Military Reunion Services

 
U.S. Army flag U.S. Marine Corps flag U.S. Navy flag U.S. Air Force flag U.S. Coast Guard flag

 

For several years now, the USS KIDD Veterans Memorial has been one of the leading sites for military reunions in the nation.  This is something that everyone here in Baton Rouge is especially proud of and a responsibility that we take very seriously.  What exactly goes on at the KIDD during a reunion, you ask?

 

The USS BURNS reunion group aboard the KIDD in 1993.

The former shipmates of the USS BURNS (DD-588)

pause for a photo on the fantail of the KIDD

during their Baton Rouge reunion in 1993.

Memorial Services

 

Many veterans groups wish to hold a memorial service to honor their comrades who did not make it back home or those who have passed on since their last reunion.  We at the USS KIDD are honored to have such opportunities to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to guarantee the freedoms we enjoy today.

 

Understandably, most Navy, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine groups choose to have their memorial services aboard ship on the fantail.  Fliers from Air Force and Army Air Corps groups tend to prefer the south courtyard under the wings of the P-40E Warhawk.  The Marines often gather near the statue of

Lieutenant General John Archer Lejeune, 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, while Army groups often choose the solitude and sanctity found within the granite walls of the Louisiana Memorial Plaza.  No matter the location, though, the staff of the KIDD strives to help you make this a memorable and moving experience.

 

Walkway of flags

On the day of your visit, we erect our "Walkway of Flags," over eighty U.S. flags lining the walkway and gangway leading from the museum to the KIDD.  This makes for a very patriotic setting and fantastic photo opportunities.

 

A podium and speaker system are available for use, along with approximately 100 chairs for outdoor seating.  Seating aboard ship is limited due to available space.

 

If you would like to have a color guard present for your service, our staff can put you into contact with several Reserve and JROTC units in the Baton Rouge area.

 

A wreath from local florists is available in three different sizes, made up of various flowers in patriotic red, white, and blue colors with a ribbon showing your ship or unit's name.  Following the ceremony, you can take this back to your hotel's hospitality room for the duration of your reunion or lay it at the base of the eternal flame in the Louisiana Memorial Plaza.

 

The KIDD herself is also able to take part in your service in

 

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the place of a rifle squad, firing a salute from her 5"/38-cal. guns.  We can arrange to have a bagpiper as part of the ceremony, as well as having a bugler sound "Taps" upon its conclusion.

 

The USS ERBEN reunion visits the KIDD in 1996.

Shipmates from the USS ERBEN (DD-631) pose

for photos on the walkway of flags during the

DESRON 48 reunion in Baton Rouge in 1996.

The Gangway Pass

 

Also among the services we offer is what is known as a Gangway Pass.

 

Let's say you get to Baton Rouge but you want to see the museum and the ship before the reunion is scheduled to arrive as a group.  Or perhaps you didn't get to see everything that you wanted on the day of your group's visit.  Your Gangway Pass entitles you to come as many times as you like while your reunion group is in town.

 

Why Baton Rouge?

 

Baton Rouge has much to offer for the visiting military reunion group.  We have many fine hotels that can serve you and there are many local attractions to keep your shipmates and comrades more than occupied.  Among the local tourist attractions are:

 

Sights and sounds from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

  • The USS KIDD Veterans Memorial

  • The Old Arsenal Museum

  • The Louisiana State Museum

  • Port Hudson Battlefield

  • The Old State Capitol

  • The Old Governor's Mansion

  • The Louisiana Arts & Sciences Museum

  • Louisiana State University & Southern University

  • Many area antebellum plantation homes

  • Gambling on riverboat casinos

 

We Are The CENTER Of Where You Want To Be!

 

Not enough to keep you busy?  New Orleans with its famous French Quarter, the National D-Day Museum, and historic Jackson Barracks is only a short 90-minute trip away.  A 30-minute drive north brings you to the

Stay in Baton Rouge and take a bus trip to surrounding areas.

Port Hudson battleground, site of one of the last Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi River during the Civil War.  Lafayette and the heart of Cajun country lies one hour to the west.  Just two hours to our northwest, Alexandria and Pineville are home to the 1943 Louisiana Military Maneuvers Museum on Camp Beauregard, the very training grounds that set the stage for the invasion of Normandy!

 

Baton Rouge offers the best of both worlds:  outstanding facilities and attractions, and a central location to points of interest throughout the state.

 

 

Flag for the City of Baton Rouge

Military Reunions

at the

USS KIDD

"But how do I get there?" you ask.  Very simple.  The Baton Rouge Municipal Airport is now serviced by five (5) major airlines:  Delta Airlines, Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and U.S. Air Express.  You can also take a cruise on the Mississippi River aboard one of the DELTA QUEEN steamboats or on RiverBarge Excursion Lines, stopping in the Capital City along the way and visiting the KIDD.  By air, land, or sea, we look forward to welcoming you to Red Stick.

 

For more information on our fair city, visit the website of the Baton Rouge Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

 

**Copyright 1997-2009 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission**