Bow

Men underway aboard USS CASSIN YOUNG in the late 1950s

Courtesy Jack Surre

Quick Facts

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USS CASSIN YOUNG

Upon leaving an American port, the crew of a ship left behind the comforts of private home life. While aircraft carriers were considered floating cities with many amenities and comforts, destroyers were more like small frontier towns. During World War II, as many as 325 officers and men called Cassin Young their home for as long as 18 months. By the 1950s that number dropped to as low as 250 officers and men. Nonetheless, extended cruises to far-flung places meant the crew had to eat, sleep, work, and weather calm seas or rough storms on a ship just 376 feet long. Smaller, faster, and much lighter than other seagoing warships, destroyers had ride their way through the rough seas. With limited resources, the crew had to overcome challenges as a team and make do with what they had.

Because of the thin armor of their ships, the rugged conditions, and the reputation of a "can-do" attitude, destroyer men took pride in their nickname: "Tin can sailors."