With World War 2 ending in August of 1945, there was little need for additional carriers like USS Badoeng Strait so her early career involved a few exercises and cruises, including a stop at Hawaii, before she was quickly decommissioned as soon as April 1946. However, her story did not end there for she was placed back into service the following year and found herself active at the start of the Korean War when elements of the Communist North invaded, and nearly conquered, the Democratic South.
USS Badoeng Straight was present for nearly all of the conflict and used in blockading actions due to her installed Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) equipment as well as launching her warplanes in the Close-Air Support (CAS) role in support of friendly ground forces. She played a major role in the defense of the "Pusan Perimeter", essentially the Last Stand of United Nations forces operating on the Korean Peninsula. With the perimeter finally secured heading into November, the escort carrier was used in the brazen Inchon amphibious landing (September 1950) which helped to turn the tide of the war and drive the Communist forces back to the north. Before the end of the year, the vessel was in action supporting forces retreating the Chosin Reservoir following the Chinese entry into the war.
All this action added up to six Battle Stars for service in the conflict for the warship and her crews. A Navy Unit Commendation was also added. The Korean War then ended in an uneasy armistice that remains to this day (2017) as the North, with help from China and the Soviet Union, reclaimed its lost territory from the UN coalition force.
This left USS Badoeng Strait without a war to fight but she was kept on as active for a short time longer. Following the war, the ship was modernized and further developed to support helicopter aircraft on her decks. The ASW equipment fit was further expanded to help counter the growing threat of Soviet submarines operating in the Pacific. From then on she was used in exercises and training while undertaking several more "peacetime" voyages during the early Cold War years. In January of 1957, she was deactivated (placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet) and then formally decommissioned on May 17th of that year.
Her stripped hulk was not sold off until 1972 after which point she was unceremoniously scrapped.
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