louisiana2000

While the USS Kidd may not be a battleship whose name was chosen from the family of Louisiana names, she’s a proud piece of Louisiana heritage as she takes part in Baton Rouge’s Living History program.The Fletcher-class destroyer (DD-661) known as the “Pirate of the Pacific” is located in the heart of one of Louisiana’s stunning cities Baton Rouge where visitors can walk the decks in person and enjoy the history of the ship.You might want to time your visit since the ship is berthed in the Mississippi River which can fluctuate as much as 40 feet depending on the winter snows that melt from the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains which means in the earlier part of the year she’ll be afloat, whereas during summer drought when the river level drops she’ll be nestled in her specially-designed cradle awaiting next year’s spring floods.In her time, the USS Kidd housed 330 soldiers during wartime conditions, and a tour will surely allow visitors to get a genuine sense for what life aboard must have been like for those brave individuals. Interestingly, the KIDD’s first voyage included Anne Randle who was the first member of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) to be assigned.If you’re looking for a piece of Hollywood during your tour you’ll be pleased to note that the KIDD was used in the 1958 film Run Silent Run Deep starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. And if you happen to be a computer game aficionado, check out Destroyer Command where the USS Kidd was prominently featured.But more than all this you should just make a point to visit a piece of wartime history at the Louisiana Naval War Memorial.