World War II Honoree

Richard M. Westerfield

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Sun City, Arizona

Honored By

Richard M. Westerfield

FOLLOWING TEMPORARY DUTY AT NINTH NAVAL DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS AND SUPPLY CORPS SCHOOL AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY, SERVED AS SUPPLY OFFICER ABOARD USS BUTLER DD-636, DMS-29, SEEING ACTION AT THE NORMANDY AND SOUTHERN FRANCE INVASIONS AND INVASION OF OKINAWA. SHIP DOWNED SEVEN JAPANESE PLANES WHILE ON RADAR PICKET DUTY BETWEEN OKINAWA AND JAPAN AND WAS THEN HIT BY A KAMIKAZE. AFTER REPAIR IN DRY DOCK, WAS EN ROUTE HOME TO THE U.S. WHEN THE WAR ENDED. THE USS BUTLER WAS GIVEN A NAVAL UNIT COMMENDATION FOR HER DEFENSE OF OKINAWA. HE THEN SERVED AT BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL, WASHINGTON, D.C. UNTIL RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY.