USS Hornet (CV-8) under attack during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.

The USS Hornet (CV-8), severely listing, is abandoned by her crew at about 5 pm.

Joseph Caruso survived the sinking of the USS Hornet (CV-8) during the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. He and the other survivors were picked up by several escorting Destroyers.

After that adventure he joined Torpedo Squadron One at Alameda NAS in 1943. He flew combat missions with VT-1 as a turret gunner while deployed aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in 1944. He and a number of other aircrew and pilots stayed with VT-1 after it was "reformed" and he made another wartime deployment with VT-1 aboard the USS Bennington (CV-20) in 1945. He achieved the rank of Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (ACOM). The names of the pilots/radiomen that he regularly flew with is not known.

Joseph A. Caruso