USS Kidd DD 661 - "The Pirate of the Pacific"

USS Kidd is a Fletcher-class destroyer that was named in honor of Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Sr., who was the first American flag officer to die in World War 2 when he was killed aboard USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Kidd served with distinction throughout the latter half of the Pacific War and was one of the many picket station destroyers to be savagely hit by a kamikaze during the Okinawa campaign. Decommissioned shortly after the end of the Pacific War, she was reactivated in 1951 to serve in the Korean War. Today, she is berthed on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she is preserved as a museum ship, and is the only surviving US destroyer still in her original World War 2 configuration.
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USS KIDD: Ship and Museum Tours in Downtown Baton Rouge
www.usskidd.com/
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Credits (photos):
US National Archives, Navsource, Naval History & Heritage Command, USS Kidd Veterans Museum
#pacificwar #pearlharbor #ww2 #usnavy #unitedstatesnavy #destroyer #worldwar2 #navalhistory

[@stevenmullens511]

In 1985, on a family vacation, my brother and I went on the USS Kidd . Thank you for bringing back good memories.

[@wilsonpickett3881]

No one vacations in Baton Rouge

[@stevenmullens511]

@wilsonpickett3881 we were driving through to Disney World from California.

[@francisbusa1074]

Great ship. It's wonderful that she has retained her WW II appearance. Handsome class, the Fletchers!

[@crazylegz324]

Only Fletcher class destroyer still in its original WW2 configuration. She’s in dry dock in Houma right now getting a glow up like USS Texas did.

[@francisbusa1074]

​@@crazylegz324 I have to admit that that does my heart good! That ship needs to be preserved for posterity!

[@aaronhasselbusch]

1962 I served aboard for two weeks training curse out of Philadelphia I visited the ship in baton rouge la 2006 great training great memories USS Kidd is special

[@richardgreen1383]

When I was an active duty Aviator in the Navy, it was common knowledge that the "ransom" for a rescued downed Aviator was his weight in ice cream paid to the rescuing vessel. I never knew it was the original USS Kidd that started that tradition.

[@NavyCWO]

I served aboard one of her sister ships (USS Rook DD-804) with the Chilean navy (Destructor Cochrane) during Operation Unitas in 1977. As a Spanish linguist, I was aboard to assist with operations and communications. She was a good ship and great crew! I visited the USS Kidd a few years ago to show my wife where I operated and CPO berthing.

[@skipperclinton1087]

Sorry Chief. Sumners started with hull number 723 (5/43) so my comment was off because of 804 but 804 was a Fletcher class. Sin loi. I served on a Gearing, 806 so possibly you can see where the confusion came from. 805 (Chevalier)was a Gearing also. What can I say?

[@andrewfoster2647]

Great story of the history of a fine ship & crew over 20 years & 2 wars. Bless all who serve.

[@russellkeith1284]

This is the Destroyer that my dad served on during WWII. I have heard the account of the star shell going through the deck house and relighting the boiler after the ship was hit by the kamikaze. Before the war he worked as a welder at BIW shipyard and with that background he headed up allot of the repairs. Thanks for the great job.

[@joshjosh6526]

my grandfather served on her as well. I wonder if they knew each other? He was only on for a few months though.

[@russellkeith1284]

@@joshjosh6526 If your grandfather was crew from the star shell incident to the end of the war, it's a good bet that they knew each other. one of my dad's duties was the ships mail man.

[@joshjosh6526]

@@russellkeith1284 he was only on for the last few months of the war and was supposedly injured during the kamikaze attack but info on him is very little

[@Barbara-el5wl]

Your dad probably knew my dad😊❤

[@berteisenbraun7415]

She was a real War Horse!

[@ELCADAROSA]

Thank you! I was patiently waiting for this report! I served on the second USS KIDD (DDG-993).

[@ThePrader]

I served on a ship named after a WWII battle. I was a lucky Lt. (jg) aboard the USS Guadalcanal, LPH-7. That is the ship that trained me to be a proper sailor. We knew that without our DDG's we, and our Marines, were a mere target. Thank you for protecting me and my shipmates.

[@TheValorVault]

@@ELCADAROSA Thank you for your service

[@skipperclinton1087]

​@ThePrader How about the original DDs without the "G"? They were the protectors of fleets!

[@ThePrader]

@@skipperclinton1087 I am old. Real old. But by the time I went on active duty, 1977, all the DD's had been retired or converted to "missile boats".

