I’m waiting for the USS Robert S. McNamara.
I’m fond of the name USS Esses.
I’m happy that the Lincoln sailors get to go home, but has anyone asked how the crew of the Washington feel about this? “Hey, guys, you’re on your way to an assignment that caused untold misery for the crew of the previous ship. Don’t know how long you’ll be there, but when things get awful enough to make the news, we’ll start looking for another carrier to come take your place.”
From your description, it sounds like the Washington was in the middle of a deployment when they got the call to head to the Strait of Hormuz. That means the crew has already put in weeks or months at sea, and the ship didn’t have a chance to stock up on soap and all the other things the Lincoln ran out of. In six months, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start hearing about the crew of the Washington trying to jump overboard.
This is the first thing that I thought.
Much as it disgusts me, TFG is going to get an aircraft carrier named after him. With only a few exceptions, they’re named after former presidents nowadays. They’ve never been named after living former presidents, so there’s always some hope for a silver lining if it’s built on schedule (wink wink nudge nudge).
What’s truly ironic though is the speculation that CVN-81 will be renamed after TFG comes from his executive order linked in the CNN article where he is directing the Navy to look into redesigning CVN-81 to remove the electromagnetic catapults and replace them with steam, and does not use the name Doris Miller, instead only referring to the ship as CVN-81:
Sec. 2. Restoring Steam and Hydraulic Systems to Carriers. Within 60 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of War, in consultation with the Secretary of the Navy, shall provide to the President, through the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), a plan on the required measures to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators with steam and hydraulic systems for the construction of CVN-81, including timelines and resourcing requirements.
If that happens, at least it’ll plaster his name on pointless, useless, wasteful graft, which would be a proper legacy for him.
There’s one who would beg to differ:
There is no USS Nixon and no plans for one.
I’m surprised there are plans for a USS Clinton, not a fan of that.
There should never be a USS Trump.
The Carter is a sub of course by his own request.
Right, former presidents. Not the sitting president who has a huge conflict of interest in that all of the people making these decisions serve at his pleasure.
So that is bad enough, but to steal the honor from a decorated Black Navy war hero who died in the service of his country is both unconscionable and disgusting. I’m sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
So of course he is going to do it, or at least try to. But CVN-81 is not going to be commissioned until well after Trump leaves office (expected in 2034). So unless the U.S. devolves even further into a despotic hellhole, there is a good chance the renaming will be reversed before the ship sails.
A bit of light humor for this serious thread:
Needs more sand traps. Lots more.
How big is the penalty for putting the ball in the ocean?
You have to retrieve it.
“He wasn’t trying to commit suicide; he was merely shagging golf balls.”
If he was an entity with even a molecule of honor and self awareness he would decline the honor. I’m glad I don’t have to defend him bumping the Black hero to fluff himself. That’s an unpolishable turd.
“Play it where is lies.”
I was never really enthusiastic about naming ships of any sort after President but it started with the 1775 Washington and continued intermittently since then, with a number still alive when their namesake was commissioned.
However what was named can be renamed with a stroke of the pen by the Secretary of the Navy. Best course would be to promise to name the lead ship of the Trump-class BBG 'cause it’ll never be built.
I could get behind renaming Doris Miller after him then, leaving all the Trump-inspired decorations and accoutrements on board, renaming it USS Felon.
Miller can get a subsequent Ford-class carrier named after him, one that has not been sullied.
Not the same issue, but Carriers should have retained the old naming system like Enterprise. There should be a Yorktown as an example. Somewhat disgraceful there is not. At least a coalition of Navy History Buffs & Trekkies convince that Navy Dept there should be a 3rd carrier named Enterprise.
If you do name them after people, they should be important to the Navy or Presidents that served in the Navy like Teddy and JFK. Nimitz was of course a great choice. Doris Miller is a somewhat odd choice, he was a sailor and a hero but it seemed like a level of fame amplified mainly by a movie. Naming a Destroyer after him makes sense, a Carrier, not so much.
John Paul Jones has a DDG named for him, he seems like a figure that should have a carrier, or at least use Ranger again as they were named after one of his ships. (John Paul Jones is generally considered the father of the US Navy).
President Ford was and Papa Bush were Navy that served on Carriers. Bush as a pilot. Nixon need not apply, disgrace and all. Johnson was a Commander in WWII and Carter requested a Submarine be named for him instead of a Carrier as he was a Nuke Engineer on Subs.
FDR was also an Asst Sect Nav like Theodore.
I don’t really like Carriers named for Generals. The John Adams would be fine, he ordered the 6 Frigates that restarted the US Navy.
Many hate him, but Reagan did oversee the largest peacetime Navy in world history. So I think he is worthy.
I feel like Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell has been overlooked far too long. Never had a carrier named for him, not even in WWII when we had a 100+. He championed Air Power at sea.
He also served in the military, sort of, he made propaganda films but he was in uniform.
But most importantly, he set the GOP on a path to MAGA. Fuck’em.
I’d give that dishonor to Nixon (who served on a Navy ship during WWII but didn’t see action).