USS LeRay Wilson De-414

• Namesake: USS LeRay Wilson (DE-414) was named after LeRay Wilson, a sailor who was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor aboard USS Oklahoma (BB-37). • Class: She was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort, a class known for anti-submarine and convoy escort duties during World War II. • Launch and Commission: The ship was launched on January 10, 1944, at Brown Shipbuilding Company in Houston, Texas, and commissioned on April 10, 1944. • Pacific Operations: USS LeRay Wilson served extensively in the Pacific theater, providing escort and screening for convoys and larger warships during major operations, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf. • Kamikaze Attack: On January 10, 1945, while on duty off the Philippines, she was damaged by a kamikaze plane, resulting in casualties but remained afloat and operational. • Battle Stars: The ship earned five battle stars for her World War II service, marking her as a highly decorated escort vessel. • Rescue Operations: USS LeRay Wilson is credited with rescuing survivors from torpedoed or damaged ships on several occasions, including sailors from the USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) after it was sunk by a kamikaze. • Postwar Service: After World War II, she participated in occupation duties in the Far East before returning to the United States in 1946. • Decommissioning: The ship was decommissioned on July 4, 1946, and entered the reserve fleet, eventually being struck from the Navy List in 1972. • Final Fate: In 1973, USS LeRay Wilson was sold for scrap, marking the end of her nearly three-decade connection to the U.S. Navy.