Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)

USS KIDD - "DD 661"

Photographed by Richard E. Miller, July 19, 2015

1. USS KIDD - "DD 661" Marker - Panel 1

Inscription.

USS KIDD - "DD 661". . , Panel 1: , It is August first, 1945, Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco. The KIDD is just completing repairs following the April 11 Kamikaze hit that killed thirty-eight of her crew off Okinawa. It is before the days of television, plastic, OSHA, and warning labels on everything. It is back when personal safety was a matter of alertness and common sense. The KIDD is a 1945 ship, so exercise caution as you visit. It is six days before the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Most of the crew are ashore enjoying their last stateside liberty. The remainder are readying the ship for the War’s final campaign, the Invasion of Japan. Over three hundred and fifty ships were sunk or damaged at Okinawa, and rumor has it that the Invasion of Japan will make Okinawa look like a Sunday picnic., Panel 2: , In memory of the officers and men of the USS KIDD who gave their lives in the action of 11 April 1945 off Okinawa:, Grieshaber, George P. Lieut.(j.g.), USNR , Berwick, Robert A., Ens.(SC), USN , Bridgewater, Dorsey C. S1/c, USNR , Smith, Addison F., CQM(AA)(T), USN , Hansen, Sylvester W., CWT (AA)(T), USN , Hamilton, John F., CST(AA)(T), USN , Payne, Morgan A., GM1/c (T), USN , Carmody, James C., WT1/c (T), USNR , D’Amico, Felix P., WT1/c (T), USNR , Abernathy, William M., M2/c (T) USNR , Walsh, Jack L., WT2/c (T) USNR , Gothreau, Eugene E., SM2/c (T), USNR , Hyde, Richard W., BKR2/c (T), USN , Thompson, Solomon, STM2/c, USN , Green, Charles E., STM2/c, USN , Gutterman, Bernard, TM3/c (T), USNR , Paufaw, Milford A., SM3/c, USN , Olen, James N., EM3/c, USNR , Holwhite, Charles W., F1/c, USNR, Hoeft, Clifford A., F1/c, USNR , Kemmerer, Clifford E., F1/c, USNR , Walker, Robert F., F1/c, USNR , Canada, John W., Jr., S1/c, USNR , Higginbotham, Louie C., S1/c, USNR , Hodges, Lester B., S1/c, USNR , Kelsey, Harold G., S1/c, USNR , Khaisinger, George R., S1/c, USNR , Wall, William J., S1/c, USNR , Bynog, Lawrence, S1/c, USNR , Heaton, Frederic B., F2/c, USNR , Kornoski, Dennis M., F2/c, USNR , Henson, Virgile A., S2/c, USNR , Jenkins, Charles K., S2/c, USNR , Kostelnik, Bernard V., S2/c, USNR , Lee, Arthur, S2/c (RDM), USNR , Leonard, Russell J., S2/c, USNR , Miller, John, Jr., S2/c, USNR , Lee, Darvin R., AS, USNR

Panel 1:
It is August first, 1945, Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco. The KIDD is just completing repairs following the April 11 Kamikaze hit that killed thirty-eight of her crew off Okinawa. It is before the days of television, plastic, OSHA, and warning labels on everything. It is back when personal safety was a matter of alertness and common sense. The KIDD is a 1945 ship, so exercise caution as you visit. It is six days before the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Most of the crew are ashore enjoying their last stateside liberty. The remainder are readying the ship for the War’s final campaign, the Invasion of Japan. Over three hundred and fifty ships were sunk or damaged at Okinawa, and rumor has it that the Invasion of Japan will make Okinawa look like a Sunday picnic.

Panel 2:
In memory of the officers and men of the USS KIDD who gave their lives in the action of 11 April 1945 off Okinawa:

Grieshaber, George P. Lieut.(j.g.), USNR
Berwick, Robert A., Ens.(SC), USN
Bridgewater, Dorsey C. S1/c, USNR
Smith, Addison F., CQM(AA)(T), USN
Hansen, Sylvester W., CWT (AA)(T), USN
Hamilton, John F., CST(AA)(T), USN
Payne, Morgan A., GM1/c (T), USN
Carmody, James C., WT1/c (T), USNR
D’Amico, Felix P., WT1/c (T), USNR
Abernathy,

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William M., M2/c (T) USNR
Walsh, Jack L., WT2/c (T) USNR
Gothreau, Eugene E., SM2/c (T), USNR
Hyde, Richard W., BKR2/c (T), USN
Thompson, Solomon, STM2/c, USN
Green, Charles E., STM2/c, USN
Gutterman, Bernard, TM3/c (T), USNR
Paufaw, Milford A., SM3/c, USN
Olen, James N., EM3/c, USNR
Holwhite, Charles W., F1/c, USNR

Hoeft, Clifford A., F1/c, USNR
Kemmerer, Clifford E., F1/c, USNR
Walker, Robert F., F1/c, USNR
Canada, John W., Jr., S1/c, USNR
Higginbotham, Louie C., S1/c, USNR
Hodges, Lester B., S1/c, USNR
Kelsey, Harold G., S1/c, USNR
Khaisinger, George R., S1/c, USNR
Wall, William J., S1/c, USNR
Bynog, Lawrence, S1/c, USNR
Heaton, Frederic B., F2/c, USNR
Kornoski, Dennis M., F2/c, USNR
Henson, Virgile A., S2/c, USNR
Jenkins, Charles K., S2/c, USNR
Kostelnik, Bernard V., S2/c, USNR
Lee, Arthur, S2/c (RDM), USNR
Leonard, Russell J., S2/c, USNR
Miller, John, Jr., S2/c, USNR
Lee, Darvin R., AS, USNR

Erected by USS KIDD Veterans Memorial & Museum.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: War, World II • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1932.

Location. 30° 26.624′ N, 91° 11.477′ W. Memorial is in Baton Rouge

USS KIDD - "DD 661" Marker - Panel 2 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Richard E. Miller, July 19, 2015

2. USS KIDD - "DD 661" Marker - Panel 2

, Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish. It can be reached from the intersection of South River Street and Government Street (Louisiana Highway 73), on the left when traveling north. Marker Panel 1 is on the foot bridge connecting the museum and the KIDD's riverside moorings. Panel 2 is on her starboard side bulkhead, main deck, aft. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 305 S River Rd, Baton Rouge LA 70802, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Louisiana’s Florida Parishes.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Purple Heart Ship (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S.S. Kidd (within shouting distance of this marker); USS Kidd KIA Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); United States Coast Guard Memorial Plaza (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); USCGC White Alder (about 300 feet away); H. Maury Drummond (about 300 feet away); Congressman W. Henson Moore (about 300 feet away); John Archer Lejeune (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Baton Rouge.

More about this memorial. The ship and museum are on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, north of Interstate 10 and the Louisiana Veterans Memorial Bridge, south of the state capitol and major government buildings in Baton Rouge.

Also see . . . USS KIDD Veterans Museum. (Submitted on July 29, 2015.)

Additional keywords.

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FLETCHER class destroyer: "DD", "Tin Can", the "Pirate of the Pacific AND the Atlantic"; namesake: RADM Isaac Kidd, USN, killed-in-action aboard his flagship, the Battleship ARIZONA at Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 21, 2015, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 743 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 28, 2015, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.