Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The USS KIDD (DD-661) is in the midst of a shipyard period, being drydocked for hull maintenance for the first time in 62 years. While undergoing this work, the museum is backfitting a space aboard ship from its Cold War usage of housing fire control radar equipment to its original purpose: segregated bunking for the ship's African American and black crew members. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to more closely display the vessel in her target date August 1945 restoration, and most importantly, 2) to tell ALL of the crew's stories and demonstrate their living conditions.
The museum is also partnering with the Baton Rouge African American Museum (BRAAM) in this effort. When the ship returns home in 2025, the USS KIDD Veterans Museum will now be able to better physically demonstrate and discuss segregation in the military in WWII, while the BRAAM will discuss segregation on the homefront in Baton Rouge and at large. The two museums are located approximately three blocks from each other in downtown Baton Rouge.
USS CASSIN YOUNG in Boston, MA, and USS THE SULLIVANS in Buffalo, NY, are both sister Fletcher-class destroyers of USS KIDD. Both museums allowed KIDD staff members to conduct research aboard their vessels and photo document this space to better aid in backfitting KIDD to the proper configuration, finding physical details not evident in blueprints.
To support this drydocking effort and special Steward's Mate Berthing project, donate at:
usskidd.com/support-our-mission
To learn more about and support the Baton Rouge African American Museum as its reopening approaches, visit:
braamuseum.org
To learn more about and support the Buffalo Naval Park, visit:
buffalonavalpark.org
The USS KIDD (DD-661) is in the midst of a shipyard period, being drydocked for hull maintenance for the first time in 62 years. While undergoing this work, the museum is backfitting a space aboard ship from its Cold War usage of housing fire control radar equipment to its original purpose: segregated bunking for the ship's African American and black crew members. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to more closely display the vessel in her target date August 1945 restoration, and most importantly, 2) to tell ALL of the crew's stories and demonstrate their living conditions.
The museum is also partnering with the Baton Rouge African American Museum (BRAAM) in this effort. When the ship returns home in 2025, the USS KIDD Veterans Museum will now be able to better physically demonstrate and discuss segregation in the military in WWII, while the BRAAM will discuss segregation on the homefront in Baton Rouge and at large. The two museums are located approximately three blocks from each other in downtown Baton Rouge.
USS CASSIN YOUNG in Boston, MA, and USS THE SULLIVANS in Buffalo, NY, are both sister Fletcher-class destroyers of USS KIDD. Both museums allowed KIDD staff members to conduct research aboard their vessels and photo document this space to better aid in backfitting KIDD to the proper configuration, finding physical details not evident in blueprints.
To support this drydocking effort and special Steward's Mate Berthing project, donate at:
usskidd.com/support-our-mission
To learn more about and support the Baton Rouge African American Museum as its reopening approaches, visit:
braamuseum.org
To learn more about and support the Buffalo Naval Park, visit:
buffalonavalpark.org
