USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850) is a Gearing class destroyer of the United States Navy. She was launched by Bethlehem Steel Company on July 26, 1945, and commissioned at Boston on December 15, 1945. She is named in honor of Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., a naval aviator and older brother of President John F. Kennedy.

On February 4, 1946 Kennedy sailed for shakedown training in the Caribbean. She headed for fleet maneuvers off Puerto Rico on February 9, 1947 and upon completion steamed eastward to the Mediterranean to join the 6th Fleet, which carried out the important role of peacekeeper and stabilizer during a period of great unrest in Europe. Kennedy visited various Mediterranean ports before arriving at Newport on June 26, 1948. The remainder of the year was spent in antisubmarine exercises, and the first half of 1949 saw her make two training cruises to the Caribbean.

On February 3, 1951, Kennedy joined the carrier task force attacking North Korean positions. In May she stood off Wonsan, North Korea, using her 5-inch guns for nearly a month of continuous bombardment duty. After leaving the war zone she spent the next several years completing 6th Fleet tours of duty, midshipmen cruises, and joint NATO maneuvers. In early 1961 she operated in the Caribbean, assisting with the first Mercury space flight's recovery efforts. In July she arrived at New York Naval Shipyard for renovation under the FRAM I (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) program.

In October 1962 Kennedy was dispatched to the Caribbean to participate in the naval blockade of Cuba and during 1963 she carried out training operations off the Virginia Capes and Nova Scotia. In October 1964 she was underway for Operation Steel Pike I, one of the largest amphibious operations since World War II. During the passage of the task force to the Spanish coast, she acted as antisubmarine screening ship.

Kennedy was decommissioned in 1973 and is presently on display as a museum ship in Fall River, Massachusetts. She is open to the public as the official memorial to Massachusetts citizens who gave their lives during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. She is also home to the Admiral Arleigh Burke National Destroyermen's Museum. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. received two battle stars for Korean service.

With the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. wooden ship model, one can almost hear the roar of the ocean waves. It is an exact replica of the original, handmade with vigilance, from the very first to the last step. Master craftsmen diligently carve high quality mahogany to create the ship's form. After it is sanded and puttied, skilled artists paint on the intricate details. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts also constitute the model. Clear lacquer provides the finishing touch and long-lasting protection. Each ship comes on a a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. All items then undergo quality control and are delivered to eagerly waiting customers in professionally-packaged wood crates via FedEx Next Day Air. More than just a display piece, the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. ship model is a work of art.