Reply With QuoteA ship named for someone who hated his Navy service,as the absolute worst time of his life
Good Job Sec Nav, pander much?
USNS Cesar Chavez Christened, Launched
The Navy's newest ship was christened Saturday evening on Cinco de Mayo in honor of the late Mexican-American labor leader Cesar Chavez. With the crack of a champagne bottle, Chavez's widow christened the USNS Cesar Chavez.
More:http://www.10news.com/news/31017957/detail.html
Fair winds and following seas USNS Chavez.
http://navaltoday.com/2012/05/04/us-...munition-ship/
A ship named for someone who hated his Navy service,as the absolute worst time of his life
Good Job Sec Nav, pander much?
Lots of other Sailors or Marines way more deserving.
As for the naming convention, one cannot deny that Cesar Chavez, Medgar Evers, and Harvey Milk had made significant contributions towards American Civil Rights and justice. They were also military Veterans.
As for the USNS Chavez, given the pivot towards East Asia with fewer bases, the USNS Chavez will be invaluable. We need more of these vessels to sustain our fleet for long periods at sea. Especially the LCS which has limited capability and fewer bases for re-tasking of roles.
Ordie is correct in that class of ship is very important to maintaing forces afloat.
The SEC of the Navy named this ship long before it was decided to stop politicizing the names of ships..
The best name on this class of ships, which are named for American pioneers, is USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7)
The other names of this class;
Lewis and Clark
Sacagawea
Alan Shepard
Richard E. Byrd
Robert E. Peary
Amelia Earhart
Carl Brashear
Wally Schirra
Matthew Perry
Charles Drew
Washington Chambers
William McLean
Medgar Evers
Cesar Chavez
He's got a point in calling it the "two worst years of my life" since the only jobs open to his ethnicity were the menial rates. Remember the services back then restricted which jobs were available based on race/ethnicity.Originally Posted by LineDoggie
-afallan1
I can appreciate that he believed in equality and all that. But naming a vessel after someone who hated the Navy seems a bit, off.
As BD Popeye said, this class of ships were named after American pioneers.
the Navy restricted Mexicans in WWII? Army and Marine Corps didnt.
They stopped politicizing the names of ships? When?The SEC of the Navy named this ship long before it was decided to stop politicizing the names of ships..
Personally I wish the Navy had a naming system that made as much sense as it did in WWII. Of course we don't have battleships anymore, but somehow naming subs after states doesn't have the same weight. Any case, at least back then you knew what kind of ship it was just by its name.
I agree 100%.Personally I wish the Navy had a naming system that made as much sense as it did in WWII. Of course we don't have battleships anymore, but somehow naming subs after states doesn't have the same weight. Any case, at least back then you knew what kind of ship it was just by its name.
At least this is what SecNAV Mabus claims.. This was published in February 2012..click the link for the full article.They stopped politicizing the names of ships? When?
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...tion/?page=all
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, under fire from Congress and veterans for naming ships after fellow Democrats and social activists, plans to announce another round of ship names in the near future that will be more traditional, a Pentagon official tells The Washington Times.
The official said Mr. Mabus has chosen names for five surface ships - three for war heroes and two for locations. Ships typically are named after states and cities.
“I think they would be more consistent with what most people would say traditions and naming conventions are,” the official said.
Asked whether this was a response to criticism, the official said: “It isn’t. I think if you look at these five additional ships, I think you’ll see examples that are very traditional.” The official said three ships would be named after highly decorated Navy or Marine Corps personnel.
Mr. Mabus, a former Mississippi governor, broke with Navy conventions in the past three years when he named an amphibious ship, two cargo ships and a littoral combat ship after two social activists and two fellow Democrats.
“The Navy’s ship-naming process remains the subject of criticism based on several recent decisions,” Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican, wrote to Mr. Mabus on Tuesday. He said there are still opportunities “for the Navy to show its intent to uphold the integrity and tradition of this process.”
Mr. Hunter, who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq as a Marine Corps officer, renewed his recommendation that the Navy name a ship after a war hero, the late Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta.
Sgt. Peralta received the Navy Cross for valor in smothering the blast of a grenade with his body during a 2004 raid in Fallujah, Iraq. Congress‘ 2012 budget bill urged the Navy to name a ship after him.
For years, Congress has taken a keen interest in ship-naming, an honor that travels in deployments around the world and sometimes into battle. The power to name ships resides solely with the Navy secretary.
“There have been exceptions to the Navy’s ship-naming rules, particularly for the purpose of naming a ship for a person when the rule for that type of ship would have called for it to be named for something else,” according to a Congressional Research Service report in March.
“Some observers in recent years have perceived a breakdown in, or corruption of, the rules for naming Navy ships.”
Lawmakers have begun to closely monitor Mr. Mabus‘ choice of names.
In December, senators added language to the defense budget bill that directs the defense secretary to submit a report to Congress on the process it uses for naming ships. The bill asks whether the Navy has detoured from historical practices and, if so, why.
“There have been a number of controversial ship-namings recently, and one way to deal with that is to have more input and to think more clearly about who we are going to name Navy vessels after,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Mabus defended his selections.
“The secretary of the Navy’s office receives hundreds of letters and suggestions each year from citizens, military retirees, members of Congress, industry and others recommending names for U.S. Navy ships,” Capt. Pamela Kunze said.
“The Navy appreciates the interest of all who participate in the ship-naming process, and all inputs are given careful consideration. Naming ships after people or places which represent the American spirit or the tremendous dedication and sacrifice made by those in and out of uniform is an honor and a privilege which is taken very seriously.
“Throughout the 200 years secretaries of the Navy have been naming ships, there have always been exceptions to naming conventions for various ship classes. Generally speaking, names are chosen to honor individuals who have displayed uncommon commitment, service or courage, or to recognize geographic locations or traits representative of American values.”
Mr. Mabus has drawn criticism in the namings of three ships.
The good news is he named LHA-7 USS Tripoli, an excellent choice.
Good article, thanks.
Would it really be so hard to say no naming of ships after politicians? Including Presidents. (Washington excepted.)
Smaller Navy and political qui-pro-quos.
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