Joseph Kennedy (DD 850) - Naval Cruise Book

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be K67Q?6r?Qfj! TiVQ'i5ZZZi2f0?Q Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., eldest brother of the late President, was an outstanding scholar and athlete at Harvard, a Naval Aviator, a man of great promise, who left his mark wherever he went. During the height of the German rocket bombing against England, Lieutenant Kennedy, refusing leave after considerable combat flying, volunteered to pilot an explosive-laden, radio controlled bomber against an enemy rocket-launching site in Nor- mandy. He and his co-pilot were to have parachuted to safety before the plane crash-dived onto its target, but the plane exploded from an unknown cause shortly after take-off. Lieutenant Kennedy and his co-pilot, Lieutenant Wilford J. Willy, USN, were killed. Lieutenant Kennedy was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross with the fol- lowing citation: f , For extraordinary heroism and courage in aerial 'flight as pilot of a United States Navy Liberator Bomber on 12 August 1944. Well know- ing the extreme dangers involved and totally unconcerned for his own safety, Lieutenant Kennedy unhesitatingly volunteered to conduct an exceptionally hazardous and special opera- tional mission. Intrepid and daring in his tactics and with unwavering confidence in the vital importance of his task, he willingly risked his life in the supreme measure of service, and by his great personal valor and fortitude in carrying out a perilous undertaking, sustained and en- hanced the finest traditions of the United States Naval Service. ' LT. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, JR. THE SHIP The ship which bears the Kennedy name has been an active unit of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet since her commis- sioning in December, 1945. Always a flagship, the KENNEDY currently flies the pennant of Destroyer Division 102. The KENNEDY's operations- have literally spanned the globe. She has operated with the Sixth Fleet ten times, has been to Northern Europe, and cruised around the world on her return from the Korean War zone in 1951. During the summer of 1959 she even sailed to the Midwestern United States on Operation Inland Seas, marking the open- ing of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The ribbons which the KENNEDY displays on her bridge are witness to a fighting spirit worthy of the hero for whom she is named. The ship served with the occupation forces in Europe after the Second World War, and re- ceived several citations for her participation in the Korean conflict, including battle stars for the First UN Counter- Offensive and the Communist China Spring Offensive. She was the first ship to intercept and board a Russian vessel during the Cuban Quarantine Action of 1962. The ship's ties with the Kennedy family extend throughout her history. Robert F. Kennedy was a member of the crew, Ambassador Kennedy has visited us upon occasiong and, most notably, the late President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy were aboard for several days during the America's Cup yacht races of 1962.

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1 Slfipfv Chazmcteffistics USS JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, JR. QDD-88505 ,Built hy the Bethlehem Steel Company, Quincy, Massachusetts Keel laid ............... D., . .6 2 April 1945 Launched ................ '. .. 26 July 1945 Commissioned ............... 15 December 1945 ' Length .... 390 feet 6 inches Beam ..... 41 feet 1 inch tjgispltaccement 3fZQflf',l', . iVQ7i.'.l. 4 3,400 tons 1 1 1 tfP fropu1sion , . .4 ..... . Two shafts developing 66,000 h.p. Armamem ' ' ' 2 Twin 5 !38 mounts p 1 0 1 f 6 1 p 2 Triple, trainable torpedo tube mounts p ASROC 1 1 c E DASH, D D if on 4 May 1062: it

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eoliwzfion Nx Q' STA1-Es 1, U. S. S. JOSEPH P. KENNEDY. JR. CDD-8505 5 A Q CARE OF FLEET POST OFFICE O H NEW YORK. NEW YORK 0 Nfyp KENSR .,ssxxXl X fo , , N 'S 1 5 L s 6' N iKe .I is xvlff ? .x g ,. R 1 I , ffm Zane Mfg 1lllllI! , ' N ejxo-:IM I '-. + XXxssS . Nx To the Wives, Families, Friends and Ships Company of USS JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, JR. 413138509 We have returned to our home port of Newport after a busy and eventful five months in the Mediterranean Sea as a unit of the U. S. SIXTH Fleet. we have engaged in U.S. and NATO Fleet exercises, Anti-Submarine exercises, in- dividual ship training exercises and made visits to Tripoli and Malta. We have had the unique experience of officially participating in the dedication of a memorial to the late President Kennedy in Malta. We have traveled over thirty thousand miles and made two full sweeps of the HMedH. Visits were made to eight ports in seven countries. Much we have seen, much we have done and a great deal has been learned. This book is our attempt to show you pictorially where we have been, what we have done in meeting our commitments at work and at play. As Commanding Officer I am proud of KENNEDY and all who served in her. We did our job with professional pride. Each member of the ship's company has been a fine example of our Navy in its important task of extending Sea Power in our country's defense posture of readiness to meet any threat to our way of life. As Captain I dedicate this Cruise Book, with respect and pride, to the wives and families of those who serve in KENNEDY Very sincerely, ,sl S, J. W. HAYES, Commanding