USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger (1853–1932), whose service included the Spanish–American War and World War I. Charles J. Badger was launched 3 April 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, N.Y., sponsored by Miss I. E. Badger and commissioned 23 July 1943. Service history World War II Charles J. Badger arrived at San Francisco, Calif. 30 November for Pacific duty, and on 17 December 1943 reported at Adak, Alaska for patrol and escort duty around the Aleutians until August 1944. During this time, she helped keep the Japanese unaware of the United States' strategic intentions involving the western Aleutians and from February to June, contributed to bombardments in the Kuril Islands. On 8 August, she sailed to San Francisco and Pearl Harbor to join an assault convoy and sailed on 14 October for the Philippines campaign. Entering Philippine waters, she escorted transports during the assault landings at Dulag, Leyte, on 20 October 1944. On the eve of the Battle for Leyte Gulf, Badger guarded the retirement of empty transports to New Guinea then returned to Leyte convoying reinforcements. In December, she reported in Huon Gulf, New Guinea, for rehearsals of the Lingayen landings, for which she sailed 27 December. On 8 January 1945, as she entered Lingayen Gulf, her convoy was attacked by Japanese kamikazes, one of which crashed into . Two days later Charles J. Badger escorted Kitkun Bay to San Pedro, then took up patrol duties. After a period at Ulithi, Badger returned to Leyte to rehearse for the landings on the Kerama Retto, a preliminary to the assault on Okinawa. Badger arrived on 26 March 1945 to guard the landings, which took the Japanese by surprise. This did not prevent them from mounting suicide air attacks, during which Badger claimed a kamikaze. Once the landings on Okinawa began, the destroyer took position to guard the southern flank of the landings. On 7 April she joined a force moving north to intercept the last Japanese naval force; and with eight destroyers. However, an attack by carrier aircraft sank Yamato, Yahagi and all but four of the destroyers before the surface forces could engage. In the early morning on 9 April, while on her fire support station, a Japanese army Maru-ni, suicide boat, dropped a depth charge close to the ship, off Okinawa