US Navy To Christen Destroyer Ship USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr In Honour Of Vietnam Veteran

The U.S. Navy will christen a new Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr, on Saturday, 29th July 2023.

The ceremony will commence at 10:30 am at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.

The principal address will be delivered by the Navy’s Secretary, Honourable Carlos Del Toro.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King will also deliver their remarks.

The ship’s sponsor is Colonel Barnum’s wife, Martha Hill, who will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across its bow.

It is being named after Harvey C. Barnum Jr., a Vietnam veteran and Medal of Honor recipient who also served as assistant secretary of the Navy.

The keel of the ship designated as DDG 124 was laid in 2021, and it is the first U.S. Navy ship to honour him and his services to his country.

He served with Company H, 2d Battalion and 9th Marine. He assumed the command after a sudden enemy attack wounded the rifle company commander. He rallied the troops and defeated the enemy while evacuating the dead and injured.

“Col. Barnum has spent his life in service to our country, and it is an honour to lay the keel of his ship,” DDG 51 class program manager Capt. Seth Miller said.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. They carry guided missiles that can be deployed against air and ground targets and engage in anti-submarine warfare.

These multi-mission ships carry out peacetime operations, provide national security and can also go into fighting mode in air, surface and subsurface domains.

References: yahoo, defense.gov, miragenews

US Navy To Christen Destroyer Ship USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr In Honour Of Vietnam Veteran appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News