Special
release from the U.S. Department of Defense
January 14, 2004
The newest Arleigh Burke
class guided-missile destroyer, Halsey (DDG 97) will be
christened on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2004, during a 10 a.m. CDT
ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss.
Adm. William J. Fallon,
commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, will deliver the
ceremony's principal address in concert with the Honorable Haley
Barbour, Governor of Mississippi. Heidi Cooke Halsey, Anne
Halsey-Smith, and Alice "Missy" Spruance Talbot will
serve as sponsors of the ship named for their grandfather. In
the time-honored Navy tradition, they will break the bottle of
champagne across the bow to formally christen Halsey.
DDG 97 honors U.S. Naval
Academy graduate Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr. (1882-1959). During
World War I, Cmdr. Halsey was awarded the Navy Cross for his
actions while in command of USS Benham and USS Shaw during
convoy escort duties. Designated a naval aviator in 1935 at the
age of 52, he took command of USS Saratoga from 1935 until 1937.
In February 1942, then Vice Adm. Halsey, while serving as
commander, Carrier Division Two aboard the flagship USS
Enterprise, led the first counter-strikes of World War II
against the Japanese with carrier raids on the Gilbert and
Marshall Islands. Later that year, his task force launched the
famous "Doolittle Raid" against targets on the
Japanese homeland. Assigned as commander, South Pacific Force
and South Pacific Area on Oct. 18, 1942, Halsey led the Navy,
Marine Corps, and Army forces that conquered the strategically
important Solomon Islands. Subsequently as commander, Third
Fleet, his task forces consistently won hard fought victories
during campaigns in the Philippines, Okinawa, and other islands.
Nicknamed "Bull" Halsey, he embodied his slogan, "hit
hard, hit fast, hit often." On Dec. 11, 1945, he became the
fourth officer to hold the rank of fleet admiral. One previous
ship has been named Halsey (1963-1994), which earned eight
battle stars for Vietnam Service in addition to a Navy Unit
Commendation and a Meritorious Unit commendation, and
participated in contingency operations in Korean waters (1969-
1971) and in the Indian Ocean (1980).
Halsey is the 47th ship of 62
Arleigh Burke class destroyers currently authorized by Congress.
This highly capable multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of
operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea
control and power projection, in support of the National
Military Strategy. Halsey will be capable of fighting air,
surface, and subsurface battles simultaneously. The ship
contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to
support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.
Cmdr. James L. Autrey, of
Moore, Okla., will become the first commanding officer of the
ship with a crew of approximately 32 officers and 348 enlisted.
The 9,300-ton Halsey is being built by Northrop-Grumman Ship
Systems, and is 509.5 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59
feet, an overall beam of 66.5 feet, and a navigational draft of
31.9 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to
speeds in excess of 30 knots.
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