Source: United States Navy
The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, will deliver the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Remarks will also be provided by Admiral Daryl Caudle, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Lieutenant General Roberta Shea, Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic; Commander, United States Marine Corps Forces Command; and Commander, Marine Corps Forces Northern Command, The Honorable Zach Iscol, Commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, Ms. Diane Hawkins, Niece of Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, and Charles F. Krugh, President of General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship’s sponsors are Ryan Manion and Amy Looney, the president and vice president of the Travis Manion Foundation, which empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations.
“Gunnery Sergeant Basilone’s relentless valor on the battlefields of Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima represented the best America has to offer and are exemplary of the Sailors and Marines serving today,” said Secretary Del Toro. “USS John Basilone (DDG 122) will be named after one of the most decorated Marines in our Nation’s history and will pay tribute to his legacy and the countless others who have served our country with distinction.”
The ship honors U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. He was killed in action during the February 1945 invasion of Iwo Jima and was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. Basilone is the only enlisted Marine to be honored with both the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor. DDG 122 will be the second ship named in honor of Basilone.
“Marines are known for their perseverance and loyalty to one another. Perhaps no Marine exemplified these traits better than Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, the only enlisted Marine in World War II to be awarded both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross,” said 20th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Carlos Ruiz. “As a true Marine Corps legend, it is fitting that this highly capable warship, led by an equally exceptional crew, will bear his name.”
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. These highly capable, multi-mission ships conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security. Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers provide a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface environments.
Flight IIA DDGs host dual helicopter hangars, allowing for expanded anti-submarine, anti-surface, and anti-air warfare capabilities through integrated operations with helicopter squadrons.
The ceremony will be live-streamed at http://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/35147. The link becomes active approximately ten minutes prior to the event at 9:50 a.m. EST.
Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on the littoral combat ship program can be found at: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169871/destroyers-ddg-51/.