according to radioman 3rd class reno ostarello (10th naval beach battalion), who manned an antiaircraft gun, "griggs" entered combat in the battle of okinawa. during one of the firefights, a call was made to “cease fire,” with the belief that the approaching craft could have been a u.s. plane. when the plane flew overhead, the crew could see its japanese rising sun symbol, but by then it was too late to take down. the kamikaze aircraft dove into their sister ship the uss la grange, with a direct hit to the communications center of the ship.