On April 16, Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will host a memorial to honor the 32 sailors killed aboard the USS Laffey (DD-724) during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The event will take place at 11 a.m. aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10), overlooking the USS Laffey, which is currently closed for maintenance and repairs. The ceremony will include a reading of the names of the fallen, a moment of silence, and a speech by Patriots Point Historian Colby Causey. This ceremony is free to attend.
“Each year, we gather not only to remember the lives lost, but to ensure their stories continue to be told,” said Executive Director Allison Hunt. “The courage and sacrifice shown by the sailors aboard the USS Laffey serve as a powerful reminder of the resilience of those who defend our nation. It is our responsibility to honor them with reflection and remembrance.”
April 16th marks the 81st anniversary of Japanese kamikaze attacks near Okinawa. In roughly 80 minutes, the USS Laffey was attacked by 22 kamikaze aircraft. Six bomb-carrying kamikaze aircraft crashed into the vessel, and it was hit by four bombs. Against all odds, the valiant sailors of the USS Laffey never quit and heroically fought off the attack, shooting down 11 of the Japanese planes. It was the fiercest attack ever survived by a U.S. Navy vessel and for her valor, the ship was awarded the Presidential Citation and earned the sobriquet, “The Ship That Would Not Die.”
For more information on upcoming events, visit patriotspoint.org/events.