# To the U.S. Navy - the USS John P. Murtha is going way too far. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 15, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219 "2010-04-15T15:42:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/61 "2010-04-15T20:32:04Z")
Wait, is Murtha even alive? I thought that he had died recently. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/62 "2010-04-15T20:37:32Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I think that this thread really should be supervised by the GSV Experiencing A Significant Gravitas Shortfall. _I Blame Your Mother._ ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/63 "2010-04-15T20:59:20Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He served in the Marines for almost 40 years. If that’s not career, I don’t know what is. He also served in Vietnam and received a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He didn’t just give some token service. He was hardcore. > > He was also the first Vietnam Vet elected to the House of Representatives, by the way, which is a unique distinction all by itself. I wondered when someone would mention this. He was a _highly decorated_ career Marine officer, then a politician of note. He _was_ a hero. If a ship that’s going to carry, uh, Marines, can’t be named after a dead, heroic career Marine with an important second career in politics, then…I don’t know what criteria you go by. I don’t get the outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/64 "2010-04-15T21:15:19Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > I don’t get the outrage. Perhaps you’re not aware that he was a Democrat. For someone like Moto that’s all the reason in the world. It angers him so much he’s willing to ditch the Gerald Ford and the George HW Bush. But he decided to not offer up the St. Ronnie. It’s like trading baseball cards, dontcha know? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/65 "2010-04-15T21:18:11Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I’ve always found it particularly distasteful to name things after persons who are still alive. Me, too. It reeks of Banana Republic or old-style Soviet Block. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/66 "2010-04-15T21:23:19Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Perhaps you’re not aware that he was a Democrat. For someone like Moto that’s all the reason in the world. > > It angers him so much he’s willing to ditch the Gerald Ford and the George HW Bush. > > But he decided to not offer up the St. Ronnie. It’s like trading baseball cards, dontcha know? > > -Joe I’m aware of that. It shouldn’t matter a whit. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/67 "2010-04-15T22:53:49Z")
I agree you should take a page out of the Royal Navy’s book. Even if [your ships are a little bit bigger than ours](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/USS_John_C._Stennis_%28CVN-74%29_%26_HMS_Illustrious_%28R_06%29.jpg), badass names are what counts. Like [the HMS Vengeance.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Vengeance_%28S31%29) You know there’s no messing about when your enemy sends something named after the concept of vengeance after you. Much better than a politician. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/68 "2010-04-15T23:11:37Z")
And the informal winner of the most badass ship name in the thread about them was [HMS Warspite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warspite). ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/69 "2010-04-15T23:16:09Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I agree you should take a page out of the Royal Navy’s book. Even if [your ships are a little bit bigger than ours](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/USS_John_C._Stennis_%28CVN-74%29_%26_HMS_Illustrious_%28R_06%29.jpg), badass names are what counts. Like [the HMS Vengeance.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Vengeance_%28S31%29) You know there’s no messing about when your enemy sends something named after the concept of vengeance after you. **Much better than a politician**. Or a decorated warrior with the misfortune to have a goofy, non-fear-inspiring name? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/70 "2010-04-15T23:26:43Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Or a decorated warrior with the misfortune to have a goofy, non-fear-inspiring name? I see your goofy non-fear-inspiring name and raise you the [HMS Devastation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Devastation_%281871%29)…and [HMS Sovereign](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sovereign_%28S108%29) (the vanguard of enemy destruction). Although to be fair we do name ships after the Royal family every now and again. You’d think owning the ship would be enough… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/71 "2010-04-15T23:36:08Z")
Are you saying we’re only now crossing the line? Because the [USNS Bob Hope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USNS_Bob_Hope_(T-AKR-300)) was launched back in 1997. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/72 "2010-04-15T23:40:21Z")
There will never be a better name than Dreadnought. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/73 "2010-04-15T23:43:04Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I’d like to see: > > USS Buttafuoco > USS The Situation > **USS Lewinsky** “She’s going down!” ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/74 "2010-04-15T23:56:56Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > Although to be fair we do name ships after the Royal family every now and again. You’d think owning the ship would be enough… The HMS Nazi? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/75 "2010-04-15T23:58:28Z")
I’ll agree that: 1. U.S. military ships or boats, as with U.S. stamps, should not be named after living people. 2. Murtha is, in fact, dead. 3. One would think that **Mr. Moto** would be delighted. Murtha was a Marine D. I.; a Vietnam veteran; and a Congressman who, throughout his 36 years in the House not only shoveled money at the military, but also was pro-NRA and anti-abortion and pro-draft. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/76 "2010-04-16T00:00:51Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I’ll agree that: > > 1. U.S. military ships or boats, as with U.S. stamps, should not be named after living people. > 2. Murtha is, in fact, dead. > 3. One would think that **Mr. Moto** would be delighted. Murtha was a Marine D. I.; a Vietnam veteran; and a Congressman who, throughout his 36 years in the House not only shoveled money at the military, but also was pro-NRA and anti-abortion and pro-draft. And it really doesn’t make sense since **Mr. Moto** would not have been one of those people who only ever heard of Murtha after he had his set-to with Mean Jean Schmidt in the House over Iraq. Someone from Pittsburgh should certainly have pretty good knowledge of Murtha from way back. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/77 "2010-04-16T00:03:08Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Actually, ships of that class have all been named after cities or counties, so a better choice would have been not naming it after a person at all. This to me is all that needs to be said. I LIKED Murtha as a politician (as much as I like any of 'em), and this is still wrong. LPDs are named after US Cities, dammit. At least San Antonio-class LPDs are. I was just as annoyed when they started naming Nimitz-class CVNs after politicians instead of admirals/generals. ETA: I’d’ve been perfectly happy, considering his veteran status, at a Perry-class frigate, Zumwalt-class destroyer, or Burke-class destroyer being named after him, come to think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/78 "2010-04-16T00:20:24Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > I was just as annoyed when they started naming Nimitz-class CVNs after politicians instead of admirals/generals. Seven out of ten are named for presidents, and only the first one (of ten, so far) was named after an admiral. (Why, in heaven’s name, would the Navy name a ship after a general? Are there even any named after Marine generals?) That’s fine by me, except that two of the former presidents were still living at the time the ship was named. I’ll note, in fairness, that I have the same objection to the submarine named after Jimmy Carter. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/79 "2010-04-16T00:26:35Z")
> [@Terraplane](#): > > Even worse is when they use the full name with initials. USS Murtha isn’t a great name but I like it better than USS John P. Murtha. Seriously, I wish they’d stop that. It’s just gross. It’s the least euphonious way to name a thing you can imagine. Do other countries do that? My dad served in Korea on the USS John W. Thomasson, which is a dumbass name for a boat. Don’t tell him I said “boat”. ETA - I don’t think anybody’s arguing with the fact that the Brits have the best ship names. No other country is even in the running. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219/80 "2010-04-16T00:35:23Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I hear that once, this particular ship’s commander had trained the seagulls to catch small fish for him in exchange for a share of the larger fish he would catch using the little fish off the bow of the ship in its downtime. One time, the seagull’s wife asked why he was so excited at the beginning of the day and he told her it was the commander’s day to fish and said: > > Wooo! I’m Master Baiting like a Murtha Flocker! Nice. Or horrid, depending. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-u-s-navy-the-uss-john-p-murtha-is-going-way-too-far/536219.md?page=5)