Only U.S Navy Warship Formally Allowed To Fly A Pirate Flag Is Named After A Pearl Harbor Hero

The U.S. Navy has 75 Arleigh-Burke-class destroyers in active service, with many more planned and under construction; yet one among them stands out, garnering all the attention wherever it goes.

This is none other than the USS Kidd (DDG-100), the only U.S. Navy warship officially allowed to fly a Jolly Roger or Black Flag, commonly seen on pirate ships during the Golden Age of Piracy, which continued throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.

One might wonder: if the Navy discourages maritime lawlessness and the use of unauthorised signs and symbols, then why is the USS Kidd an exception to this rule?

The answer lies in naval lore and deeply rooted naval tradition passed down over the years as a tribute to a braveheart who became the first American flag officer to die in the Second World War.

The tradition traces its roots to the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, in which Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, after whom the USS Kidd is named, was killed.

He commanded Battleship Division One and took charge of the USS Arizona as the surprise Japanese attack began. However, he died along with 1,175 Navy sailors and Marines and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

He had an interesting nickname in the naval academy, which was ‘Cap’ Kidd, after the famous privateer who then turned into a pirate, Captain Willian Kidd, put to death in 1701 for his numerous crimes.

In 1943, authorities decided to honour his sacrifice and christen a destroyer belonging to the Fletcher-class after him. The crew members of the warship decided to take his nickname and, with the approval of Kidd’s widow, took up a pirate theme for the ship, even convincing the navy authorities to let them fly the skull and crossbones flag. Some of the sailors even had it tattooed on their arms.

They called themselves the Pirates of the Pacific and helped naval aviators get back to their ships for a ransom, including tubs of ice cream. The first vessel named after Kidd remained in service till 1964 and is now converted into a museum ship. However, the tradition has continued through vessels that were commissioned after it and named after ‘Cap’ Kidd.

The newest USS Kidd, which was commissioned in 2007, also got permission to fly the pirate flag during ocean crossings, port visits, and even while participating in multinational exercises. The flag on its mast can be seen on the rear of its 5-inch guns, internal doorways, and other things used onboard, such as mugs.

Pirates do not fly the Jolly Roger anymore; they just want to hijack a vessel, kidnap crew, and receive ransom. Hence, if one witnesses a warship with this peculiar flag, which might look out of place, there is nothing to worry about, as it’s a tribute, an honour, and a long-standing naval tradition.

In the Navy, traditions never die easily. They are celebrated and kept alive by the subsequent crew members. One such tradition is that Chief Petty Officers do not wash their coffee mugs as a symbol of seniority, experience, and their time spent at sea. The stains are witnesses to the long operations and deployments the sailor has survived.