John F. Kennedy To Get Name On Next USS Carrier

[IDemo]

Source: digtriad.com

(US Navy)-- Sunday, the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the next Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier will be for the 35th President of the United States.

The USS John F. Kennedy, honors and pays tribute to his service in the Navy, in the government, and to the nation. "President John F. Kennedy exemplified the meaning of service, not just to country, but service to all humanity," said Mabus. "I am honored to have the opportunity to name the next aircraft carrier after this great sailor and inspirational leader, and to keep the rich tradition and history of USS John F. Kennedy sailing in the U.S. Fleet."

Born in Brookline, Mass., May 29, 1917, Kennedy graduated from Harvard in 1940 and entered the Navy in October 1941.
During World War II, Kennedy took command of PT 109 at Tulagi Island in the Solomons with a mission to intercept Japanese ships attempting to resupply their barges in New Georgia. In the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 1943, Kennedy's ship was inadvertently struck by an enemy ship and split in half. Over the course of the next six days, Kennedy led his crew members to safety and an eventual rescue. Kennedy received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for the rescue of his crew and a Purple Heart for injuries he sustained when his ship was struck. After his military service, Kennedy became a congressman representing the Boston area, he was elected to the Senate in 1953, and in 1961 became the youngest person to be elected president.

One previous ship, the USS John F. Kennedy, CV 67, was named in his honor and was decommissioned in 2007 after nearly 40 years of distinguished service, including Operation Desert Storm.
The USS John F. Kennedy and other Ford-class carriers will be the premier forward asset for crisis response and humanitarian relief and early decisive striking power in a major combat operation. The aircraft carrier and the carrier strike group will provide forward presence, rapid response, endurance on station, and multi-mission capability throughout its 50-year service life.

Read more: http://www.digtriad.com/news/national/article/177311/175/Navy-To-Name-Next-Carrier-In-Honor-Of-John-F-Kennedy

[underpants]

1. Reagan got a carrier 10 years ago --geesh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ronald_Reagan_(CVN-76)

[barbtries]

7. i think you didn't read it through

"One previous ship, the USS John F. Kennedy, CV 67, was named in his honor and was decommissioned in 2007 after nearly 40 years of distinguished service, including Operation Desert Storm."
apparently he had a ship named after him four years after he was assassinated.

edited for spelling

[SleeplessinSoCal]

47. There ought to be many more monuments to FDR. He's the anti-Reagan!

[bluestateguy]

2. I was hoping Bill Clinton would get it

They at least owe him a submarine or a destroyer. He did preside over our victory in Kosovo.

[Drale]

12. If they name a ship after Clinton, it has to be a submarine

because its big long and full of seaman.:rofl:

[dipsydoodle]

17. Which Clinton ?

:rofl:

[PCIntern]

39. DUzy!! n/t

[FarPoint]

22. Funny ...but...

sort-a-gross too.

[Very_Boring_Name]

25. I thought they didn't name them after living presidents

I could be wrong though

[Ex Lurker]

28. GHWB has one

I'm not crazy about naming them after politicians, living or otherwise, except perhaps the likes of Washington and Lincoln. John Stennis? Really? He deserves a ship named after him?

[24601]

48. With all that "going down" involving him, a sub would be best n/t

[ChrisBorg]

3. About time. nt

[DavidDvorkin]

4. Democrats are real war heroes.

[oneshooter]

Explain please? n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

18. For example, JFK, Kerry, McGovern

All performed heroically in combat. By contrast, in recent decades Republican presidents and candidates have tended to be non-combatants who posture, such as Reagan, or men who served during combat but not in combat and yet also posture, such as Little George and Nixon.

The most recent one, John McCain, dropped bombs and civilians and got himself shot down. The POW and torture experience is a separate matter.

[Muskypundit]

23. Im not seeing it.

Because george sr was a war hero. You can go on and on and drag people from both parties who skipped wars, or fought heroically. Which is a lot more credit than people give democrats in the first place.

[DavidDvorkin]

30. George Sr's. war heroism is doubtful

From what I've read, he panicked and jumped from his plane, leaving his comrades to die when it crashed.

Democrats don't go in for mythologizing their candidates the way the GOP does.

[davepc]

31. And Kennedy fucked up and got his boat sunk out from under him

Didn't stop the myth makers from turning it into a tale of glory and valor.

Kennedy deserves the honor anyways.

