USS Cassin Young

The USS Constitution is, without a doubt, the most famous ship in Boston. Launched in 1797, it’s the oldest vessel still in active service with the U.S. Navy. However, its next-door neighbor from the Second World War, though lesser known, has an equally fascinating history.

The USS Cassin Young was built and launched in 1943. It’s named after Captain Cassin Young, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was killed during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.

After completing its training, the ship was deployed to the Pacific, participating in several engagements during the Battle of the Leyte Gulf. In 1945, it played a supporting role at the Battle of Iwo Jima and was later readied for the Battle of Okinawa. On April 12, however, a massive kamikaze attack struck, damaging the USS Cassin Young when a plane exploded nearby. The vessel was sent back for repairs and returned to Okinawa three months later for radar duties. Following the battle, it served as a convoy escort, but on July 30 it was targeted by kamikazes again—this time taking direct hits. Despite the damage, it managed to return to safety on its own and was later brought back to the U.S. for repairs. Once completed in 1946, it was decommissioned and placed in reserve duty.

The ship was recommissioned in 1951 during the Korean War and received numerous armament and equipment upgrades. It spent the remainder of its career partaking in various training and patrol missions across the world before being decommissioned again in 1960.

The USS Cassin Young was struck from the naval register in 1974 and permanently loaned to the National Park Service, arriving in Boston four years later. It opened to the public as a museum ship in 1981 and was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1986.

During World War II, the U.S. built 175 Fletcher-class destroyers, the most numerous class of its kind. Today, only four survive worldwide: three in the U.S. and one in Greece. Visitors can walk along the ship's deck, explore its various compartments, and see how sailors lived aboard. As veterans from the war become fewer each year, the USS Cassin Young ensures their challenges, contributions, and memories are taught to future generations. It’s well worth a visit for anyone interested in World War II history.