BUTLER, JOSEPH

JOSEPH BUTLER

Navy

Joseph Butler

Joseph Butler was born on November 29, 1890 at Middle Island, New York. He was the son of Henry and Ellen Butler of Middle Island. At the time of his enlistment in the Navy he was working as a Fireman in Locust Valley, New York. At the time of his induction he was married and had two children. In November, 1918 Butler came home for a short leave of absence. The battleship he was assigned to was patrolling the coast for several months. In March, 1919 the Patchogue Advance gave the following information "Joe Butler who is in San Francisco, a machinist on the battleship Marblehead, has met with a serious accident. In hauling a piece of machinery with a crane something slipped and he was caught under the heavy weight suffering injuries likely to disable him for several weeks."

The USS Marblehead

The USS Marblehead was placed in full commission 6 April 1917 at the navy yard, Puget Sound, Wash., and on 4 May was ordered to the Pacific Patrol Force. She was employed on convoy, patrol, and survey duty, operating off Mexico and in search of possible German raiders in the California area until 11 June 1918, when she proceeded via the Panama Canal to Key West for duty with the American patrol detachment. Arriving They West 22 June, the ship spent the remainder of World War I in the Caribbean, engaged in escort and patrol duty. Detached from patrol duty 4 December, the veteran cruiser steamed to join Division 2, Pacific Fleet. She arrived Mare Island 17 February 1919 and decommissioned 21 August. Reclassified PG-27 in July 1920, Marblehead was sold 6 August 1921.