[newspeak]

59. because Kennedy aided in getting his crew to safety

I read the story about Poppy * leaving his crew. Also, read a story about his dad during WWI-apparently wrote a letter home to his family on how he was awarded numerous medals. Well, the town came to greet him, but whoops, apparently not the medals he stated.

We have a media that creates their own characters. Little Boots, party hearty frat boy who had never seen the horrors of war, but loved to play dress up and send others. The media created a likable fellow y'all just would want to have a beer with, a cowboy, down home type living on a ranch he bought before the election. A cowboy type apparently afraid of horses. Then there's five deferment Cheney, he had more important things to do, but he loves him some war, especially if it means profits. There is nothing tough about killing a bunch of almost domesticated birds and "accidentally" shooting someone.

This country makes heroes into villains and villains into heroes. Now Kerry was a hero and his crew stood for him in the election-a very complicit media and big bucks gave the swift boat liars every opportunity to spread their shite against him. And Kerry had every right to face congress and tell them that Vietnam was fekked up. I was sickened by the purple heart band aids.

George McGovern was done in by the likes of Atwater. Planting a false letter and apparently apologizing after the election. I read McGovern wept. When you vilify someone with knowing lies, you are killing them, you are killing their reputation and making light of their sacrifices, especially to this country.

You think our students are reading any history about Gen. Smedley Butler, one of the most decorated military officers in the history of this country? Exposing the "business plot" against FDR-he should be a damn hero up there with our forefathers-but no, those same families, businesses who plotted and financed ones such as Hitler, evidently are still running the game.

[TheDebbieDee]

44. This is the story that I have as well..........

He left his crewmen to die on that plane because he panicked and bailed too soon.

If only he'd bailed on Barbara a little sooner, we may have never gotten W foisted on us!

[rfranklin]

32. Bush Sr. bailed and left his crewmen to burn to death...

Chester Mierzejewski, an old war buddy of Bush, who said he was angered by the "false assertions" made by candidate Bush when describing the incident, gave a different account.

After 44 years of silence, Mierzejewski, who also was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, told the New York Post that Bush had abandoned his crew to death when there was another choice.

He said he was approximately 100 feet in front of Bush's plane as the turret gunner for Squadron Commander Douglas Melvin's plane, "so close he could see in the cockpit" of Bush's bomber. Mierzejewski's close wartime buddy was one of the two crew members in Bush's plane.

According to Mierzejewski, the squadron was in a tight-formation bombing raid against a Japanese radio installation on an island reported to be heavily fortified. He saw "a puff of smoke" come from Bush's plane which quickly disappeared and was certain only one man parachuted from the plane and that it was Bush, the pilot.

Mierzejewski said the Avenger torpedo bomber was engineered so that it could successfully crash land on water and that Bush doomed his own crew by bailing out and leaving the bomber out of control.
http://www.usvetdsp.com/story46.htm

[EFerrari]

50. Come on. Shrub defended Texas from the Viet Cong. n/t

[Mopar151]

5. Freepers will wig out anyway....

But I don't think we'll be seeing the USS Nixon or USS G W Bush anytime soon.

[Octafish]

6. Made my Memorial Day!

Thank you, United States Navy!

[Historic NY]

21. +10

[msongs]

8. how bout we save the $24 billion and not build another one?

[Sherman A1]

10. Agreed

[SoapBox]

13. Ditto.

[Plucketeer]

16. I'm for that!

This next one should be something like the USS Infrastucture, or USS SS or USS Medicare - any of those alternatives we could throw $24 Billon at! :think:

[bbinacan]

24. 24 billion?

Where'd you get that number?

[davepc]

34. 374 million

who needs facts

[Thor_MN]

57. If you see one at $374M, buy it. It's real cost is $13.5 Billion.

http://nosint.blogspot.com/2010/04/gerald-r-ford-class-carrier-costs-jump.html

The Navy's estimated cost to build three Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers rose $5.4 billion, or 15.5 percent, since September 2008, according to a new Defense Department report

Built at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News shipyard, the three carriers now will cost a combined $40.5 billion, up from $35.1 billion in 2008, the report said.

[Faygo Kid]

9. About time.

I am not pro-military spending, but JFK had the right stuff. If you're going to build another aircraft carrier, it's about time one was named for him.

[Sherman A1]

11. You do know that one already has been named for JFK?

It was retired a few years ago.

