View source for USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.

{{Short description|Gearing-class destroyer}}
{{Other ships|USS Kennedy{{!}}USS ''Kennedy''}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
|+USS ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' (DD-850)
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:USS Joseph P Kennedy (DD-850) underway.jpg|300px|alt=USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850) underway]]
|Ship caption=''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' underway in 1962
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States 
|Ship flag={{USN flag|(1973)}}
|Ship name= ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr''
|Ship namesake=[[Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.]]
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[Fore River Shipyard]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=2 April 1945
|Ship launched=26 July 1945
|Ship sponsor=Miss [[Jean Kennedy Smith]]
|Ship christened=
|Ship commissioned=15 December 1945
|Ship decommissioned=2 July 1973 
|Ship struck=1 July 1973
|Ship identification=*[[Maritime call sign|Callsign]]: NBCR
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Bravo}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Romeo}}
*[[Hull number]]: DD-850
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=''Joey P''
|Ship honors=
|Ship status=[[Museum ship]] at [[Battleship Cove]]
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=[[image:USS JPK DD-850 Badge.gif|150px]]
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class={{sclass|Gearing|destroyer}}
|Ship type=
|Ship displacement=*2,425 tons
*3,479 tons (fully loaded)
|Ship length={{convert|390|ft|6|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|40|ft|10|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft={{convert|14|ft|4|in|abbr=on}}
|Ship power=4 × [[Babcock & Wilcox]] {{convert|615|psi|MPa|abbr=on}} {{convert|850|F|C}} superheated D-Type express boilers
|Ship propulsion=2 sets of high pressure, low pressure and cruising turbines ([[General Electric]] or [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation|Westinghouse]]) {{convert|60000|shp|abbr=on}}; 2 shafts and {{convert|12.5|ft|m|adj=on}} four-bladed propellers
|Ship speed={{convert|35.25|kn}}
|Ship range={{convert|5800|mi|nmi km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship complement=*274 (14 officers, 260 enlisted) standard,
*345 (20 officers, 325 enlisted) wartime
|Ship sensors=*SPS 10 surface search radar
*SPS40 air search radar
*SQS23 long range sonar
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=* [[5-inch/38-caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|0|abbr=on}}/38]] [[Caliber#Caliber as measurement of length|caliber]] twin gun mounts
**[[Mark 37 Gun Fire Control System]]
**Mk25 [[fire-control radar|fire control radar]]
**[[Mark I Fire Control Computer|Mark 1A Fire Control Computer]]
**Mk6 8,500 rpm gyro
*2 × triple tubes for {{convert|12.75|in|0|abbr=on}} [[Mk 32|Mk 32 torpedoes]]
*[[RUR-5 ASROC|Antisubmarine rocket launcher (ASROC)]]
*4 × double celled boxes housing 8 missiles
*nuclear [[depth charge]] capability
|Ship aircraft=[[Drone Antisubmarine Helicopter|Drone Anti-Sub Helicopter (DASH)]]
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=Fuel capacity of {{convert|96000|gal|abbr=on}}
}}
{{Infobox NRHP
|embed=yes
|name=[[Battleship Cove]]
|nrhp_type=nhl
|image=[[File:USS Kennedy.JPG|300px]]
|caption=
|location=
|coordinates = {{coord|41.7057|-71.1631|region:US-MA_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|locmapin=Massachusetts
|map_width=300
|area=
|built=1945
|architect=
|architecture=
|designated_nrhp_type=29 June 1989<ref name="nhlsum">
 {{cite web
 |url         = http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1596&ResourceType=Structure
 |title       = Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., USS (Destroyer)
 |access-date  = 2012-10-03
 |work        = National Historic Landmarks Program
 |publisher   = [[National Park Service]]
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090114021125/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1596&ResourceType=Structure
 |archive-date = 14 January 2009
}}</ref>
|added=11 December 1989<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
|governing_body=
|refnum=76000231
}}
|}

'''USS ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' (DD-850)''' is a former [[United States Navy]] {{sclass|Gearing|destroyer}}.
The ship was named after Lieutenant [[Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.]], a [[naval aviator]], son of the former U.S. Ambassador to Britain, [[Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.]], and older brother of future President [[John F. Kennedy]]. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' served, with interruptions for modernization, until 1973. Among the highlights of her service are the blockade of [[Cuba]] during the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]] and the afloat recovery teams for ''[[Gemini 6]]'' and ''[[Gemini 7]]''. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' is on display as a [[museum ship]] in [[Battleship Cove]], [[Fall River, Massachusetts]].  She was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1976, and designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1989 as one of a small number of surviving ''Gearing''-class destroyers.