[@skipperclinton1087]

​​@@ThePrader: I'm older than you shipmate. I served aboard a Gearing (806) from 64-66. By 1977 most if not all DD's were decommissioned and served as missle target ships. Mine went down at the Pacific missle test range off Pt. Magu.

[@keithbusick6859]

That ship is floating history and she truly deserves to be maintained and honored for the service her brave crews and the service she gave our nation and I enjoyed your video very much keep up the great work you do well done !

[@67cudaksa34]

I have walked her decks and could hear brave men doing their duties in my mind.

[@danielbeiersr3642]

My son and I and his Boy Scout Troop took several over night tour/sleep overs on the Kidd in the early 2000s. Being a veteran myself I was granted a special tour with a tour volunteer down into Kidds engine room that isn’t open to the public, that was a special treat!

[@dacampbellrn]

As a resident of Baton Rouge and frequent visitor to the Kidd I would like to thank you for this wonderful video. I strongly urge anyone visiting Baton Rouge to tour her (when she returns), it is a humbling experience.

[@happyhighway106]

#16 Thank You, for this fine history report about this ship! It Honors all the Officers and Ratings that served aboard her during her operational life. Again, Thanks!

[@Jimmie2429]

My grandfather served on the Fletcher Class destroyer Lewis Hancock DD-675 during WWII in the Pacific campaign. No doubt in the company of the USS Kidd at some point.

[@heavy6711]

Ted Saunders HM3 USS Kidd DD 661 1956-1960.

[@enscroggs]

Outstanding. I am immensely grateful for these vids.

[@Scott-hb1xn]

The submarine TANG also had an ice cream machine... Courtesy of sticky fingered sailors during her fitting out... I forget which CV or BB it was borrowed from

[@kenlodge3399]

That's one museum ship would really like to visit. To see a WWII Fletcher with all her accoutrements (big word) would be a blast. You can have your Carriers and Battleships, I want to see a Fletcher DD.

[@richrdfieroii]

She is NOT HOME right now ! she is IN HOUMA LOUISIANA currently in drydock. so do not make the trip right now ! ~~ she should be back home in the SPRING of 2025. but PLEASE check the web site before you come. when she does come HOME she will be painted in Measure 32 camouflage so she should be AWESOME !

[@marklaterza4455]

My uncle served on the Edwards DD619 as a torpedo man. They won 13 battle stars and didn't lose a man in the whole war. I have got to go see the Kidd when it returns in memory of Uncle Frank!

[@philgiglio7922]

I was sitting underneath the I-10 bridge when she was towed into Baton Rouge. I've been aboard several times since and a good friend has some of his war memorabilia, from Vietnam, on display in the museum section. She's well worth a visit if you are ever attending an LSU football game. She's only about 1 1/2 miles North of campus. For a long time the 51 mount used to fire a blank round at 12:00 noon to announce the lunch hour: got expensive and hard to source the shell casings so the program ended.

[@AndyB-kq7xv]

That's 1 tough lil ship ... 👍🦾

[@johnreagan5852]

My Grandfather severed on DD678 USS McGowan. The Fletcher class is one of the ships ever.

[@vaughnedwards1724]

Glad they kept the flag tradition 😊

[@ex-engineer6657]

Thank you very much. Well done

[@francisbusa1074]

Imagine if the officers and crew in 1945 could realize how so many folks would be loving this ship more than 80 years after the war, and how unique a ship she would be!

[@shanemossmoss]

An excellent presentation thank you

[@nathanbowling3553]

My uncle served on the Kidd in WW2 . Paul Lawson Jr

[@how3fish]

great video thanks !

[@kevinhasecuster1199]

You really need to do an episode on the USS IWO JIMA LPH-2. She was the primary recovery ship of the ill fated Apollo 13. Was involved in Vietnam and the bay of pigs.

[@davidlee8551]

Thank you.

[@burtonedwards2120]

Currently the USS Kidd is in dry dock for restoration.

[@rupturedduck6981]

☠️🏴‍☠️AAARHG The KIDD saved many lives and collected much booty AAARHG🏴‍☠️☠️

[@jamesgibson4807]

Outstanding!

[@tomallen9179]

Great story, thanks

[@Barbara-el5wl]

My dad survived this attack that killed many. He said they buried the dead US men at sea. By the time they got to the young boys body (kamikazi) to bury him they were near land so they buried and said a prayer over him. I was like WHY? He said he was someone's son. He was doing his job. UNBELIEVABLE generation in deed. I also have a few original pictures of the plane coming in as he crashed.

