Navy welcomes new additions to the fleet

All Hands, June, 2009 by Elizabeth Vlahos

"Man our ship and bring her to life!"

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With these words, the Navy opened two new chapters in its illustrious history with the recent commissioning of two new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS Truxtun (DDG 103).

These destroyers are able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. They can also fight air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and contain myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to apply maritime power to protect U.S. vital interests in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world.

Stockdale, commissioned at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the first ship to be named in honor of the late Adm. James Bond Stockdale, one of the Navy's greatest heroes and most decorated officers. Stockdale earned the Medal of Honor after spending 7.5 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He was also awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal and the POW Medal.

He became the highest ranked naval officer to be held as a POW when he was shot down over enemy territory. While imprisoned, he was often tortured and beaten. To prevent his captives from using him as propaganda, Stockdale slit his scalp and beat himself with a chair; he also slashed his wrists to show that he preferred death to submission.

"James Stockdale is a true American hero," said Ross Perot, one of the guest speakers for Stockdale's commissioning ceremony. "Admiral Stockdale's life can be defined by these words - patriot, guardian of our freedom, combat fighter, scholar, hero, fearless, brilliant, modest, an outstanding leader, a man of excellent integrity, outstanding husband and father and a role model for our nation."

Truxtun, commissioned at Naval Weapons Station Charleston, S.C., honors Commodore Thomas Truxtun (1755-1822) who embarked upon a seafaring career at age 12. When the U.S. Navy was initially organized, he was selected as one of its first six captains on June 4, 1798. He was assigned command of USS Constellation, one of the nation's new frigates. Truxtun put to sea to prosecute the undeclared naval war or quasi-war with revolutionary France. On Feb. 9, 1799, Truxtun achieved one of his most famous victories when Constellation battered the French warship L'Insurgente into submission in one of the most illustrious battles of the campaign.

The newest ship in the fleet shares her namesake with five previous Navy ships, and her plank owners of Truxtun will share her great naval history.

"This crew will be close for the rest of their lives," said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, who spoke at Truxtun's commissioning ceremony. "The things that they have had to do, the effort they have put into building this ship, preparing this ship for where it is today, [is] something that's brought them together in ways that ship crews don't normally have the opportunity to do.

"I had the privilege of putting an Arleigh Burke destroyer into commission in my younger days, and I know what's ahead, there is a lot of hard work, a lot of challenges, but there is also going to be tremendous satisfaction."

Stories compiled by MC2(SW) Elizabeth Vlahos

Vlahos is assigned to Defense Media Activity--Anacostia, Washington, D.C.