==1945–1950==
USS ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' was built by the [[Bethlehem Steel]] Corporation's [[Fore River Shipyard]] at [[Quincy, Massachusetts]], [[ship naming and launching|launched]] on 26 July 1945, sponsored by Miss [[Jean Kennedy Smith|Jean Kennedy]], sister of Lieutenant Kennedy. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] at [[Boston Navy Yard|Boston]] on 15 December 1945.

The new destroyer sailed on 4 February 1946 for [[shakedown cruise|shakedown]] training in the [[Caribbean]].  [[Robert F. Kennedy]], Joseph's brother, then 20 years old, sailed on this cruise as an apprentice seaman.  Kennedy was discharged from the navy on 30 May 1946.

''Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.'' returned to her [[homeport]], [[Naval Station Newport|Newport]], in April 1946, and was occupied for the next few months in Naval Reserve Training. Arriving [[Naval Station Norfolk|Norfolk]] on 8 October, the ship joined [[Admiral]] [[William D. Leahy]]'s [[flagship]], {{USS|Wisconsin|BB-64|6}}, and other units for a cruise to [[Chile]] and [[Venezuela]]. She transited the [[Panama Canal]] twice on this voyage, and was reviewed by the President of Venezuela on 25 November 1946. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' returned to her home port on 14 December 1946.

During 1947 the destroyer operated on the East Coast and in the Caribbean. She sailed for fleet maneuvers off [[Puerto Rico]] on 9 February and upon completion steamed eastward to join the [[U.S. 6th Fleet|6th Fleet]] in the [[Mediterranean]]. During this period of great unrest in Europe, the fleet carried out the important role of peacekeeper and stabilizer. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' visited various Mediterranean ports before arriving Newport on 26 June 1948. The remainder of the year was spent in [[antisubmarine warfare]] (ASW) exercises, and the first half of 1949 saw her make two training cruises to the Caribbean.

The ship sailed on 23 August 1949 for 6th&nbsp;Fleet duty as flagship of Destroyer Squadron&nbsp;18 (DESRON&nbsp;18), returning on 27 January 1950.

==1950–1960==
With the advent of war in [[Korea]], ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' carried out reserve training during July 1950, followed by bombardment and [[convoy]] exercises to prepare for action defending [[South Korea]] from Communist aggression. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' sailed for Japan on 3 January 1951 by way of the Panama Canal, [[Pearl Harbor]], and [[Midway Atoll]]. At [[U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo|Sasebo]] she loaded ammunition and, exactly one month after departure from Newport, joined [[Task Force 77 (U.S. Navy)|Task Force 77]] (TF&nbsp;77) off Korea. From February to April she screened the attack [[aircraft carrier|carriers]] as they pounded enemy positions and supply lines. She departed on 8 April for the [[Formosa Patrol]], helping to prevent further hostilities across the volatile [[Taiwan Straits]]. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'', then returned to Korea arriving off [[Wonsan]] on 20 May to take up bombardment station in support of the Allied siege and occupation of harbor islands. This duty continued until 13 June, a period of almost constant bombardment of great importance to the operation, after which the ship steamed to Sasebo.

''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' did not return to the West Coast immediately upon the termination of this combat duty, but instead steamed westward to complete a circumnavigation of the globe. With other units of Destroyer Squadron&nbsp;8, she visited Singapore, [[Bahrain]], [[Port Said]], [[Naples]], and [[Gibraltar]] before returning to Newport on 9 August 1951. Until January 1953 she conducted battle practice and served as school ship for the Fleet Training School at Newport. She sailed on 7 January for another 6th&nbsp;Fleet cruise, returning to Newport on 18 May 1953. Antisubmarine training exercises and another Mediterranean cruise January – May 1954 comprised her duty through most of 1955, and she sailed on 5 November for [[Arctic]] maneuvers off northern Europe. The ship visited [[Oslo]], Norway, and [[Bremerhaven]], [[West Germany]], carrying out tactical exercises with units of the 6th Fleet before returning to Newport on 5 March 1956.

In June 1956, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' arrived at [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]] with battleships {{USS|Iowa|BB-61|2}} and {{USS|New Jersey|BB-62|2}} to embark [[United States Naval Academy]] [[midshipman|midshipmen]] for a training cruise. Upon returning from Northern Europe on 1 August, the ship took part in training operations until 6 May 1957, when she sailed once more for 6th&nbsp;Fleet duty. The [[Jordan]]ian crisis{{clarify |reason=What was the crisis? |date=October 2012}} had just passed with the strong support of the fleet, and ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' took part in carrier operations until September, when she steamed to the coast of Norway for [[NATO]] joint maneuvers. She returned to Newport on 22 October 1957. Again in 1958 the ship sailed to the Mediterranean, and on this cruise spent April in the [[Persian Gulf]] with the [[Middle East Force]] before arriving back to Newport on 1 July 1958.