[NavyDem]

14. About time?

USS John F Kennedy (CVA 67)
Commissioned: 7 September 1968
Decommissioned: 1 August 2007

This will be the second carrier named after JFK.

[Faygo Kid]

20. I didn't know that. Thanks.

[bongbong]

15. Ironic

Some times TPTB have a sense of ironic humor, as well as their always-present mega-chutzpah. Ford was on the Warren (Cover Up) Commission, and they're going to name a Ford class carrier after JFK.

[mckara]

19. The Announcement on JFK's Birthday! Coincidence?

[JackRiddler]

26. Whoever gets murdered by this monstrosity is going to be thrilled!

[Viking 1]

27. I could have SWORN.....

...there's already been a carrier named after JFK

[davepc]

33. CV-67

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_John_F._Kennedy_%28CV-67%29

[madamesilverspurs]

29. This would be better news

were it accompanied by the scrubbing of the names Bush and Reagan from naval vessels.

-

[ClarkUSA]

35. Cesar Chavez, now JFK... it's nice to have a Democratic POTUS and administration in power.

Fuck the Teabagger Congress and recess-appointment blocking Senate Republicans! I hope they choke on this news.

[pscot]

36. Just what we need

Another aircraft carrier.

[AtheistCrusader]

38. Should cut a political deal on it.

Ok, you can have another fucking carrier, but we're closing 50 foreign military bases to pay for it.

[dogmoma56]

37. surprising he actually got that, all things are Ronald Reagan here on Planet REAGAN

[Anakin Skywalker]

42. LOL. I was thinking the same thing.

[jberryhill]

40. The Jackie O Sails Again

I don't think many people get that there was a prior USS JFK which, I am told, was affectionately known as the Jackie O by some of her crew.

[Odin2005]

41. I find it sick that we "honor" people by putting their name on WAR MACHINES.

[Anakin Skywalker]

43. You are just jealous cause you don't get your name on a War Machine. ;-)

*just teasing*

[zappaman]

45. Great news!

In 2 years, it will be 50 years since a piece of crap named Lee Harvey Oswald killed a great man and changed history...most likely for the worst.
Sucks to think how things would be different if LHO had stayed home that day.
RIP John.

[RoccoR5955]

46. Does this country really NEED another carrier?

I think that the country that spends more money on its military than the rest of the world combined, does not need another one of the most expensive ships on the planet. What with the financial problems in the US, and the need to cut budget items that actually provide service to actual human beings, there is no talk of cutting the budget of the largest military on the planet.

How many people could be fed, educated, have their health care taken care of, houses kept from foreclosure for the price of this monstrosity?

I don't care if they named it after my grandmother, we simply do not need another carrier. It's just too expensive, and not needed.

[davepc]

53. We dont, but the building is planned to maintain the force, not expand it

They have one planned to roll off the assembly line in sync when they retire the old ones.

[RoccoR5955]

58. You don't get my point, do you?

We need to CUT military spending. This means FEWER carriers, fewer tanks, planes, subs, and other military boondoggles.

[davepc]

60. Just convince the congressmen of the districts where these things are built they dont need the jobs

and then they'll probably find a better use for the money in the federal budget.

You could try convincing the Navy brass that they don't need as big a budget as the Army, but even if they agree with you Congress will make them buy it anyways.

[craigmatic]

49. It's about damn time. I thought they already did this years ago. How about the USS Jimmy Carter?

Have they done that one yet or are they still playing politics?

[IDemo]

51. See #11, 14, 33 and 40 above

This is actually the second carrier named after JFK.

Carter was a submarine guy if I recall and a nuclear sub was named after him a while back -> http://navysite.de/ssn/ssn23.htm

[davepc]

54. The most advanced sub in the Navy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jimmy_Carter_%28SSN-23%29

[provis99]

55. good grief.

Is there anything more useless than an attack submarine? I think we've still got about 50 of the Los Angeles class subs, all ready to attack Soviet ships.

The whole attack submarine fleet should be scrapped.

[Confusious]

56. A book in the hands of a republican

you asked. :)

[hourglass1]

52. i wonder

as medicare and ssi is attacked and bridges fall, i wonder if jfk would be honored by this? ford-class carriers the premier forward asset, eh?

[gauguin57]

61. And when the world is flooded in 2012, it'll be the JFK that crushes the White House. Saw that film!

Here's the scene from "2012"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Myq-3sxZEhc