The 2008 Fourth of July

Star-Spangled Celebration

USS KIDD defends herself from aerial bombardment in a dramatic reenactment each year on July 4th.

Artwork copyright of Wilbur Rogers & Art Colley.  Used by permission.

Rumble on the Riverfront Sees USS KIDD Battle Not-So-Friendly Skies

Dateline:  June 17, 2008—Sixty-five years after first facing the might of the Imperial Japanese Navy in the South Pacific, the USS KIDD will return to battle yet again this Fourth of July.  In an annual naval-air dogfight that has become a tradition on the Baton Rouge riverfront, the veteran destroyer takes on several vintage "Japanese" warbirds that gives the public just a taste of World War II era combat.  The dramatic reenactment has been featured at times by CNN and the Discovery Channel.

One of the most immaculately restored vessels in an Historic Fleet of 175 vessels found across five continents, the KIDD remains capable of firing three of her five 5"/38-cal. guns in defense of the city.  Her smaller 20mm anti-aircraft guns were once capable of being fired but have been disabled for safety purposes.  Even so, the larger guns pack quite a punch.  They normally fired a 17-lb. powder charge for maximum effect and range but now fire only one (1) pound for the reenactment and salutes. Anything larger would begin to shatter windows in the downtown area.

The business-end of one of the USS KIDD's 5"/38-cal. guns.

Photo courtesy of Bob Holt.

F-15 Eagle jet fighters (left) and hot air

balloons (right) will be on hand on July 4th.

"Joy" Fills the Skies

A welcome surprise for fans of the aerial battle will be the appearance of the P-40N Warhawk "Susie" flying a combat air patrol above the KIDD.  Formerly dubbed "Joy" and displayed in the museum's south courtyard, the plane was traded to aircraft collector John Fallis of Lafayette in 1998.  It was Fallis' dream to take the original parts of the plane (the wings and cockpit fuselage) and combine them with parts salvaged from other aircraft wrecks to make a working P-40.

After consulting with aircraft experts at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola and the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, the folks at the KIDD agreed to a trade.  Fallis would take the original parts

The P-40N Warhawk formerly displayed at the museum

 returns in 2008 in flying condition and now providing

air cover for the KIDD against enemy attack!

from their plane and in return would provide a fiberglass-aluminum replica, decked out with original World War II parts (landing gear, lights, engine exhaust manifolds, propeller, etc.) and paint it to order.  The paint scheme ordered was that of Brigadier General Wiltz P. Segura, USAF (Ret.), formerly of the 14^th Air Force and a native of New Iberia, Louisiana, who had flown with Chennault and the members of the Flying Tigers.  The replica—a P-40E type aircraft—had been used in the filming of Tora, Tora, Tora and in Steven Spielberg's 1941, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Tim Matheson.  General Segura personally inspected and approved the replacement aircraft and rechristened her "Joy," naming her after his wife as he had every aircraft he flew during his career.

Fallis, meantime, continued searching for parts and digging into the history of the P-40N.  It was originally assigned to the 5^th Air Force in the Pacific Theater and later salvaged from New Guinea by an aircraft collector.  This collector ran a series of restaurants whose theme was having a World War II warbird mounted on in the parking lot.  Through the efforts of Congressman Henson Moore, the collector donated the salvaged parts to Louisiana State University for a planned exhibit on General Claire Chennault and the Flying Tigers.  That exhibit never materialized and the parts lay stored beneath Tiger Stadium for years.  When Congressman Moore became involved in the USS KIDD project years later, he asked LSU to donate the parts to the museum.  A group of dedicated volunteers restored the parts to their wartime appearance, fabricating many of the missing parts to make a complete aircraft for display.  The museum's first "Joy" appeared briefly in the movie Solitude Point (1996), portions of which were filmed at the museum.

Now, with the help of John Fallis, another piece of history takes to the air again this July 4th.  And in the tradition of one his aviation heroes—General Wiltz Segura—Fallis has rechristened the P-40N after his wife Susie.

Welcome back, Susie.  We've missed you!

Intelligence Report                CLASSIFIED:  TOP SECRET

File # J2A-7357-BR                Subject:  Air Raid—Video Surveillance

PHOTO OF PAST ATTACK—2000

The KIDD survives a near miss as her attacker climbs for clear sky.  Two enemy aircraft were involved in this attack.

Photo by F. Keith Adkinson.

HOW DO I GET THERE?  WHERE DO I PARK?

The parking garages listed below will be open on July 4^th at the times listed.  For more information on parking downtown, visit the Downtown Development District website.

**Copyright 1997-2008 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission**