BATON ROUGE — People gathered at the Veterans Museum to remember the USS Kidd's history as the ship marked 81 years since a kamikaze attack.

The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked the ship off the coast of Okinawa in 1945. The ship served during World War Two in the Pacific in island-hopping campaigns.

During the invasion of Okinawa, a lone suicide pilot struck the ship's boiler room and killed everyone inside.

Staff with the USS Kidd say the relationship between the U.S. and Japan today shows how with time and effort, enemies can become allies.

"Today, the U.S. and Japan are staunch allies despite the conflict back in 1945," said Gregory Williams, operations manager. "That's the biggest thing I hope people take away is that example of reconciliation and enemies becoming friends."

Williams says the ceremony offers closure to the families of those who died in the attack and ensures those servicemembers are remembered.