Why you should experience USS Laffey DD-724 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
USS Laffey DD-724 is a historic naval destroyer where Patriots Point's military heritage, wartime engineering, living history, and extraordinary battlefield resilience preserve one of America's most celebrated World War II warships.
Moored beside USS Yorktown along Charleston Harbor near the Vietnam Experience Exhibit and just steps from the Medal of Honor Museum, this meticulously preserved Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer invites visitors to explore combat information centers, gun mounts, crew quarters, engine rooms, and weather decks that vividly recreate life aboard a frontline naval vessel. Original equipment, authentic compartments, and panoramic harbor views immerse guests in the experiences of the sailors who served across three decades of active duty. Every passageway reflects the courage, engineering, and determination that defined one of the United States Navy's most decorated destroyers. The result is a maritime experience defined by historical authenticity, naval innovation, and one of America's finest preserved warships.
What you should know about USS Laffey DD-724.
USS Laffey DD-724 is best known for earning the nickname “The Ship That Would Not Die” after surviving one of the fiercest kamikaze assaults of World War II during the Battle of Okinawa on April 16, 1945, when the destroyer endured attacks from approximately twenty-two Japanese aircraft, including multiple kamikaze strikes and bomb hits, yet remained afloat through extraordinary damage control and determined defensive action by her crew. Constructed by Bath Iron Works in Maine, the Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer was commissioned on February 8, 1944 under Commander Frederick J. Becton before serving in Operation Neptune during the D-Day landings at Utah Beach, later transferring to the Pacific where she fought at the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. During the Okinawa engagement, thirty-two crew members were killed and seventy-one wounded while the ship continued firing despite catastrophic damage, ultimately earning the Presidential Unit Citation along with five World War II battle stars before later serving during the Korean War and Cold War. Decommissioned in 1975, USS Laffey became a museum ship at Patriots Point in 1981 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986, remaining the only surviving United States-owned Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer and one of the most decorated World War II destroyers still in existence. Extensive structural restoration completed between 2009 and 2012 preserved the vessel for future generations while maintaining one of the nation's most important surviving naval combat ships.
Visitors can still walk the original decks, inspect anti-aircraft gun positions, and experience restored operational spaces that demonstrate both wartime technology and the realities of naval combat. The combination of authentic preservation, documented battlefield heroism, and comprehensive interpretation continues establishing USS Laffey DD-724 as one of the United States' foremost World War II museum ships.
How to fold USS Laffey DD-724 into your trip.
USS Laffey DD-724 is best experienced as part of an exploration through Patriots Point's celebrated naval collection.
Begin aboard USS Yorktown, where one of America's most accomplished aircraft carriers introduces the Pacific War before boarding USS Laffey DD-724 to experience the daily realities of destroyer service. Continue through the Medal of Honor Museum, whose exhibits honor extraordinary military valor across generations of American service members. Conclude at the Vietnam Experience Exhibit, where immersive recreations provide a memorable finale exploring the evolution of twentieth-century military history. The progression moves naturally from aircraft carrier to destroyer before concluding through powerful interpretive exhibits, revealing why USS Laffey DD-724 remains one of Charleston Harbor's defining historic vessels.
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