Unofficial Home Page U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. DD-850
† In memoriam †
17 Sailors of the U.S.S. Cole, DDG-67
October 12th, 2000
They gave their lives for freedom
† † † † † † † † † † † † † † † † †
NEVER FORGET
At last!
+ + + CLICK HERE
+ + +
for a group picture taken at the 1999 JPK reunion.
Recognize any old shipmates?
Want to join the JPK Former Crewmembers Association? It's only $20 per year and includes a GREAT newsletter!
Just print out this form, fill it in, and follow the intructions -
click here
.
The 2010 reunion will be held in Fall River, Massachusetts, from 30 SEP 10 through 03 OCT 10. Join in on all the fun, food, comradeship, and ceremonies, including visiting the old "Joey P". Contact Ray Sampson at {401} 725-8848 OR print out these forms - click here.
. . . A D V E R T I S E M E N T . . .
The USS JOSEPH P. KENNEDY JR (DD-850) Ship's Store now has T-shirts, mugs,
baseball jerseys, mousepads, and other items. All have the ship's name or
patch printed on them. Click on the following:
. . . A D V E R T I S E M E N T . . .
(note: The Webmaster is NOT involved with this company, nor do I make ANY profit from sales, but I have dealt with this vendor before, and was very satisfied with the products and service - bru h, webmaster)
The USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
DD-850
The U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., DD-850, was
named for President John F. Kennedy's eldest brother, who was
killed on 12 August, 1944, in World War II. She
served in the Korean War, was part of the NATO fleet, participated
in the inauguration ceremonies of President Kennedy, was part of
the recovery teams for Project Mercury, Gemini 6, Gemini 7, and
Gemini 12, and she played an active role in
the Cuban missile blockade of 1962. She is now the only Gearing
class destroyer preserved for posterity and is the site of the
Admiral Arleigh A. Burke National Destroyerman's Museum. DD-850
has been designated a National Historical Landmark by the U. S.
National Park Service.
For a more complete history of the JPK, Jr., CLICK HERE
The Kennedy refueling from the U.S.S. Wisconsin, BB-64,
in March, 1949. Note the pre-FRAM configuration.
ATTENTION TO STARBOARD!
The "Joey P" (as she was known to ALL of her crews) entering the
Grand Harbour, Valetta, Malta, February, 1970.
(Pardon the tape, the US Post Office tore the picture in 1970.)
--- More Malta pictures in the postcard section ---
You're visitor number since Friday, the 13th of March, 1998.
And now a word from one of our sponsors
Click the graphic to join.
Some information and a brochure on Arleigh Burke, added on 9 NOV 99,
courtesy of Tracy Peters - click here.
Here's a link to the U.S.S. Massachusetts Home Page. The
U.S.S. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., is now in museum status at Fall River,
Massachusetts, tied up near "Big Mamie", the USS Lionfish (SS-298),
and PT-796 -
U.S.S. Massachusetts.
The Curator/Educational Coordinator at Battleship Cove in Fall River,
emailed me in early March of 1998 stating that a "DD850's former
crewmember association"
newsletter is available. If you're interested in obtaining a complimentary
copy of the latest one, please send your snailmail address to Debbie Collins
at dlc3174@aol.com . The Curator job has now (1999) been assumed by
Mr. Christopher Nardi - check out the Battleship Cove website for his
email address.
If you have any pictures of the JPK, Jr., or any of her crew that
you'd like to share, please scan them
and send me .jpg (they're smaller) or .gif files (they're lots bigger)
at the email address below. If you
don't have access to a scanner, contact me anyway; we'll work
something out. I'll put them up here with
full credit (no copyrighted material, please).
Here is the first of the entries! Thanks to (ex MM1) Aaron
Johnson for a whole roll of his slides from the JPK's
final cruise.
Jim Davis, now of Pittsburgh, PA, loaned me a cruise book. To see
the Cruise Book from the 1960 Med Cruise, just follow the arrows:
or go to the index. And THANKS JIM!!
Picture glitch fixed 9/15/98
Since I was already beginning to run out of space here, I have opened
a "Crew's Lounge" at another site to take care of any pictures
provided by any outside sources. Here's a link to the
DD-850 Crew's Lounge.
Debbie Collins at the U.S.S. Massachusetts Memorial has kindly
provided several pictures of the "Joey P" to me. Check them
out at the Crew's Lounge!
Closeup snap of the D.A.S.H. now available at the "Lounge".
Two pictures (Master-At-Arms badge, and MM1 L.W. Johnson III & BT1 Rector in Naples
contributed by (ex-MM1) Leonard W. Johnson III - added 30 OCT 98.
Newspaper picture of decommissioning ceremony contributed by Dirck Harris, ex
BT3 - added 30 DEC 98.
Some GREAT photos of the early years of the JPK have been provided by
Bill Lucas, and are now added to the Crew's Lounge. Check out these
picures from the 1946-7 era and the Joey P's South America cruise!
- added 30 JAN 99.
On 20 MAY 99 I received an email and later these pictures from one
of my old shipmates, ex-RD3 Butch Ruiz. Here's a link to those pictures -
Butch Ruiz - added 21 MAY 99.
Some more great photographs from the 1946 / 47 era, these courtesy of
Chuck Cassidy, were added on 27 MAY 99. Check them out!
More snapshots, these from the 1962/63 era, donated by Len Barrett, ex-RD3.
These are from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and some pictures of a visit to
the JPK by Joe, Jr's, little brother (President John F. Kennedy) and
his wife.
Added a picture of the JPK, Jr. in Fall River, MA, with the Russian
missile boat alongside on 26 OCT 99. Thanks again to Butch Ruiz!
Here's Dale Yanz's contribution - some pix of the ole Joey P in 1970-71 -
link updated 10 DEC 01.
These patches courtesy of Andy R. Maseo.
Added 01 MAY 00.
I received a note on 14 JUL 00 from Bill Freethy that says "I was aboard the JPK in 62/63 as a GMG3. Here is a
pic of me at that time.
If there are any old shipmates out there that remember me give me an e-mail at bfreethy@inteliport.com." Thanks Bill.
Please check the
crews lounge frequently for the latest
contributions! (Updated 15 JUL 00)
And here's a link to another JPK page -
- just click on the crest! updated 23 MAR 99
Here's a picture of my old college roommate's ship, the
U.S.S. Noxubee, AOG-56, a gasoline
tanker. His name is Gary C. Hall, his rate, Yeoman. Wow!
Secretary on a could-be Molotov cocktail! No thanks! Give me a
"small boy" any day.
So you miss the "good ole navy days", eh? Read this -
shipboard life.
Some information and a brochure on Arleigh Burke, added on 9 NOV 99,
courtesy of Tracy Peters - 
