Climb Aboard USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Warship Named for JFK’s Brother

Commissioned in 1945, the ship was built in just eight months as part of the Gearing-class of destroyers.

At 390 feet long, it just outstretches the length of one football field.

The crew consisted of 288 men: 18 officers and 270 enlisted. When fully loaded, it weighed 3,460 tons.

The eldest son of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and the older brother of the future President John F. Kennedy, “Joe” was a lieutenant in the US Navy. He and his co-pilot, Lieutenant Wilford John Willy, died during Operation Aphrodite in 1944 when the explosives aboard their plane detonated before they ejected to safety.

In attendance were Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., his wife, Rose Kennedy, and their children Patricia, Jean, Ted, and Eunice.

Homeported in Newport, Rhode Island, the destroyer also traveled to Washington, DC, for Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961.

The USS Joseph P. Kennedy helped recover spacecraft from the ocean during NASA’s Project Mercury in 1961 and the Gemini 6 and 7 missions in 1965.

The destroyer also participated in the US naval blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, boarding the freighter Marcula to search it for missile components.

The USS Joseph P. Kennedy was decommissioned in 1973.

Located in Fall River, Massachusetts, Battleship Cove is also home to the battleship USS Massachusetts and the submarine USS Lionfish.

I visited the museum in January and paid $25 for a general-admission adult ticket.

The 5-inch guns could fire projectiles weighing 55 pounds up to 10 miles.

DASHes, smaller than regular helicopters, were deployed to drop torpedoes on unsuspecting enemy submarines.

The hangar and flight deck were added to the ship as part of the Navy’s Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) program in 1961.

This device was known as a “pepperbox” or “matchbox” launcher for its boxy shape. It could fire torpedoes over 5 miles away.

Some parts of the deck were blocked off for preservation work as museum volunteers restored the ship.

The bridge featured navigation, steering, and communication equipment. It was situated high up with numerous windows for maximum visibility.

The wardroom featured a portrait of the ship’s namesake, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.

Officers ate the same meals as the rest of the crew, but in a more elevated atmosphere.

Menus included seasonal meals, such as turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, to boost crew morale.

I was surprised by how narrow the hallways were, reminiscent of a submarine.

Crew members who worked in this office were known as Yeomen and Personnelmen.

Crew members in the supply department oversaw supplies of tactical items, such as ammunition, and other necessities, such as food.

The sick bay was also equipped for minor surgeries, complete with a folding operating table.

The oil king was the ship’s fuel expert responsible for keeping the fuel tanks full and monitoring the quality of the boiler feedwater.

When crew members were at their battle stations, the engineering department transformed into damage control central to coordinate repairs to the ship.

If the sick bay was unavailable or compromised, the barbershop could also function as a space to treat injuries sustained in combat.

ETs worked with everything from crucial radio and weapons systems to power tools from the ship’s machine shop.

The ship store on board the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. displayed shaving cream and razors, as well as recognizable brands of snacks such as Sun-Maid raisins, Planters mixed nuts, and Ritz crackers.

With a crew of 288 men packed into a 390-foot-long ship, personal space was hard to come by.

The machine shop also occasionally assisted with servicing other ships.

The after engine room was responsible for the movement of the ship’s portside, or left, propeller.

Fresh water had many uses on the ship. The first priority was filling the boilers that kept the ship’s steam-powered system running. Drinking, bathing, and cooking were secondary priorities.

The degaussing switchboard sent direct-current voltage to coils throughout the ship to reduce its magnetic signature, preventing it from setting off magnetic naval mines.

An unoccupied chair of honor, dedicated to prisoners of war and those missing in action, symbolizes that “there will always be a place awaiting their return,” the accompanying plaque reads.

The USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., like many retired warships, was at risk of being disassembled for spare parts until it was acquired by a museum dedicated to its preservation and restoration.

“Especially in the case of the Kennedy, she sat in Newport for a few years, and so other active ships’ crews would come on board and take what they needed for their ships if it was the appropriate equipment,” Nardi said. “So we’re very lucky compared to some other ships and stuff they lost.”

Modern guided-missile destroyers, such as Arleigh Burke- and Zumwalt-class destroyers, are equipped to both launch and intercept missiles. They have recently been deployed to the Middle East in June 2025 to counter Iranian ballistic missile attacks aimed at Israel and to the Caribbean in September 2025 to combat drug cartels.