After a needed period of overhaul at Boston, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'', arrived at Annapolis once more on 3 June 1959 for midshipman training. Along with other ships of the [[task force|task group]], she entered the [[St. Lawrence River]] and represented the Navy at the opening of the [[St. Lawrence Seaway]] on 26 June 1959. Following the ceremonies, in which both [[President of the United States|President]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and [[Queen regnant|Queen]] [[Elizabeth II]] took part, the destroyer entered the Seaway and steamed to Chicago on 2 July. The ship visited various ports before returning to the Atlantic on 6 August. In 1960 she returned to the Mediterranean with {{USS|Forrestal|CVA-59|2}} and {{USS|Franklin D. Roosevelt|CVB-42|2}}, returning to Newport on 15 October.

==1961–1964==
[[File:President Kennedy and wife watching Americas Cup, 1962.png|thumb|200px|[[John F. Kennedy|John]] and [[Jacqueline Kennedy]] watching [[America's Cup]] race on board ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'', September 1962]]
In January 1961 ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'', steamed to Washington, D.C. for the [[inauguration]] of [[John F. Kennedy]], brother of her namesake. During February and April of that year she took part in space shots in the [[Project Mercury]] series. She then arrived New York City on 1 July 1961 for a [[Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization]] (FRAM) overhaul in the [[New York Naval Shipyard]]. During this period she received the latest in antisubmarine gear, a new [[helicopter]] flight deck and hangar aft, and numerous other modifications designed to increase her useful life. After emerging in her new dress in late May 1962, she underwent exhaustive shakedown out of [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|Guantanamo Bay]], Cuba, returning on 26 August 1962.

''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'', with other ships of the fleet, reacted quickly to the threat of [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[ballistic missile]]s in Cuba, and President Kennedy's quarantine order. Sailing on 22 October, the ship took an active part in the blockade that forced an easing of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], and on 26 October under the command of Commander Nicholas S. Mikhalevsky sent a boarding party to the [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] [[Liberty ship]] ''[[Marucla]]''  After participating in this graphic demonstration of the power and mobility of the US Navy, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' remained on patrol in the Caribbean until returning to Newport on 7 December 1962.

During 1963 the veteran destroyer carried out training operations off the [[Virginia Capes]] and [[Nova Scotia]]. She departed Newport on 29 April 1964 for another Med cruise until 26 August, and in October was underway for [[Operation Steel Pike]] I, one of the largest amphibious operations since [[World War II]]. During the passage of the [[task force]] to the Spanish coast, she acted as antisubmarine screening ship. ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' returned to Newport on 19 November 1964.

==1965–1967==
Late in January 1965, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'', put to sea for [[Port Canaveral]], Florida, where she helped qualify two newly constructed [[UGM-27 Polaris|Polaris]] [[submarine]]s for patrol overseas. There followed a regular 3-month overhaul in the [[Boston Naval Shipyard]].
Commander J.&nbsp;W. Hayes took over command of ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' from Captain J.&nbsp;V. Peters on 14 July; the next day, a 2-month period of refresher training commenced as the ship set sail for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The US crewed space program was one of ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.''{{'}}s more recent commitments; leaving Newport on 27 November 1965, the ship took station {{convert|1200|nmi}} southeast of [[Bermuda]] as part of the afloat recovery team for ''[[Gemini 6]]'' and ''[[Gemini 7]]'' on a 14-day orbital and rendezvous mission in space. The shots a success and her duty done, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' returned to Newport on 21 December to prepare for another deployment in the Mediterranean.

Assigned to DESRON 10, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' departed Newport on 15 February 1966 for duty with the 6th Fleet. After arriving at [[Gibraltar]] on 24 February, she participated during the next four months in AAW and ASW operations and ranged the Mediterranean from the North African coast to [[Turkey]]. She completed her peace-keeping patrols late in June and returned to Newport on 8 July.

During the remainder of the year she conducted destroyer exercises and carrier screening operations off the eastern seaboard. In mid-November she participated in recovery operations following the successful 4-day flight of ''[[Gemini 12]]''. On 1 March 1967 ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' again sailed for duty with the 6th Fleet. She cruised the Mediterranean until late April, and then transited the [[Suez Canal]] for the [[Red Sea]] and Indian Ocean. Late in June she departed the [[Gulf of Aden]] for the United States. Steaming via the [[Cape of Good Hope]] and South America, she arrived Newport the following month. There she resumed readiness training.

