U.S.S. Gerald Ford?

[nittany03]

I am all for bringing back ship names from the past. Just like squadrons, ship names that have proud histories shouldn't be left vacant.

Also, what about John Stennis? I know he helped get senate funding for the Navy, but why is one of the most important boats in the US Navy named after him? As far as I can recall, he was a career lawyer/politician with zero military service.

The same reason there is a USS Carl Vinson, USS G.H.W. Bush, etc. Politics. Personally I think it would be better to name those after Founding Fathers. Wasn't there a USS John Hancock once upon a time? Not to mention a Benjamin Franklin? Personally I'd take a USS James Madison, Ethan Allen or Alexander Hamilton over Gerald Ford.

 

[DanMa1156]

The same reason there is a USS Carl Vinson, USS G.H.W. Bush, etc. Politics. Personally I think it would be better to name those after Founding Fathers. Wasn't there a USS John Hancock once upon a time? Not to mention a Benjamin Franklin? Personally I'd take a USS James Madison, Ethan Allen or Alexander Hamilton over Gerald Ford.

Agreed about the Founding Fathers, but George H.W. Bush was a Navy pilot shot down in WWII... was rescued by a sub. I've seen the video of it, it's pretty cool. I'll find the story somewhere...

 

[DanMa1156]

Biography of George H.W. Bush from the White House:

On his 18th birthday he enlisted in the armed forces. The youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings, he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire and was rescued from the water by a U. S. submarine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action.

 

[Gatordev]

Does the USS United States (United States Ship United States) seem a little redundant to anybody else?

There actually was a SS United States. It was the first nuclear powered cruise ship. The last time I saw it was in the mothball piers at Norfolk. Not sure what happened to it.

 

[Fly Navy]

There actually was a SS United States. It was the first nuclear powered cruise ship. The last time I saw it was in the mothball piers at Norfolk. Not sure what happened to it.

Nuclear powered cruise ship? Considering some of the crews manning today's cruise ships, I'm glad it's in mothballs...

 

[Gatordev]

http://www.ssunitedstates.org/theship.htm

Looks like it left and then came back. 44 knots. That'll get you there in a hurry (for a ship, anyway). Of course you'll be dead from the asbestos poisoning.

 

[Pugs]

There actually was a SS United States. It was the first nuclear powered cruise ship. The last time I saw it was in the mothball piers at Norfolk. Not sure what happened to it.

I think you're confusing the SS United States with the NS Savannah

http://www.radiationworks.com/NSSavannah.htm

The United States was turbines but had eight forster-wheeler boilers to provide the steam

 

[Gatordev]

Crap, that's right. I was skimming the United States' blurb and read what I wanted to read. Thanks for the correction. That's right, when I saw the Savananah she was in Charleston next to the Yorktown.

 

[Pags]

Some time back carriers were often named after famous battles. Saratoga, Lexington, Antietam. (In keeping with that, how about Chickamauga?) Don't know how we got into naming them after insects, like Hornet and Wasp.

I think the famous battles link comes from the early carriers having a cruiser heritage...as I'm sure you know, Sara and Lady Lex were supposed to be cruisers, but were finished as carriers. I've heard that that's where CV came from as well...as in Cruiser Fixed Wing following the CL and CA trend, back when carriers were intended as scout units for the battle line.

And Hornet and Wasp are traditional US warship names, dating back to the Revolutionary War.

 

[Pags]

I think you're confusing the SS United States with the NS Savannah

http://www.radiationworks.com/NSSavannah.htm

The United States was turbines but had eight forster-wheeler boilers to provide the steam

NS Savannah is tied up in the James River Dead Fleet...easily visible in the downwind at AAF Felker.

 

[OneOddGuy]

You'd better start showing some love for the man Discovery Channel declared the "Greatest American"...

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/greatestamerican.html

Oh man, this doesn't mean we are going to have a USS Oprah does it?

 

[pdx]

I think Oprah is rich enough to sponsor a warship, so it could happen. Something about calling Oprah "mother" makes me queasy.

 

[Brett327]

I think Oprah is rich enough to sponsor a warship, so it could happen. Something about calling Oprah "mother" makes me queasy.

Better than the USS Rosa Parks.

Brett

 

[skim]

USS Smackdown
USS Skim
USS WE RULE THE SCHOOL
USS VILLAGE PEOPLE (they did write a song for us)
USS DESTRO
USS BOO-YA

 

[makana]

...but Ford? Maybe I don't know all that much about him, but he was a LCDR in WWII, but other than that, what other ties does he have to the military, that another LCDR during WWII who may have served more honorably doesn't have?

Oh, I don't know...how about being the Commander in Chief? Just stating the obvious but I agree, not a carrier-worthy President.