USS SLATER is offering free admission for Veterans this weekend (Friday through Monday) in honor of Memorial Day. Thanks to GEICO Albany for their support in honoring our Veterans. SLATER will be open on Monday for tours and will welcome Taps Across America for a performance at 1500. We hope to welcome you aboard! (fb)

Eighty years and two days ago, on 20 May 1945, USS JOHN C. BUTLER (DE-339) suffered slight damage from a kamikaze attack at Okinawa. JOHN C. BUTLER DE-339 sailed for Okinawa on 26 March, with transports; and 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. She was fortunate in suffering only three wounded. From Richard Bourgeois, "“Kamikaze attack” and “slight damage” are just the start of this ship’s amazing story. USS JOHN C. BUTLER put on a clinic in anti air defense off Okinawa, engaging 8 enemy fighters and shooting down six of them in about 13 minutes. This ship had its own doctrine for use of 20mm and 40mm mounts equipped with MK14 gunsights; after action records showed hey got their first hits in seconds at ranges of 800-1000 yards. They also scored a direct hit with a 5” shell on a Zeke at a range of about 4500 yd, which may have evened the odds somewhat." She remembered John Clarence Butler, who was born on 02 February 1921, in Liberty, Arizona. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve on 19 February 1941, and, after flight training, he reported to Bombing Squadron 3 on board carrier YORKTOWN. In the epochal Battle of Midway on 04 June 1942, Butler and his squadron attacked a Japanese carrier group and despite heavy opposition, succeeded in sinking three of the vital enemy flattops. His plane, however, did not return. For his part in this gallant attack, which did much to turn the tide of the Pacific war, Ensign Butler was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. NARA photo 80-G-321517 photo taken on 1 March 1945, showing USS JOHN C. BUTLER transferring personnel to USS SARGENT BAY (CVE-83). (fb)