==End of career==
As part of the Navy drawdown resulting from the end of US involvement in [[Vietnam]], the ''Kennedy'' was decommissioned in early 1973 and was stricken from the Navy Register on 1 July the same year.  Due to her famous namesake and close association with the Kennedy family, plans were soon made for her preservation.

==Museum ship==
[[File:USS Kennedy.JPG|thumb|USS '' Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' in Battleship Cove]]
After decommissioning, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 1 July 1973 and removed to [[Fall River, Massachusetts]], as a unit of the [[Battleship Cove Museum]]. {{As of |2018}}, she is open to the public as the official memorial to [[Massachusetts]] citizens who gave their lives during the [[Korean War|Korean]] and [[Vietnam War]]s. She is also home to the Admiral [[Arleigh Burke]] National Destroyermen's Museum.

In the spring of 2000, ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' was brought to [[Rhode Island Sound]] for the movie ''[[Thirteen Days (film)|Thirteen Days]]'', portraying both herself and {{USS|John R. Pierce|DD-753|2}}.  The ship was crewed by active duty Navy and Naval Reservists in period uniforms, and some systems (radar antennae, gun mounts, and [[Anti-submarine warfare|ASW]] [[torpedo tube]]s) were made semi-operational for action scenes, with the ship being towed by a tugboat that was kept [[out of frame]] during filming.

==Awards==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Combat Action Ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Navy Expeditionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=China Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=Korean Service Medal - Ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Armed Forces Expedtionary Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|-
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Presidential Unit Citation (South Korea).svg|width=103}} 
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=United Nations Service Medal Korea ribbon.svg|width=103}} 
|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=Republic of Korea War Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=103}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|colspan="3"|[[Combat Action Ribbon]]
|-
|[[Meritorious Unit Commendation|Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation]]
|[[Navy Expeditionary Medal]]
|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
|[[World War II Victory Medal]]
|[[Navy Occupation Service Medal]] <br>with "EUROPE" clasp
|[[China Service Medal]]
|-
|[[National Defense Service Medal]] <br>with [[service star|star]]
|[[Korean Service Medal]] <br>with two [[battle star]]s
|[[Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal]]
|-
|[[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation|Presidential Unit Citation <br>(South Korea)]]
|[[United Nations Korea Medal]]
|[[Korean War Service Medal]] <br>(South Korea)
|}
Note –  The ''Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.'' displays the ribbon of the [[Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal]] at Battleship Cove in Fall River; however, the vessel was not in the area of eligibility for this medal during the appropriate time period.<ref>Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual, 1953 with revisions of 1954.</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Fall River, Massachusetts]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite web
|url={{NHLS url|id=76000231}}
|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form / USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DP-850)
|last=Butowsky
|first=Harry A.
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|date=May 1985
|access-date=2012-10-04
}}
*{{cite web
|url={{NHLS url|id=76000231|photos=y}}
|title=Accompanying photos
|last=Butowsky
|first=Harry A.
|publisher=[[National Park Service]]
|date=May 1985
|access-date=2012-10-04
}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Morss |first1=Stafford |title=Drydocking ex-USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850): Stabilizing and Restoring a Museum Ship |journal=Warship International |date=1990 |volume=XXVII |issue=1 |pages=9–23 |issn=0043-0374}}
*{{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/j/joseph-p-kennedy-jr--dd-850.html}}
*{{Naval Vessel Register|{{Naval Vessel Register URL|id=DD850}}}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{navsource|05/850|USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.}}
*{{cite web
 | url= http://www.ussjpkennedyjr.org/
 | title= ''USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850'' at Battleship Cove, Fall River, Massachusetts.
 | first= Richard | last= Angelini 
 | year= 2003 
 | access-date= 2008-04-20 }}
*[http://www.williammaloney.com/Aviation/DestroyerJosephPKennedy/index.htm USS ''Joseph P. Kennedy''] Photos on board the Destroyer ''Joseph P. Kennedy'' DD-780 in Fall River, MA
*[http://members.tripod.com/~JPKennedyJr_DD850 Unofficial "Joey P" Home Page]
*{{hnsa|uss-joseph-p-kennedy-jr-dd-850}}
*[http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/ Maritime History of Massachusetts, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary]
 
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts}}
{{Gearing class destroyer}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (Dd-850)}}
[[Category:Cold War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Korean War destroyers of the United States]]
[[Category:Museum ships in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Fall River, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1945 ships]]
[[Category:Museums in Bristol County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Gearing-class destroyers of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Fall River, Massachusetts]]