From: Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

The butternut is the North American white walnut.

(YN-4: dp. 560; l. 163'2"; b. 30'6"; dr. 11'8"; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 48; a. 1 3"; cl. Aloe)

Butternut (YN-4) was launched 10 May 1941 by Lake Washington Shipyard, Houghton, Wash., and placed in service 3 September 1941, Lieutenant A. S. Einmo, USNR, in charge.

Assigned to the 13th Naval District, Butternut tended nets and swept mines near Tacoma and Seattle, Wash. until May 1942. She was commissioned 13 May 1942 and four days later departed for San Francisco. Leaving San Francisco 1 June, the net tender reached Noumea, New Caledonia, on the 27th. She tended nets there, in the New Hebrides, and in the Solomon Islands until January 1945 except for a repair period at Port Chalmers, New Zealand, and Pearl Harbor (August 1943-February 1944). She was reclassified AN-9, 20 January 1944. From February 1945 to May 1946 she tended nets at Leyte and Samar, Philippine Islands, and spent the next eight months having her machinery overhauled at Manicani Island, Philippines.

Butternut arrived at Apra Harbor, Guam, 9 March 1947 and operated from there until 19 June 1950 tending nets and carrying cargo in the Marshall, Caroline, and Marianas Islands. Following repairs at Pearl Harbor (June-September 1950) she sailed to Sasebo, Japan. Butternut tended nets there and at Yokosuka, Japan, until returning to Guam in July 1951. After remaining there for the next year, she then proceeded to San Francisco, arriving 15 August 1952. Since then she has been assigned to the 11th Naval District for local duty.

Butternut received one battle star for services rendered during the consolidation of the northern Solomons.