CVN 76 -- Spirit of 76 -- USS Ronald Reagan -- or Both...

Reviewing Navy aspects of USS Ronald Reagan | Dec 1, 2004 | Vanity

[topher]

The latest aircraft carrier to join the US Navy is the USS Ronald Reagan -- CVN 76. But is with the passing of the Gipper, and what that great American stood for, what might be a future slogan be for this great ship.

I think Ronnie would like it to be referred to as the Spirit of 76. And what American of the 20th Century more embodied the spirit this country was founded on -- the spirit of 1776 or the the spirit of the American Independence.

That spirit is embodied in our Declaration of Independence -- without a doubt a document that ex-President Ronald Reagan cherished as much as our Constitution.

An additional factor, and a serious factor is that this ship is based in the Pacific Ocean. It might be called on to go to Taiwan in the next crisis between Taiwan or China.

It might be called on to go to North Korea -- if conditions warrant.

And it might sail further West to take on Iran over its nuclear weapons program, or assist in the upcoming elections in Iraq.

Even the South China Sea might turn into a hot spot for the newest ship of the US Navy.

With that in mind, I think it would be a great boost to our service personnel to have the Spirit of '76 sailing abroad in harms way.

And maybe one day it will -- win one for the Gipper.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Why would you want to change it to the motto of a gas station?

[MediaMole]

FWIW, the internal network is called the "Gippernet."

[Rockingham]

Ships traditionally get their informal names from the crew: "The Big E" for the carrier Enterprise; "The Gray Lady" for the carrier Lexington; "Old Ironsides" for the sailing frigate Constitution, and so on. No knock on the name, but why tamper with a venerable tradition and try to usurp a prerogative of the crew?

[Kozak]

As much as I loved Reagan I hate the fact we are naming ships after politicians and bureaucrats. We should be using the proud old names from the Navies past ( Constitution, Constellation, Lexington, Yorktown, Hornet, Wasp , the names of States and Cities. Or martial names like the Brits ( Dreadnought, Indominable, Warrior ).

[dvwjr]

You were never in the Navy, were you...


dvwjr

[iopscusa]

I agree, name things after the people and the important defenders of all Americans who are paying the Taxes and thus the freight...USS Taxpayers. Not the public servants that we pay to rep us!

[Steve Van Doorn]

By doing this, we are just asking for a USS Clinton.

[M1thumb]

Why would you name a ship after a British general from our war for independence?

[Kozak]

The "Clinton" on it's maiden voyage

[MosesKnows]

what might be a future slogan be for this great ship.

If left alone the name will evolve on its own.