Posted on 06/14/2006 8:53:02 PM PDT by ASA Vet
U.S.S. Gerald Ford
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Ronald Reagan has an airport named in his honor, as does John Kennedy.
Now we find former President Gerald Ford will apparently have a more mobile tribute.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has struck upon the idea to call the first of
a new class of nuclear powered aircraft carriers the U.S.S. Gerald Ford.
Michigan Senator Carl Levin is the ranking Democrat, he and committee chair John Warner
made the addition to the national defense authorization act.
Levin says it speaks to the respect given to Fords' work in healing the nation,
and bringing together factions for common causes. The President's spokeperson Penny Circle
says the Ford family has no statement at this time about the potential honor.
Gerald Ford earned the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with nine engagement stars
for operations in the Gilbert Islands, Bismark Archipelego, Marshal Islands, Asiatic and Pacific carrier raids,
Hollandia, Marianas, Western Carolines, Western New Guinea, and the Leyte Operation.
He also received the Philippine Liberation with two bronze stars for Leyte and Mindoro,
as well as the American Campaign and World War II Victory Medals.
On 3 October 1945, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.
He was released from active duty under honorable conditions on 23 February 1946.
On 28 June 1963, the Secretary of the Navy accepted Ford's resignation from the Naval Reserve.
Source: Naval service of Gerald Ford
Lets go back to traditional names of carriers.
Hope it won't always run into things like its namesake.
I agree..Wasp, Hornet, Yorktown, Lexington, Ticonderoga..names that scream history..
you mean we should strip the names Eisenhower and Reagan and Kennedy off those carriers?
to be honest, this carrier should have been re-upped for JFK - since the current oil fired one is going to be decomissioned.
I agree.
It could have been worse. They could have recommended naming it the USS B J Clinton.
If we're going to use the name of a carrier currently in service, it should be Enterprise as CVN-79 will be replacing CVN-65.
CVN-80 will be the U.S.S. William Jefferson Clinton. Mark my words. You heard it hear first. That is part of the deal.
that is also a good idea.
Good thing there isn't a carrier named after Jimmuh Carter. I know that the Carter is a submarine, but it should be out of view most of the time.
Just great.
I wonder how many jets will trip over the arresting wires?
Let me guess ...
They will call it the "W.I.N. Button"
Is this going to be a Sea-Going version of "F-Troop?"
While I like "traditional" names for carriers better, I have no problem with a ship named for a decent man like Ford.
Clinton, on the other hand...
I can't stand Levin, but this is a nice gesture. Good on him.
Hey, there may be some utility in an aircraft carrier that beans our enemies with golfballs.
Time for him to receive an honorary spot in the College Hall of Fame or something.
If we're going to be naming carriers after presidents, we should name one after Chester Arthur, who started the modern US Navy, Herbert Hoover, who upgraded our battle fleet, or William McKinley, who successfully sent our fleet into combat.
He was the right guy for a wrong time - Reagan horrified most Repubs back in '76, and Carter was just inevitable.
If he's able, I wouldn't mind seeing him speak at the Convention in 2008. A good guy, the last of the Country Clubbers, and a pretty decent congressman.
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