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"First  USS Laffey  (DD 459) Launched October 30, 1941 Bethlehem Steel San Francisco Yard Commissioned March 31, 1942   Sunk late in the Sea Battle of November 12 & 13, 1942, off Guadalcanal   Resting in "Iron Bottom Sound" off Guadalcanal."

Index to the 459

"Second  USS LAFFEY  (DD 724) Launched November 21, 1943 Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine Commissioned February 8, 1944 Final Decommission March 29, 1975   Now proudly afloat at Patriots Point, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.

"Probably no ship has ever survived an attack of the intensity that she experienced"
Samuel Eliot Morison, Naval Historian

Commendations and Battle Ribbons
USS Laffey (DD 724)

Presidential Unit Citations awarded to both the 724 and 459

USS Laffey (DD 459)

Southwest Pacific

September 13 - November 15, 1942

 

USS Laffey (DD 724) 

Okinawa, Radar Picket Station #1

April 16, 1945



On April 16th, 1945 a small destroyer in the Pacific was attacked by 22 kamikaze planes.
The USS Laffey is nicknamed "The Ship That Would Not Die" based on the book written by
Captain Julian Becton. This 30 minute documentary shares the stories of five men who survived
that attack and with it shares a part of history that not many people know about.

 

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This site is dedicated to all destroyers that fought so valiantly in all theatres of World War II and in Korea, and especially to the two USS Laffeys (DD 459 and DD 724) that saw action during these periods.

The USS Laffey (DD 724) is part of the
 Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum
located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
The USS Laffey is now berth in her new home.




 
Above is a photo of the USS Laffey, berth in her new home,
across the pier from the USS Yorktown, Patriots Point!!


Sonny Walker, President, USS Laffey Association
 

The USS Laffey is now at Patriots Point


 

The USS Laffey is Back at Patriots Point;  Click Your Mouse on Any of the Videos Below


The USS Laffey Returned to Patriots Point on Jan 12, 2012






The 2012 Laffey Reunion

was at Mt. Pleasant, SC, and was held September 23-26 2012
Reunion details
were available,
2012 LAFFEY REUNION Scheduled Activities were shown in the final itinerary that were given out on arrival Sunday.








  Keep Checking Back to this Web

as new information
is posted regularly...

Click on any of these Videos:

Laffey Returns to Patriot Point
USS Laffey Home Coming Video
Laying of the Wreath April 15th Video
Ari Phoutrides April 14th Videos
 

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For those of you new to the site, you can navigate its contents in one of three ways: Use the Index Use the Summary of Revisions Click on any of the links The most recent additions and revisions are usually highlighted on the Home Page (see below) The Summary of Revisions gives you a more comprehensive summary of changes

Sign in at our Association Guest Book

 

Nation Honors its WWII Heroes
Watch the old black and white video below, two minutes
into it honors the USS Laffey, Commander Becton, and
the 32 men dead or missing from
April 16, 1945, Japanese Kamikaze attacks
Great video from that long ago!
Be patience, it takes sometime to load..





Below is the Videos of the Kamikaze
attacks to the Laffey April 16, 1945




                                            
Click your mouse:   Japanese Surrender Sept 2, 1945


 Check Out the     Ship's Store with Photos

Day of the Kamikaze wins Gold Award





 

New Entries:

  May 10, 2013 
April Work Party Photos


  April 29, 2013 
October 2012 Work Party Photos

  April 25, 2013 
TIN CAN SAILORS
 HELP THE USS LAFFEY


  March 10, 2013 
Video Page from Gene Slover
Five Videos:  11, 11, 11, 11, 7:52 minutes
Remembering Tin Can Sailors

  March 06, 2013  
Veteran Granted Dying Wish

   February 20, 2013 
New Videos:
Ten and a Half Minute
tour of the USS Laffey

Video describes the
5 inch-38 Gun Mounts

   February 03, 2013 
Kamikaze
Re-Enactment


  December 10, 2012 
Video:
"All Hands on Deck"
contains two videos


  December 06, 2012 
Taps:  Frank R. Fox
Obituary

 November 21, 2012
Purchase the Video
"LAFFEYMEN"
-
  November 03, 2012 
Taps:  Ira Arthur Kurtz
Obituary

  October 04, 2012 
Video
Reunion 2012 Memorial Service

May 24, 2012
What is life aboard a
USS Destroyer really like?
Click here: Destroyermen

  April 20, 2012 
Took Laffey Returns to PP off
Home Page and Created a New Page
Click Here: Laffey Returns to Patriot Point

  April 19, 2012 
New Video Page:
USS Laffey Home Coming Video
Laying of the Wreath April 15th Video
Ari Phoutrides April 14th Videos

The 'New'
USS Laffey Ship Store

  Jan 25, 2012
Newspaper Article:
Portland Press Herald

Videos:
Bob Wampler - Dave Harhager Reports
Ken Rohloff Reports
Laffey Returns to Patriots Point

Interesting Comments: 
Laffey Returns to Patriots Point

  October 25, 2011 
Video:
Kamikaze Dogfights History Channel

  May 07, 2011   
April Mini Work Party Photos

  February 08, 2011 
Robert Knippenburg's
Old Photos

  April 16, 2010 
Click your mouse here:
65th Anniversary April 16, 1945


Click here:   2009 Dry Dock Photos / Articles Page

  September 27, '09 
Progress at Dry Dock and Photos
From Joseph W. Lombardi

The Written Book
"The Ship That Would Not Die"
F. Julian Becton
 
   MORE COMMENTS  on the "Dogfights" Video,  What People Have Written
Click on this link:  "Dogfights" USS Laffey" to view a mini-clip interview with Jim Spriggs.


Laffey Website Earns Two Awards
 

Visit The LAFFEY Web Site Often...      New Materials are Added...       Questions?     Comments?       E-mail Me...         

Webmaster

Last revised: Friday, May 10, 2013

Summary of Revisions

As of June 25, 2008