Louisiana Revised Statutes Tit. 25, § 1000. Legislative intent

The legislature hereby recognizes that no Naval or Marine Corps war memorial has been established in Louisiana, despite the heroic participation and sacrifices of its citizens in World War II and subsequent conflicts in which the United States has been engaged. The legislature further recognizes that a fitting memorial should be established to honor the Louisianians who participated so valiantly in the naval efforts of World War II and the Korean and Viet Nam conflicts and that the opportunity to secure a destroyer to be docked in Louisiana waters as a lasting memorial would honor Louisiana naval personnel and, in addition, would form an outstanding tourist attraction for Louisianians and other people visiting our state. It is further recognized that the opportunity to obtain a presently available destroyer, the U.S.S. Kidd, should not be neglected, since this valiant destroyer, named for Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, who was killed at Pearl Harbor, has a distinguished record in both conflicts and therefore presents to the state an opportunity which may not again arise to acquire and establish the U.S.S. Kidd as a Naval war memorial, and that, therefore, a long delayed public service thus can be achieved through acquisition of this destroyer or, if that proves impossible, then another suitable memorial.