Admirals Kidd

Rear Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Admiral Isaac Campbell Kidd, Jr: one a St. Albans parent; one a St. Albans alumnus. Both men amassed commendable records in the US Navy, both serving in World War II.

Rear Admiral Kidd, on December 7, 1941, was Commander Battleship Division One and Chief of Staff to Commander, Battleships, Battle Force, having recently served as the Commanding Officer of the USS Arizona (September 1938-February 1940). He would not survive the attack at Pearl Harbor (killed on the bridge of the Arizona) and for his actions that day, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was the most senior officer in the US military services killed in the attack.

Admiral Kidd (STA 1937), who received his commission as an Ensign on December 19, 1941, a mere twelve days after his father was killed, served throughout WW II as a gunnery and operations officer on destroyers both in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. He also participated in several Mediterranean amphibious landings and at Iwo Jima. He would serve 37 years in the Navy, and commanded destroyer divisions and squadrons in the same waters. Among service during other high profile crises throughout his career, he played a key roll (head of the Naval Court of Inquiry) in the investigations around the USS Liberty incident in June 1967. As a retired officer, he testified in favor of the SALT II arms control agreement.

Admirals Kidd: their stories are far too dense and distinguished to be completely cataloged in this post. Their dedication and service to the nation is clearly evident even from these few paragraphs. The family's dedication to serve extended to at least one grandson, Captain Isaac Campbell Kidd III, whose career spanned 30 years on active and reserve service, of course, in the Navy.