The Scoop Deck

Is extremism in the defense of ship names a vice?

July 27th, 2009 | Aviation Carriers Washington | Posted by Phil Ewing

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Should future Ford-class carriers continue to be named for politicians? USS Bill Clinton? USS George W. Bush? USS Arnold Schwarzenegger? // Northrop Grumman

Should future Ford-class carriers continue to be named for politicians? USS Bill Clinton? USS George W. Bush? USS Arnold Schwarzenegger? // Northrop Grumman

SteelJawScribe has a post that will send a chill down the spine of any Democrat who reads it: It’s about a resolution in Congress that calls for a future Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, either CVN-79 or CVN-80, to be named the USS Barry M. Goldwater.

To be sure, in a Congress run by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) it’s not likely to get much traction — and even if it does, Congress has opined on ship names in past and not had them implemented (pdf).

But SteelJaw makes a larger case — enough, he says, with naming carriers after politicians:

The nonsense began with CVN-70 (Vinson? Nimitz – ok, Ike, yes; but Vinson???) and reached the height of historical blindness with the Truman (honestly, naming a carrier for a president who tried his hardest to kill naval aviation, oversaw the death of the United States (CVA-58) in favor of the B-36 and generally despised naval officers?)

So how about it: What should the Navy name CVN 79 or 80? Should it continue the trend of naming ships for politicians? What should the carriers — and the Navy’s other future warships — be named?

Permalink | July 27th, 2009

Comments

  1. Jon Says:
    July 27th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    How about USS Lexington?

  2. Adam Says:
    July 27th, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    Yeah, why not go back to some old carrier names ex. Lexington, Saratoga, Valley Forge? Something with history to it.

  3. Bob Says:
    July 27th, 2009 at 6:17 pm

    Why not give tribute to those carriers that paved the way.
    USS Yorktown, USS Hornet (the most decorated carrier in WW2 and was scrapped). USS Coral Sea? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE no USS William Clinton, USS Richard Nixon or USS Barack Obama !!!!!!

  4. Spade Says:
    July 28th, 2009 at 3:04 pm

    One of those ships is replacing CVN-65. To not name one of them Enterprise would be really really stupid. To name one of them after a politician would be worse. Warner as a SSN name, Ford as a carrier

    There’s a lesson for the enlisted crews and JOs. If you happen to do something amazing and somehow get a MOH, then maybe you’ll get a destroyer named after you.
    If you manage to convince some folks to vote for you (or in Ford’s case get them to appoint you) and maybe toss some money at the Navy, then you’ll get a supercarrier or sub.

  5. Jay Says:
    July 28th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

    While you are at it, rename the REAGAN and the rest named after politicians, of all stripes…

  6. Eldon Chittenden Says:
    July 28th, 2009 at 11:43 pm

    Let the politicians find abuilding to put their name on.Name
    the next carrier the USS United States or USS America.

  7. Steeljaw Scribe Says:
    July 29th, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Thanks for the props :)

    We’ve put up a petition asking SECNAV to name the next nuclear carrier the USS ENTERPRISE:

    Whereas the namesake ENTERPRISE has been proudly borne by two combat aircraft carriers of the United States Navy;
    Whereas the first USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6) (seventh ship to bear this name) and her embarked airwing and crew gallantly fought in every major battle in the Pacific during World War Two, including the signatory battle at Midway when vastly outnumbered by the ships and planes of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet, ENTERPRISE, with YORKTOWN and HORNET struck a mortal blow, sinking four enemy aircraft carriers and turning the tide of the war in the Pacific;
    Whereas the same ENTERPRISE concluded that war as the most decorated warship in the United States Navy with 20 battle stars, a Presidential Unit Citation, a British Admiralty Pennant, Navy Unit Commendation, Philippine Presidential Unit Citation, and Task Force 16 Citation among many other accolades;
    Whereas the second United States Navy aircraft carrier to be named ENTERPRISE (CVAN/CVN-65) was the first such ship of her class in the world to be nuclear powered;
    Whereas that ENTERPRISE, the eighth ship to bear that name in the United States Navy is concluding a half-century of service to this nation and has honorably served in every theater of operations from leading the naval quarantine off Cuba in 1962 to conducting the first strikes following the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11th, 2001;

    Be It Resolved
    That the next nuclear aircraft carrier to be constructed (CVN-79) should bear the name USS ENTERPRISE in recognition and honor of the fighting men and women of the United States Navy who have sailed in her namesakes through the centuries.

    We The Undersigned:
    Call upon the Congress of the United States to remand H. CON. RES. 83 and replace it with a resolution supporting the naming of CVN-79 or the next nuclear aircraft carrier to be constructed, the USS ENTERPRISE.
    Call upon the Secretary of the Navy to support this petition of the tax-paying people of these United States and name the next nuclear aircraft carrier to be constructed the USS ENTERPRISE.

    You can sign the petition here: http://ussntrprs.epetitions.net

    Thanks!

    w/r, SJS

  8. Jeff Says:
    July 30th, 2009 at 3:34 pm

    The Navy should go back to naming ships for fish.

  9. The Scoop Deck » The politics and correctnesss of ship names Says:
    July 30th, 2009 at 5:26 pm

    [...] a previous Scoop Deck blog post, naval aviation blogger Steeljaw Scribe has taken up taken up a noble cause. A bill underway in [...]

  10. rogercabe Says:
    July 31st, 2009 at 2:50 am

    should be enterprise or yorktown,wasp. i could see a name of a person but they would have to do something special like bob hope for the armed forces not just some goverment poloction moron. should be medal of honer awards

  11. davidjcarney Says:
    October 23rd, 2009 at 8:09 pm

    During the 9/11 attacks, thousands of people managed to survive by scrambling up a stairway onto Vesey Street. Many people still view the WTC site from the Vesey Street side.

    I think the USS Vesey Street has more honor and resonance than the names of any 10 former presidents you could mention.

    And if not, one of the old aircraft carrier names, especially Enterprise, would honor ships and crews of the past.

  12. John Says:
    January 13th, 2010 at 9:51 pm

    I don’t think the Ronald Reagen will ever make it into a Tom Waits song.

  13. The Scoop Deck – The gator named for Murtha Says:
    April 14th, 2010 at 9:02 am

    [...] Ship names get people riled up! [...]

  14. @notpjorourke Says:
    October 14th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    Forget Goldwater, let’s go with the USS Donald Rumsfeld.

    At least he was a naval aviator and SECDEF (TWICE!) and considering his fight with Army brass it would be a perfect F-You to our brothers in green.

  15. Gi Says:
    May 2nd, 2011 at 11:22 am

    I understand naming a new ship to honor a previous one but why not name these by attributes of America: Freedom, Liberty, Courage, Endurance, ect…

    Stop with naming them after people who get elected. If we are going to name them after people, then the person should be a great hero who contributed to cause of the United States.

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