Henry Varnum Butler was born in Paterson, New Jersey on 9 March 1874. He was appointed to the Naval Academy from the Sixth District of New York 1891. At the break of the Spanish-American War he was aide to Captain Charles Vernon Gridley, commanding officer of USS Olympia. He participated in the Battle of Manila Bay. He was attached to USS Buffalo during Boxer Uprising in China and was aboard that vessel at Taku when the Seymour Relief Expedition started for Peking in 1900. During the Philippine Insurrection he commanded USS Mindora, and in the fall of 1901 he went aboard USS Vicksburg. In 1906 he was assigned to USS West Virginia. He commanded USS San Francisco, flagship of the Mine-laying Squadron in World War I. In 1926 he was assigned to the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, where he qualified as a naval aviation observer. He was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in 1927. In May 1934, he assumed command of the Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Force. Shortly after taking that command, he was appointed a vice admiral. He retired from the Navy in 1938. He was recalled to active duty in 1942 and served until 1944.
From the description of Henry Varnum Butler papers, 1891-1939 (bulk 1895-1917) (Colgate University). WorldCat record id: 58992633
