The USS Butler (DD-636) was a Gleaves-class destroyer of the United States Navy, notable for its service during World War II. Launched on February 12, 1942, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and commissioned on August 15 of the same year, the ship was named in honor of Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, a two-time Medal of Honor recipient. Constructed as a Gleaves-class destroyer, the USS Butler was designed for versatile combat roles, including convoy escort, naval combat, and later, minesweeping operations. After initial shakedown trials, she engaged in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico escort duties. Her first significant deployment involved trans-Atlantic convoy escort missions to Casablanca and Dakar, followed by escorting Free French vessels back to New York. She participated in the Mediterranean theater, notably during the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, where she took part in the amphibious Battle of Gela and provided escort support throughout the campaign. In 1944, Butler was active in the Normandy invasion, screening heavy units and serving at inshore fire support stations during D-Day operations. She also supported Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, in August 1944. Later that year, she underwent a conversion at New York to serve as a high-speed minesweeper (reclassified DMS-29), completed by December 1944, and joined Mine Squadron 20 at Norfolk. In 1945, USS Butler was stationed at Pearl Harbor, participated in pre-invasion sweeping around Okinawa, and conducted screening and picket duties during the Okinawa campaign from March to May. During this period, she was involved in intense kamikaze attacks; on May 25, she shot down five Japanese planes, but one kamikaze crashed into her engine room, killing fourteen men and causing significant damage. Despite the attack, she was aided by the battleship West Virginia and temporarily repaired at Kerama Retto before returning to the United States. Decommissioned in November 1945, USS Butler was sold for scrapping in January 1948. Her service was recognized with the Navy Unit Commendation and four battle stars, reflecting her significant contributions during key Pacific campaigns.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.