Destroyer USS Kidd: the Flagship of the Pirate Tradition in the US Navy Fleet
Among dozens of active destroyers of the class “Arleigh Burke” in the US Navy fleet, the destroyer USS Kidd stands out. Its uniqueness lies not in secret technologies or weapons, but in the fact that the massive pirate flag “Jolly Roger” often flutters on its mast.
This pirate flag, depicting the skull and bones and reminiscent of the golden age of piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries, is the only one that the US Navy has ever been allowed to raise on one of its ships. This tradition dates back to the Second World War.
The USS Kidd is named after Rear Admiral Isaac S. Kidd, who died on board the USS Arizona battleship during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Rear Admiral Kidd received the nickname “CAP” while studying at the US 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 embraced the pirate theme and even received support from Isaac Kidd’s widow, who convinced