A proud moment as the Jolly Roger flies again
By Jack Cross
Contributor
Published June 20, 2007
I attended the commissioning of the newest U.S. Navy ship, the USS Kidd, DDG 100. This is the third ship to be named after Rear Adm. Isaac Kidd, who was killed aboard the Battleship Arizona when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
When the first Kidd left Brooklyn Shipyard in 1943, flying the skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger high from her foremast, the edition of Time Magazine that week carried a photo, announcing that it had been 100 years since the Jolly Roger had flown in New York Harbor. Ironically, the pirate hailed from New York.
The crew quickly adopted the Jolly Roger as its mascot and hired a local cartoonist to paint the famed buccaneer's image high on the forward smokestack.
Not wishing to dishonor Admiral Kidd, however, the crew asked for permission from Mrs. Kidd first. On their behalf, she obtained permission from the Navy. This buccaneer flag is the only nonofficial Navy flag ever allowed to fly on a U.S. Navy ship.
The first Kidd, DD 661, is a famous World War II ship that earned 12 battle stars during that war and the Korean war.
She participated in most of the major Second World War battles in the Pacific. The Kidd, with her high speed and equipped with depth charges, K guns, torpedo tubes, sonar detection and five-inch gun mounts, was well equipped to provide surface, submarine and anti-aircraft protection for carrier task forces.
Additionally, she participated in shore bombardment for numerous Pacific island invasions.
The Kidd rescued 45 downed airmen at sea. In the heaviest battle of Okinawa, during which many ships were sunk, the Kidd was struck by a Japanese kamikaze pilot and lost 38 crewmen, with 55 injured.
During more peaceful moments, the ship was well known for quickly running up the Jolly Roger when pulling alongside another U.S. Navy warship.
Fletcher Class destroyers such as the Kidd did not have all the goodies that the larger carriers and battleships carried so, when pulling alongside a battleship or carrier at sea, the ship would playfully run up its pirate flag and the larger vessel would highline over whatever goodies it had while the crew of both ships lined their rails and cheered.
In 1951, I served on a destroyer that operated with the Kidd. On one occasion, I saw the Kidd run up its skull and crossbones flag.
I was a new kid on the block and some of the old salt shipmates said: “Hey, come up on deck. The Kidd is coming alongside and they will run that Jolly Roger flag up."
On another occasion, while the Kidd was taking a two-week rotation from the Korean conflict and in port at Saesbo, Japan, a few members from the destroyer Hopewell snuck aboard and stole her Jolly Roger.
A few days later, the Hopewell made a point of pulling alongside the Kidd while under way at sea and running up the Jolly Roger.
The Hopewell's sailors manned the rails laughing and cheering, only to see the Kidd run up a skull and crossbones twice as big.
Of course, the Hopewell had to give back the Jolly Roger because the Kidd was the only ship allowed to fly it.
The new USS Kidd that was commissioned in Galveston is an engineering marvel with sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, along with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
It will continue the tradition of flying the Jolly Roger, along with the buccaneer symbol painted on its stack, as a reminder of all who have gone before us.
The Jolly Roger flag flying high on the foremast of the USS Kidd whispers stories of courage, bravery and sacrifice.
Sixty-four years later, a new generation of U.S. sailors have put their lives on the line in defense of all we enjoy as a free people.
Jack Cross lives in Texas City.
By Jack Cross
Contributor
Published June 20, 2007
I attended the commissioning of the newest U.S. Navy ship, the USS Kidd, DDG 100. This is the third ship to be named after Rear Adm. Isaac Kidd, who was killed aboard the Battleship Arizona when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
When the first Kidd left Brooklyn Shipyard in 1943, flying the skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger high from her foremast, the edition of Time Magazine that week carried a photo, announcing that it had been 100 years since the Jolly Roger had flown in New York Harbor. Ironically, the pirate hailed from New York.
The crew quickly adopted the Jolly Roger as its mascot and hired a local cartoonist to paint the famed buccaneer's image high on the forward smokestack.
Not wishing to dishonor Admiral Kidd, however, the crew asked for permission from Mrs. Kidd first. On their behalf, she obtained permission from the Navy. This buccaneer flag is the only nonofficial Navy flag ever allowed to fly on a U.S. Navy ship.
The first Kidd, DD 661, is a famous World War II ship that earned 12 battle stars during that war and the Korean war.
She participated in most of the major Second World War battles in the Pacific. The Kidd, with her high speed and equipped with depth charges, K guns, torpedo tubes, sonar detection and five-inch gun mounts, was well equipped to provide surface, submarine and anti-aircraft protection for carrier task forces.
Additionally, she participated in shore bombardment for numerous Pacific island invasions.
The Kidd rescued 45 downed airmen at sea. In the heaviest battle of Okinawa, during which many ships were sunk, the Kidd was struck by a Japanese kamikaze pilot and lost 38 crewmen, with 55 injured.
During more peaceful moments, the ship was well known for quickly running up the Jolly Roger when pulling alongside another U.S. Navy warship.
Fletcher Class destroyers such as the Kidd did not have all the goodies that the larger carriers and battleships carried so, when pulling alongside a battleship or carrier at sea, the ship would playfully run up its pirate flag and the larger vessel would highline over whatever goodies it had while the crew of both ships lined their rails and cheered.
In 1951, I served on a destroyer that operated with the Kidd. On one occasion, I saw the Kidd run up its skull and crossbones flag.
I was a new kid on the block and some of the old salt shipmates said: “Hey, come up on deck. The Kidd is coming alongside and they will run that Jolly Roger flag up."
On another occasion, while the Kidd was taking a two-week rotation from the Korean conflict and in port at Saesbo, Japan, a few members from the destroyer Hopewell snuck aboard and stole her Jolly Roger.
A few days later, the Hopewell made a point of pulling alongside the Kidd while under way at sea and running up the Jolly Roger.
The Hopewell's sailors manned the rails laughing and cheering, only to see the Kidd run up a skull and crossbones twice as big.
Of course, the Hopewell had to give back the Jolly Roger because the Kidd was the only ship allowed to fly it.
The new USS Kidd that was commissioned in Galveston is an engineering marvel with sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, along with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
It will continue the tradition of flying the Jolly Roger, along with the buccaneer symbol painted on its stack, as a reminder of all who have gone before us.
The Jolly Roger flag flying high on the foremast of the USS Kidd whispers stories of courage, bravery and sacrifice.
Sixty-four years later, a new generation of U.S. sailors have put their lives on the line in defense of all we enjoy as a free people.
Jack Cross lives in Texas City.
