Carding 4 Carders
Professional
- Messages
- 2,724
- Reaction score
- 1,588
- Points
- 113
USS Kidd and its unique history.
Among the dozens of active Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in the US Navy, the USS Kidd stands out in particular. Its uniqueness lies not in its secret technologies or weapons, but in the fact that its mast often flies the massive pirate flag "Jolly Roger".
This skull-and-bones pirate flag, which recalls the Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries, is the only one that the US Navy has ever allowed to fly on one of its ships. This tradition dates back to the Second World War.
USS Kidd is named after Rear Admiral Isaac S. Kidd, who was killed aboard the battleship USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Rear Admiral Kidd received the nickname "Cap" while studying at the United States Naval Academy, which is a reference to the famous pirate Captain William Kidd, who was executed for piracy in 1701. When the destroyer was named after Rear Admiral Kidd in 1943, its crew immediately adopted the pirate theme, and even received a blessing from Isaac Kidd's widow, Inez, who convinced the U.S. Navy to officially allow the USS Kidd to fly a pirate flag.
The state-of-the-art USS Kidd, launched in 2007, not only raises the pirate flag when entering and leaving port, but also during crossings between US coasts and multinational exercises. The symbol can also be seen on the back of the ship's five-inch cannons, on interior doors, and even as tattoos on many of its sailors.
Many Arleigh Burke-class destroyers bear the names of great leaders and heroes of the U.S. Navy, but the USS Kidd will always be the only ship to fly the pirate flag as part of its unique history.
Among the dozens of active Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in the US Navy, the USS Kidd stands out in particular. Its uniqueness lies not in its secret technologies or weapons, but in the fact that its mast often flies the massive pirate flag "Jolly Roger".
This skull-and-bones pirate flag, which recalls the Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries, is the only one that the US Navy has ever allowed to fly on one of its ships. This tradition dates back to the Second World War.
USS Kidd is named after Rear Admiral Isaac S. Kidd, who was killed aboard the battleship USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Rear Admiral Kidd received the nickname "Cap" while studying at the United States Naval Academy, which is a reference to the famous pirate Captain William Kidd, who was executed for piracy in 1701. When the destroyer was named after Rear Admiral Kidd in 1943, its crew immediately adopted the pirate theme, and even received a blessing from Isaac Kidd's widow, Inez, who convinced the U.S. Navy to officially allow the USS Kidd to fly a pirate flag.
The state-of-the-art USS Kidd, launched in 2007, not only raises the pirate flag when entering and leaving port, but also during crossings between US coasts and multinational exercises. The symbol can also be seen on the back of the ship's five-inch cannons, on interior doors, and even as tattoos on many of its sailors.
Many Arleigh Burke-class destroyers bear the names of great leaders and heroes of the U.S. Navy, but the USS Kidd will always be the only ship to fly the pirate flag as part of its unique history.
