USS John C . Butler ( DE - 339 ) USS " John C . Butler " ( DE - 339 ) was the lead ship of her class of destroyer escort s ( DEs ) in the service of the United States Navy , named after Ensign John C . Butler ( 1921 – 1942 ) , who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in the Battle of Midway . " John C . Butler " was laid down by Consolidated Steel Corporation , Ltd . , in Orange , Texas , on 5 October 1943 ; launched on 12 November 1943 , sponsored by Mrs . Walter C . Butler , mother of Ensign Butler ; and commissioned on 31 March 1944 , with Lieutenant Commander John E . Pace in command . World War II . The new DE conducted shakedown training off Bermuda before departing Hampton Roads on 5 June 1944 for the $ 3 . Sailing via the Panama Canal , she arrived Pearl Harbor on 26 June and engaged in convoy and training operations in July . " John C . Butler " then departed Pearl Harbor on 9 August screening transports bound for the invasion of the Palau Islands . After seeing them safely to Tulagi , the ship operated with escort carrier s out of Manus Island on preinvasion strikes . Two islands wanted as advance bases for the long - awaited move into the Philippines , Morotai and Peleliu , were stormed on 15 September ; and " John C . Butler " provided anti - submarine and anti - aircraft protection for the supporting carriers . Returning to Manus on 30 September , she replenished in preparation for the Leyte operation in October . Battle of Leyte Gulf , October 1944 . The escort vessel sailed with Rear Admiral Ralph A . Ofstie ' s escort carrier group on 12 October to provide air cover for the massive movement of transports into Leyte Gulf . After the initial landings , the three carrier groups , soon to become famous by their radio code names , " Taffy 1 " , " Taffy 2 " , and " Taffy 3 " , took station east of the Philippines to lend close air support . The Japanese fleet was closing the Philippines in a last attempt to annihilate the invasion force , with heavy ships designated to break into Leyte Gulf from north and south , and a diversionary fleet of carriers to draw Admiral William F . Halsey ' s 3rd Fleet off to the North . In the first two actions of the massive Battle of Leyte Gulf which ensued , the Battle of Sibuyan Sea and the Battle of Surigao Strait , the Japanese were badly mauled . But Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita ' s Center Force still transited San Bernardino Strait the night of 24 – 25 October , and just after sunrise bore down on the relatively unprotected Taffy 3 , including " John C . Butler " . The two - hour Battle off Samar which followed has taken a rightful place among the most memorable actions in naval history . The slow escort carriers launched all planes to attack the Japanese cruiser s and battleship s , and " John C . Butler " and her sisters laid heavy smoke to confuse enemy batteries . A rain squall provided cover for a turn to the south , and just after 07 : 30 the destroyers began their gallant torpedo attacks against great odds . Destroyers , , and , and DE made close - in attacks on cruisers and battleships , forcing them to zig - zag , while aircraft made continuous attacks . Soon after this first attack , " John C . Butler " turned from the carriers to launch her remaining torpedoes , then exchanged gunfire with a heavy cruiser . The DE continued to fire and dodge heavy - caliber fire until dangerously low on ammunition , then returned to the carrier formation to provide smoke coverage . Rear Admiral Clifton A . F . Sprague , commander of Taffy 3 , later described the next surprising development : " At 0925 my mind was occupied with dodging torpedoes when near the bridge I heard one of the signalmen yell , ' . . . dammit , boys , they ' re getting away ! ' I could not believe my eyes , but it looked as if the whole Japanese fleet was indeed retiring . . . At best , I had expected to be swimming by this time . " The Japanese — damaged and fearing heavier air attack — had indeed reversed course . Though the escort carriers lost two of their number and three escorts , their valiant fight had stopped the Japanese from attacking the transports in Leyte Gulf . After rescuing survivors from , " John C . Butler " escorted the surviving carriers of Taffy 3 via Manus to Pearl Harbor , then returned to Manus on 17 December . Departing with escort carriers on 31 December , she protected amphibious transports steaming to the invasion of Luzon . During the voyage through the South China Sea , the ships encountered and drove off determined " kamikaze " attacks . On the evening of 8 January 1945 , " John C . Butler " and other escorts splashed several " kamikazes " . She operated off Lingayen Gulf from 9 – 17 January and screened carriers during massive strikes in support of ground operations . Departing the Luzon coast , she arrived at Ulithi on 23 January to prepare for the next important amphibious landing — Iwo Jima . Iwo Jima and Okinawa . The veteran DE took part in rehearsals in the Marianas , and arrived off Iwo Jima on 19 February with an escort carrier group . She again fought off a severe air attack on 21 February . She remained on duty off Iwo Jima until 9 March , when she sailed for Ulithi , having helped to win another important island air base for the eventual attack on Japan . Okinawa was to be the site of the last and largest of the Pacific amphibious assaults . " John C . Butler " sailed on 26 March with transports ; and , as the troops stormed ashore on 1 April , she resumed her now - familiar screening duties with carrier groups . As the Japanese launched fruitless suicide attacks , the ship escorted carriers into Kerama Retto , rescued downed pilots , and ferried men and material . Transferred to dangerous outer picket duty north of Ie Shima on 20 May , she was attacked by six " kamikazes " just before sunset . Skillful gunnery accounted for five of the attackers , and " John C . Butler " sustained damage only to her mast and antennas . She sailed on 27 May for repairs in the Philippines . The ship returned to Okinawa with a convoy on 4 July , and spent the last month of the long war on convoy duty between that island and the Pacific advance bases . She returned to San Pedro , California on 23 November and decommissioned on 26 June 1946 , joining the Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego , California . Korean War . With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 , " John C . Butler " recommissioned on 27 December 1950 . Following shakedown , she was assigned to 11th Naval District for the important job of training naval reservists on short sea cruises . Thus , she helped maintain highly trained officers and men to meet the Navy ' s cold war commitments . In addition to reserve cruises , she took part in the training program of Fleet Sonar School , San Diego . She decommissioned on 18 December 1957 and re - entered the Reserve Fleet , San Diego . She was eventually sunk as a target in 1971 . Awards . " John C . Butler " received five battle star s for World War II service , and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for her part in the Battle off Samar .