USS Maurice J. Manuel (DE-351) was a John C. Butler-class destroyer escort acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II.

During the early months of World War II he served at San Diego, California, where he was promoted to private first class on 4 April 1942.

After shakedown off Bermuda, Maurice J. Manuel served as a training ship out of Norfolk, Virginia, until steaming to New York City for convoy escort duty on 3 October.

Late in July the destroyer escort made a run to Okinawa out of Subic Bay; and as the war ended 15 August, she patrolled the coast of Luzon out of Lingayen Gulf.

The latter ship carried high-ranking military and naval officers from the United States, Australia, Canada, China, and the Netherlands East Indies to Japanese surrender ceremonies on board the battleship Missouri.

After shakedown, she proceeded to the east coast for duty with the Atlantic Fleet, arriving Newport, Rhode Island, 11 August.

She continued a busy pattern of training and readiness operations between New England waters and the Caribbean during next nine months; thence, she departed Newport on 16 July 1953 for deployment to northern Europe.

After completing convoy training exercises off the east coast in May 1956, Maurice J. Manuel sailed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 24 June for inactivation overhaul and decommissioned there on 30 October 1957.