WILLIAM M. BUTLER, LCDR, USN

William Butler '40

Date of birth: January 4, 1917

Date of death: February 4, 1945

Age: 28

Lucky Bag

From the 1940 Lucky Bag:

WILLIAM MANN BUTLER

Downey, California

Smedley proved that California's sons have what it takes when he became number one ring man and won his "N" on the gym team Youngster year. Never overly fond of dragging, his time has been well spent shooting, sailing aboard the Vamarie and the Turtle, building a boat of his own, designing and fabricating a knapsack or two, and reading innumerable books on pistols, camping, hunting, fishing, and woodcraft. Firm convictions, a quiet presence, and an addiction for neatness and orderliness stamp him as good living company. An early riser, his ambition and love of the service cause us to expect big things of our Smed.

Gym N, 4, 3, 2, 1; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Vamarie Crew; 3 Stripes.

WILLIAM MANN BUTLER

Downey, California

Smedley proved that California's sons have what it takes when he became number one ring man and won his "N" on the gym team Youngster year. Never overly fond of dragging, his time has been well spent shooting, sailing aboard the Vamarie and the Turtle, building a boat of his own, designing and fabricating a knapsack or two, and reading innumerable books on pistols, camping, hunting, fishing, and woodcraft. Firm convictions, a quiet presence, and an addiction for neatness and orderliness stamp him as good living company. An early riser, his ambition and love of the service cause us to expect big things of our Smed.

Gym N, 4, 3, 2, 1; Boat Club 4, 3, 2, 1; Vamarie Crew; 3 Stripes.

Loss

William was lost when USS Barbel (SS 316) was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Palawan on February 4, 1945.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

On June 5, 1940, at the Naval Academy dress parade, William received the Military Order of the World War Prize, a service automatic pistol, for greatest improvement in marks for second half of course.
In 1935, he was living in Berkeley and attended two years at the University of California. He was a member of the Quarterdeck, the Naval R.O.T.C. social organization.
In 1930 Downey, California, his widowed mother was Christine Mann Butler, a public school teacher, and brothers were Joseph Henry and John Bailey. In 1920, the family included his father Alex and grandmother Julia, both listed as farmers.

William is listed at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. His wife was listed as next of kin.

Photographs

From the Lucky Bag

Bronze Star

All Hands (December 1945) lists him as a recipient of the Bronze Star; unable to find this citation.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.