Mullen to speak at destroyer christening

[unhappycamper]

Mullen to speak at destroyer christening
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 23, 2008 17:26:26 EST

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will speak Saturday at the christening of the guided missile destroyer Dewey at the Northrop Grumman shipyard in Pascagoula.

Mullen’s wife, Deborah M. Mullen, the ship’s sponsor, will break a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow.

Others scheduled to attend are Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss; Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense; and Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman’s chairman and CEO.

Dewey honors Adm. George Dewey, best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.

Dewey was born in Montpelier, Vt., on Dec. 26, 1837, and he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1858. On April 27, 1898, he sailed from China with orders to attack the Spanish at Manila Bay, Philippines. He stopped at the mouth of the bay late the night of April 30, and the next morning he gave the order to attack at first light, saying the now famous words: “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_deweychristening_080123/



uhc comment: According to Northrop Grumman, this DD-105 costs only $401,500,000 --> http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=35201