USS Charles J . Badger ( DD - 657 ) USS " Charles J . Badger " ( DD - 657 ) was a " Fletcher " - class destroyer of the United States Navy , named for Rear Admiral Charles J . Badger ( 1853 – 1932 ) . " Charles J . Badger " was launched 3 April 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co . , Staten Island , N . Y . , sponsored by Miss I . E . Badger ; and commissioned 23 July 1943 , Commander W . G . Cooper in command . Service history . World War II . " Charles J . Badger " arrived at San Francisco , Calif . 30 November for Pacific duty , and on 17 December 1943 reported at Adak , Alaska for almost continuous patrol and escort duty in the fog and storm - ridden Aleutians until August 1944 . During this time , she helped keep the Japanese off balance and unaware of the United States ' strategic intentions involving the western Aleutians by joining in the heavy bombardments in the Kurils in February and June . On 8 August , she got underway for warmer waters and warmer action , calling at San Francisco and Pearl Harbor en route Manus Island . Here she joined an assault convoy and sailed 14 October for the return to the Philippines . Entering Philippine waters she protected transports in the assault landings at Dulag , Leyte , on 20 October 1944 , firing to drive off Japanese air attacks as the unloading proceeded . On the eve of the epic Battle for Leyte Gulf , " Badger " guarded the retirement of empty transports to New Guinea , but returned to Leyte convoying reinforcements in mid - November . In December , she reported in Huon Gulf , New Guinea , for rehearsals of the Lingayen landings , for which she sailed 27 December . On 8 January 1945 , as she entered Lingayen Gulf , her force was attacked by Japanese " kamikaze s " , one of which crashed into . Unloading of transports began 9 January , while " Badger " s accurate AA fire helped protect the unloading during frequent enemy air attacks . Two days later , she escorted " Kitkun Bay " to San Pedro Bay , where she herself took up patrol duties . On 29 January , she guarded the landing of troops on the Zambales coast north of Bataan . After a period at Ulithi , " Badger " returned to Leyte to rehearse for the landings on the Kerama Retto , a key preliminary to the assault on Okinawa . " Badger " arrived off the Retto 26 March 1945 to guard the landings , which took the Japanese completely by surprise . This did not prevent them , however , from quickly mounting suicide air attacks , during one of which " Badger " aided in splashing a " kamikaze " short of its target . Once the landings on Okinawa began , the destroyer took position to guard the southern flank of the landings . On 7 April she joined a force moving north to meet the last Japanese naval force ; and and eight destroyers . However , the accurate attack of carrier aircraft sank " Yamato " , " Yahagi " , and all but four of the destroyers before American surface forces could engage . " Badger " continued to offer fire support on call to aid the troops ashore . In the halflight of early morning on 9 April , as she lay to on her fire support station , an 18 - foot Japanese suicide boat suddenly sped out of the gloom , dropped a depth charge close aboard , and raced away . The explosion knocked out " Badger " s engines and caused heavy flooding . Quick work controlled the flooding , and a tug brought the stricken destroyer into the Kerama Retto roadstead . After temporary repairs , she proceeded for overhaul to Bremerton , Wash . , where she arrived 1 August . On 21 May 1946 she was placed out of commission in reserve at Long Beach , Calif . 1951 - 1957 . " Charles J . Badger " was recommissioned 10 September 1951 , and in February 1952 arrived at her new home port , Newport , R . I . From this base , she operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean , maintaining and providing services for the training of other types . Her first Atlantic crossing came from 9 June to 23 July 1953 , when she sailed to visit Portsmouth , England , in company with two aircraft carrier s and another destroyer . On 7 December , she cleared Newport on the first leg of a round the world cruise , which found her operating for 2 months on patrol off the Korean coast and in the Taiwan Straits . She escorted transports bringing prisoners of war who had elected to join the Chinese Nationalists from Inchon to Taiwan , and took part in training operations off Japan until 22 May 1954 , when she continued on around the world . Visits at Hong Kong , Singapore , Colombo , Aden , Port Said , Naples , Villefranche - sur - Mer , and Lisbon marked her progress to the Suez Canal and through the Mediterranean to Newport , where she arrived 17 July . " Badger " completed two tours of duty with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in early 1956 and in late 1956 - early 1957 , during the second of which she patrolled watchfully during the Suez Crisis . " Badger " was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Boston , Mass . 20 December 1957 . The ship was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 February 1974 . She was sold 10 May 1974 to Chile and cannibalized for spare parts for other ships . Awards . " Charles J . Badger " received five battle star s for World War II service .