[@marvinjohnson424]

Got to tour her a couple of years ago. Great ship. Love close to USS North Carolina another great vessel. Was board USS Ranger 69/70 in Gulf of Tonkin.🇺🇸

[@TheValorVault]

@@marvinjohnson424 Thank you for your service sir

[@chrisstrand500]

One hell of a war boat. 🇺🇸

[@anthonybush607]

Just an fyi…Houma La. is pronounced “Home-a. The USS Kid is a treasure and well worth the visit.

[@dwightrush4247]

Thank you saved me the trouble 👍😎

[@shannonwhitaker9630]

I’d say it’s pronounced more like Home-Ahh than Home-a

[@alessandrapirelli7040]

Nice presentation. Didn't know that about the movie.

[@briancooper2112]

The Captain of U.S.S. Franklin was to close to Okinawa and blamed the crew not him of the bomb attack. He should never of been in command of a carrier. Great video!

[@txgunguy2766]

After the Franklin was hit, it seemed certain that it was doomed, so a large group of crewmen jumped overboard(some were blown overboard when the ship was hit)without waiting for the "abandon ship" order, which never came. Once the ship's condition was stabilized, they returned only for the Captain to charge them all with desertion and later absolutely refused to withdraw it against the advice of his officers. This desertion charge never happened on any other damaged US Navy ship.

[@skipperclinton1087]

@briancooper2112: No, blame the Japanese. The "crew" didn't fly the planes. More than likely the Capt was ordered by the fleet Commander to take station off of Okinawa. A Capt isn't allowed to just take any ship much less a carrier wherever they want to steam. You don't know much about the military do you! SMH

[@user-vg8sz3sc6x]

My dad’s destroyer the USS Hickox DD-673 was with the Kidd when the Franklin was bombed. Hickox was at the fantail of the Franklin rescuing sailors jumping off as the flames were closing in on them. That video is on KZbin. The Kidd and Hickox were part of the detail that escorted Franklin into Ulithi. All gave some some gave all.

[@saintely475]

Ho-muh, not hoo-muh hahahaha. Nice video. Been to the Kidd several times.

[@skipperclinton1087]

@kenlondge3399: The crew "accouterments" aboard a Fletcher are pretty sparse and that's an understatement! Topside is another thing. BTW Ken, the Fletcher's were the pinnacle of the DD design IMO. After that, they (Navy) lost the concept and now a DD is as big as a late WWII light cruiser. We called Fletchers 2100's (DWT) and the next class of DD's 2250's. Sailings on WWII DD's was exhilarating. It gave you the feeling of a large speedboat when at all ahead flank speed. 27knts when running on a two boiler operation, 34 on a 4 boiler operation. At 34, the rooster tail went way above the main deck.

[@davebeckman1514]

We have to keep these memorials for the youth that don't understand what we have learned

[@49558201]

Watch " Greyhound " it is the Kidd and they talk about the Kidd in the movie : ( an Easter egg } is what young ones call it .

[@Chuck1284-]

What a great ship. 💌💌

[@tswizard13]

5" guns are mounts not turrets, guns are not turrets until 8".

[@jeromearchambeau1607]

Agreed, Baton Rouge isn't that far from Tulsa.....

[@wilsonpickett3881]

If the kamikaze was coming from starboard why did the capt turn port?

[@redtobertshateshandles]

I guess that it was an asbestos filled delight too.

[@richrdfieroii]

WE have Handled that Issue.

[@briancooper2112]

Can you do a video of the U.S.S. Emmons?

[@craigmcdaniel7142]

For the record, it's pronounced Home-ah, Louisiana, not Who-mah.

[@brucewelty7684]

Never LIKE an AI narration

[@marvinjohnson424]

Live

[@triomach3362]

Was enjoying video until drump jr butted in. Never finished video. May never visit this channel again.

[@karenhumes8689]

😂😂😂

[@skipperclinton1087]

Don't let the door hit you were the lord split you. Ya won't be missed! BTW, do you need a safe space?

[@richrdfieroii]

Can YOU show us on the DOLL where HE hurt you ?

[@silverhammer7779]

"HOO-muh?" It's pronounced "HO-muh" after the Native American tribe indigenous to the area.

[@southerncoinhunter]

It's pronounced Home-a, get it right if using AI