POSTPONED: Memorial Ceremony: Laffey Attacked At Okinawa

UPDATE: Due to the increasing threat of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), our team is taking precautionary measures to keep visitors and museum staff safe.  The April 16 memorial service aboard the USS Laffey has been postponed.   We will announce the rescheduled event when public health officials report that the Coronavirus is no longer a threat. 

The health and safety of our visitors is always a priority.  For general questions about the Coronavirus as it relates to South Carolina, please visit www.scdhec.gov or call the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) care line at 1-855-472-3432. 

For more specific health-safety advice, please follow updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention online: https://www.cdc.gov/ 

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On Thursday, April 16 at 10:00 a.m., veterans of the USS Laffey will gather on the fantail of their beloved ship for a ceremony to remember the 32 lives lost during a fierce attack by 22 Japanese kamikaze planes near Okinawa on April 16, 1945.  During that attack 75 years ago, six kamikaze aircraft crashed into the ship, and in addition to the bombs carried by those planes, the Laffey was struck by four additional bombs. Against all odds, the valiant sailors of the USS Laffey heroically fought off the attack and amazingly spared their ship from sinking.  After the three-hour attack, 32 sailors were killed, and 71 were injured.

The community is welcome and invited to attend.  The event will be included in the normal price of admission.   Free admission will be offered to Tin Can Sailor Association and USS Laffey Association members.

The ceremony will be a unique opportunity to meet veterans of the USS Laffey and hear the story of how the Laffey came to be known as “The Ship That Would Not Die.”  The event is organized by the USS Laffey Association.