From the Collections
The Laffey Laughs Last: The USS Laffey (DD-724) Collection
“…as long as you remain somewhere in the Pacific, we will always know where to look for some punch in a pinch and we shall always remember ‘Laffey Laughs Last’…”
- Captain Frederick Moosbrugger of Task Force 51.5, in a message to Commander Becton, April 22, 1945
The USS Laffey (DD-724) is the most decorated World War II era Destroyer still in existence. On April 16, 1945, Japanese air forces attacked the Laffey with 22 bombers and kamikaze. The 80-minute attack killed 32 men and wounded 71 of the 336 crewmembers. The heroic crew shot down 9 kamikazes and saved the damaged ship, earning her the nickname, “The Ship That Would Not Die.”
The Laffey crew members remained ever devoted and held dear many personal items from their time in service. From World War II through the Cold War, these artifacts tell the ship’s storied history and honor the lives of the men who served on board.
- Captain Frederick Moosbrugger of Task Force 51.5, in a message to Commander Becton, April 22, 1945
The USS Laffey (DD-724) is the most decorated World War II era Destroyer still in existence. On April 16, 1945, Japanese air forces attacked the Laffey with 22 bombers and kamikaze. The 80-minute attack killed 32 men and wounded 71 of the 336 crewmembers. The heroic crew shot down 9 kamikazes and saved the damaged ship, earning her the nickname, “The Ship That Would Not Die.”
The Laffey crew members remained ever devoted and held dear many personal items from their time in service. From World War II through the Cold War, these artifacts tell the ship’s storied history and honor the lives of the men who served on board.
