ▁ 2 ▁October ▁– ▁ 2 ▁November . ▁Return ing ▁to ▁Boston , ▁Massachusetts , ▁the ▁ship ▁sa iled ▁ 1 7 ▁November ▁for ▁Nor folk , ▁Virginia , ▁esc ort ing ▁transport ▁, ▁and ▁from ▁Nor folk ▁continued ▁through ▁the ▁Pan ama ▁Canal ▁to ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California , ▁where ▁she ▁arrived ▁ 4 ▁December . ▁Gr ady ▁sa iled ▁immediately ▁via ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁California , ▁for ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁where ▁she ▁arrived ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁Until ▁ 2 3 ▁December ▁she ▁operated ▁with ▁car rier ▁ ▁during ▁flight ▁qual ifications , ▁res cu ing ▁three ▁down ed ▁av i ators . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁American ▁off ensive ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁then ▁entering ▁its ▁clim actic ▁phase , ▁Gr ady ▁depart ed ▁ 2 6 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁for ▁En iw et ok ▁and ▁Ul ith i , ▁arriv ing ▁the ▁latter ▁base ▁ 1 0 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 5 . ▁For ▁the ▁next ▁month ▁the ▁ship ▁acted ▁as ▁esc ort ▁to ▁a ▁vital ▁tank er ▁group ▁engaged ▁in ▁ref uel ing ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