USS Laffey (DD-724) was an Allen M. Sumner class destroyer. She was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Seaman Bartlett Laffey who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his stand against Confederate forces on March 5, 1864. She was laid down on June 28, 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched on November 21, 1943; and commissioned on February 8, 1944.

In early 1944 Laffey briefly served as a school ship in Norfolk. She then headed for New York to join the screen of a convoy escort for England on May 14. After arriving at Plymouth, she immediately prepared for the invasion of France. On June 3 she headed for the Normandy beaches escorting tugs, landing craft, and two Dutch gunboats. On June 8 and 9, she bombarded gun emplacements with good results. She joined the screen of Task Force 38 on November 5, then conducted airstrikes against enemy shipping, aircraft, and airfields in the Philippines. Operating with the 7th fleet, the destroyer screened the big ships against submarine and air attacks, covered the landings at Ormoc Bay on December 7, silenced a shore battery, and shelled enemy troop concentrations.

On October 5, 1945 Laffey sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving on October 11. She operated in Hawaiian waters until May 21, 1946 when she participated in the atomic bomb tests at Bikini, actively engaged in collecting scientific data. In mid January 1952 she sailed for Korea, arriving in March. She operated with Task Force 77 screening carriers Antietam and Valley Forge until May, when she joined a bombardment and blockade group in Wonson Harbor engaging several enemy shore batteries.

During the first part of 1955, Laffey participated in extensive antisubmarine exercises, visiting Halifax, Nova Scotia, New York City, Miami, and ports in the Caribbean. On November 7, 1956 she headed for the Mediterranean at the height of the Suez crisis. Upon arrival she joined the 6th Fleet which was patrolling the Israeli-Egyptian border, showing the US flag and expressing the nation's interest in the peaceful outcome of the crisis. During 1958 she operated with anti-submarine warfare carriers in Floridian and Caribbean waters.

Laffey was decommissioned on March 29, 1975. She received five battle stars for World War II service and two battle stars for Korean service.

With the USS Laffey wooden ship model, one can almost hear the roar of the ocean waves. It is an exact replica of the original, handmade with vigilance, from the very first to the last step. Master craftsmen diligently carve high quality mahogany to create the ship's form. After it is sanded and puttied, skilled artists paint on the intricate details. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts also constitute the model. Clear lacquer provides the finishing touch and long-lasting protection. Each ship comes on a a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. All items then undergo quality control and are delivered to eagerly waiting customers in protective double-lined boxes with high density foam. More than just a display piece, the Laffey ship model is a work of art.