I just heard on CNN that the USS Winston Churchill (DDG 81) has captured suspected pirates off the Somali coast. Winston Churchill? A google search shows that the ship is “the only vessel in the US Navy named after a foreign leader.” (BBC link.) 
Just thought it was interesting.
That was the best choice.
The “USS Kylie Minogue” just doesn’t project the toughness the US Navy needs.
It’s kinda like Starfleet putting Spock as science officer on the USS Sarek.
There’s an Arleigh-class destroyer out there named “Alfred?”
Alfred the Great.
USS Winston Churchill - helped save the world from the Nazis; got it
USS Sir Walter Raleigh - romantic dude; discovered Virginia; got it.
USS Alfred the Great - fought off the Danes, to make sure that Americans would speak English; well, okay.
USS Earl of Effingham - who dat? and why would the Yanks be so enthusiastic about him as to name a destroyer after him?
*Baron * Howard of Effingham was Lord High Admiral during the reign of Elizabeth I. Perhaps that’s the reference. I don’t think he was ever the *Earl * of Effingham though.
It does help that Sir Winston was an honorary US citizen as well as partly of American descent.
The gentleman sitting next to me claims you guys are making this up. On checking his list of naval ships while I typed, he let out a yelp of pain. Thanks, guys. I’m going to enjoy kidding him about this.
CJ
I think they’re referring to ships of the US Navy overall – Churchill is the one who is a Burke-class Destroyer.
(No hope to going back to last-name-only ship-christening, is there?)
A little research shows that Alfred and Effingham were commissioned by the Continental Congress, the Raleigh was commissioned in 1921, and the Churchill a few years ago. Until 1994, there was also an England in the US Navy.
Your own link showed four Ralieghs. The first from colonial times and the last from the Viet Nam era.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/index.html
Another Effingham was a WW2 transport ship.
There were a total of four Raleighs, a 1770s frigate, a 1890s cruiser, a 1920s cruiser and a 1960s Landing Dock.
The twist is, of course, that the later ships officially were only indirectly named after Sir Walter, as they ostensibly were named for the city of Raleigh, NC (cruisers used to be named after cities).
No offense meant to the folks in the military, but defeating Somali pirates isn’t really that big of a deal. Cruise ships have done it recently.
Yeah, but they didn’t board the pirate ship and take them prisoner.
Avast, ye matey, etc.
That’s because Gopher forgot to pick up ammunition before they left. 
Named after the ship’s cook, Earl, after he served ham for dinner once too effing often.