The USS Kidd (DD-661) is a legendary Fletcher-class destroyer that earned a fierce reputation during World War II and the Korean War. Commissioned in April 1943, she was named in honor of Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who tragically lost his life aboard the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Nicknamed the "Pirate of the Pacific," the ship famously flew the Jolly Roger flag from her mast, and her crew painted a large pirate caricature on her forward smokestack with the blessing of Admiral Kidd's widow. The Kidd participated in crucial island-hopping campaigns across the Pacific, surviving multiple kamikaze attacks—including a devastating strike during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 that claimed the lives of 38 of her crew—ultimately earning eight battle stars for her World War II service and an additional four during the Korean War.
Today, the USS Kidd stands as a National Historic Landmark permanently moored on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she serves as the centerpiece of the USS Kidd Veterans Museum. She is unique among surviving World War II destroyers because she has been meticulously preserved in her original 1945 configuration, complete with her full complement of single 5-inch gun mounts, anti-aircraft batteries, and torpedo tubes. A remarkable engineering aspect of her display is her specialized dry-dock cradle; because the Mississippi River's water levels fluctuate by over forty feet throughout the year, the Kidd floats during high water seasons and rests safely out of the water on her cradle during low water seasons, allowing visitors to view the entire hull, propellers, and rudder of this rare, surviving "tin can" destroyer.
