The Scoop Deck

A name for DDG 1002

November 20th, 2009 | Blogs Chiefs Historical Science and technology Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing

CPF08-25 Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (Newport News file)

What should the third Zumwalt-class destroyer be named? // Northrop Grumman

Maybe it’s that a three-hull class of advanced ships raises the stakes. Maybe it’s that there will be so many Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that they all start to blend together. Or maybe it’s that, with 51 more littoral combat ships that will carry only names of  “medium-sized town names” (for now, anyway) people are worried they’re running out of ships to name for heroes.

Whatever the reason, people have been going after the as-yet unnamed third and last Zumwalt-class destroyer, DDG 1002, with name suggestions. Not just any Navy ship — DDG 1002.

An early one was “Robert A. Heinlein,” for the science fiction author. But one Navy Times reader rejected that and instead recommended “Ernest E. Evans,” for the legendary captain of the destroyer Johnston. The latest recommendation, according to an email making the rounds on a particularly salty distribution list, is “Delbert D. Black,” for the first master chief petty officer of the Navy.

Scoop Deck was cc’d on that email, which pointed to this blog post laying out the whole case. The Navy has plenty of ships named for chiefs of naval operations, writes blogger Chris Garett, but it needs to start according the same honor to its MCPONs, starting with Black.

What do you think? Would you pick Heinlein, Evans or Black for DDG 1002, or a different name altogether?

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Permalink | November 20th, 2009

Comments

  1. Greg "Gunner" Stitz Says:
    November 20th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

    Gotta go with Robert Anson Heinlein. Visionary’s name for a visonary ship. Evans and Black would both be great names for DDG-51s…

  2. philbob Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 5:38 pm

    I would like to contiue the pattern of naming it after men who fell in the global war on terror, like Michael Murphy, and Jason Dunham, and Michael Monsoor. I would personally like to see Ross A. McGinnis honored even though he was in the army.

  3. Eldon Chittenden Says:
    November 21st, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    Ernest Evans would an appropriate name for the DDG1002.
    Read The Last Stand of The Tincans.

  4. Spade Says:
    November 23rd, 2009 at 11:11 am

    Well, since the Navy has decided to whore out the Carriers (and some subs) to the politicians, how about Ranger, Yorktown, Ticonderoga, Enterprise (since she’s going away), or any of the other classic names the Navy has but doesn’t seem to think mean anything anymore?

  5. philbob Says:
    November 23rd, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    Im for names honoring the veitnam war also

    Khe Sahn anyone?

  6. Hero Says:
    January 7th, 2010 at 4:38 pm

    USS Robert Anson Heinlein!

  7. Ron Savino Says:
    January 12th, 2010 at 10:43 am

    How about two US Marines who were awarded the Medal of Honor for their service in Vietnam – Tommy Noonan and Robert O’Malley who was the first Marine in Vietnam to be awarded the Medal of Honor. It’s a shame these two heroes have not been honored by our nation and Naval service.

  8. Bruce Salisbury Says:
    January 30th, 2010 at 9:49 pm

    There is a request in the pipeline to SECNAV to name a ship for an Orphan Marine Medal Of Honor Recipient named LCpl Kenneth Lee Worley. He died in Combat in Vietnam in 1968 and was some three years later awarded the Medal.
    To see his remarkable story just type his name into internet.
    Yes! Lets have Ships named for heroes. We can have buildings, highways, bridges, parks and such named to honor our politicians.

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