Posted on 07/16/2002 8:00:44 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
NEWPORT NEWS -- When the band had finished its last notes and the blue-and-white tide of VIP suits and Navy brass had receded from the stage and even the media crowd was looking for the nearest exit, submarine welder John Fremont remained planted Friday where he stood.Only moments before, he had been the center of attention as he welded the initials of first lady Laura Welch Bush on a steel plate destined to be a permanent piece of the Texas, one of the nation's newest attack subs under construction at Northrop Grumman Newport News.
Such is the modern twist on a tradition that dates to Phoenician times. Centuries ago - even decades ago - shipbuilders marked the beginning a ship by laying the keel. They would choose someone special to sponsor the ship and carve that person's initials in the wood.
Now they have metal. Instead of a keel, they have modular units.
And now they get someone like Fremont to weld the initials of someone like Laura Bush into a new warship like the Texas.
What a logical choice of welder and patron. Both are from the state for which the sub is named, a fact that did not escape Mrs. Bush.
"I want to thank John Fremont, a native Texan, who's going to weld my initials into permanence," she told the crowd of slightly less than 1,000 that attended the ceremony.
Fremont, whose 6-foot-3 frame towered over many in the room, straightened his spine.
Mrs. Bush may live in Washington and Fremont may live in Fox Hill, but as the first lady put it, "If you're born in Texas, you're always a little bit Texan."
And while the Texas attack submarine may be born in Newport News, it carries a name that needs some living up to.
"Texans love to brag," Mrs. Bush said. "It's one of our favorite pastimes. If something is newer, bigger and better, then it must be from Texas."
The first lady seemed to have little doubt the submarine would do her home state proud. "In the Texas vernacular," she said, "this ship will be bigger and better than anything, anywhere."
Well, leave it to a native Texan to exaggerate. While the 377-foot submarine will be longer than other U.S. attack subs out in the oceans, the previous class of subs, the Seawolf, is much wider and, overall, larger.
But it's what's going inside the submarine that will be, in the first lady's words - "better than anything."
It's going to include better sonar equipment, advanced weapons and an ability to do covert work unlike any other sub, with special compartments and additions for SEAL teams and other special forces.
It's that ability to do covert work that makes the Texas and its sister Virginia-class ships so valuable to the country's fight against terrorism. As Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, told the crowd at Friday's ceremony, "This boat is the highest possible symbol of technology... to take the battle to the enemy."
Thanks to the sub's stealth capabilities, Warner said, the Texas will be able to go to the world's darkest corners.
Or, as U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark put it, "To the men and women of Newport News, I ask that you build us a ship that can go in harm's way. That's exactly what we intend to do. She will take the fight to our enemies."
That's not going to happen, though, until 2005, when the shipyard delivers the Texas. Between now and then the yard and its sub-building partner - General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp. - have about half a sub to complete.
On Friday, though, the work halted, if only for a bit, as Laura Bush etched her initials into a steel plate with a screech like nails on chalkboard.
By doing so, Sen. Warner said, she agreed to "take into her bosom the safety and welfare of crews who will sail this mighty ship."
Then Fremont put on his goggles, gloves and safety helmet. He picked up his welding torch and fired it up.
Only the day before, he explained the secret of a good weld. "Think of the molten puddle as a glass of water. You want it smooth and level."
Later, he'd recall the thoughts that ran through his head as he was welding. "I hope everything goes smooth. I hope everything goes fine."
His biggest concern, he'd say later, would be that the equipment would malfunction. "That can happen around here."
He finished off the "LWB" to applause and the sound of the Navy band. The first lady, Sen. Warner and Northrop Grumman Newport News President Thomas Schievelbein posed for pictures. Then the hoopla was over.
But Fremont remained. He took off his safety helmet and glasses and put back on his own specs. He stood and studied his work and the faintest hint of a smile tightened across his face. Then he straightened up his work area - no professional shipyard welder would leave his place messy. He picked up the special aprons and safety helmets left by the dignitaries and neatly tucked them under his arm.
Now, the day's welding job was done.
Staff writer Terry Scanlon contributed to this report.
Back in WW II, when we had a 1000+ ship Navy, it was easy...BB's were named for states, CV's carried the names of historic US Navy ships ( Lexington, Enterprize, Hornet) cruisers were named for cities, and subs were named for fish....
But at least, we aren't gonna get the USS Bubba, or the USS Slick...maybe, if the Navy evey builds a "honey ship" to pump out the heads from the fleet, we can name it the USS Bill Clinton..
AB
On a pirate ship, they'd wait until ye were asleep and quietly slit yer gizzard. Arrrh!
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