New Arizona and Oklahoma Coming

While uncommon, it does happen. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Van Buren; all before FDR, Carter, Reagan, HW Bush, and Ford all had ships named after them and commisssioned (except for Ford) while they were/ are alive.

I'm a landlubber, too, but I have an opinion.  Re-using Oklahoma is one thing, but the Arizona is a tomb and a memorial, and think it should be left that way.

I don't think we should name ships for presidents, either.  With the FDR we broke that custom, just as the real FDR broke custom and made a constitutional term limit for presidents necessary.  And its one thing to name a ship for a dead president.  It's quite another to name one for one who is still alive.  That's what monarchies do, not republics.  It's hubris.  The Romans didn't put living people on coinage, for that reason, until the end of their republic and the beginnings of the dictatorship and empire.

At least we haven't started naming them for a sitting president.  That would insult my republican sense even more.

lowfly

 

 

GMorrison

• USS Lexington (1776), a brigantine acquired in 1776 and captured in 1777
• USS Lexington (1825), a sloop-of-war in commission from 1826–1830 and 1831–1855
• USS Lexington (1861), a timberclad gunboat in commission from 1861–1865
• USS Lexington II (SP-705), later USS SP-705, a patrol vessel in commission from 1917–1918
• USS Lexington (CC-1), a Lexington-class battlecruiser, converted to CV-2 in 1922
• USS Lexington (CV-2), a Lexington-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1927 and sunk in 1942
• USS Lexington (CV-16), an Essex-class aircraft carrier in commission from 1943–1991, now a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas

• USS Hornet (1775), was a ten-gun sloop commissioned in 1775, and served in the American Revolutionary War
• USS Hornet (1805 sloop), was also a ten-gun sloop and took part in the First Barbary War
• USS Hornet (1805 brig), was a brig-rigged sloop of war launched on 28 July 1805 and sank in a storm on 29 September 1829
• USS Hornet (1813) was a five-gun schooner used as a dispatch vessel between 1814 and 1820
• USS Hornet (1865), the first to be steam propelled, was an iron, side-wheeled steamer
• USS Hornet (1898), a converted yacht, was a dispatch vessel in the Spanish–American War
• USS Hornet (CV-8), launched the Doolittle Raid in 1942, fought at the Battle of Midway, and was sunk at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942
• USS Hornet (CV-12) was originally named Kearsarge, but renamed in honor of CV-8 and active through the rest of World War II and is preserved as a museum ship in Alameda, California

Just two examples of many.

The Navy, proud service that they are. A founding principle back to Decatur and Bainbridge is that the ship is the battlefield on which they serve, and to honor the field is by name. 

Not to be didactic. Only I read a lot of US Navy history, and there's really no greater shipboard honor than to carry on the valor earned on that distant battlefield.

 

 

 

 

 

As a Sailor...I could not agree more with the above statement.  I would not mind another Vessel names Arizonia or Indianapolis or Oklahoma.  These names are revered in Naval circles and should be honored.  I would be proud to serve aboard any of them.  

 

As a Coastie

This ex-Air Force cop sits down, I'm deffinately out of my element on this one.

GMorrison

• USS Lexington (1776), a brigantine acquired in 1776 and captured in 1777
• USS Lexington (1825), a sloop-of-war in commission from 1826–1830 and 1831–1855
• USS Lexington (1861), a timberclad gunboat in commission from 1861–1865
• USS Lexington II (SP-705), later USS SP-705, a patrol vessel in commission from 1917–1918
• USS Lexington (CC-1), a Lexington-class battlecruiser, converted to CV-2 in 1922
• USS Lexington (CV-2), a Lexington-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1927 and sunk in 1942
• USS Lexington (CV-16), an Essex-class aircraft carrier in commission from 1943–1991, now a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas

• USS Hornet (1775), was a ten-gun sloop commissioned in 1775, and served in the American Revolutionary War
• USS Hornet (1805 sloop), was also a ten-gun sloop and took part in the First Barbary War
• USS Hornet (1805 brig), was a brig-rigged sloop of war launched on 28 July 1805 and sank in a storm on 29 September 1829
• USS Hornet (1813) was a five-gun schooner used as a dispatch vessel between 1814 and 1820
• USS Hornet (1865), the first to be steam propelled, was an iron, side-wheeled steamer
• USS Hornet (1898), a converted yacht, was a dispatch vessel in the Spanish–American War
• USS Hornet (CV-8), launched the Doolittle Raid in 1942, fought at the Battle of Midway, and was sunk at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942
• USS Hornet (CV-12) was originally named Kearsarge, but renamed in honor of CV-8 and active through the rest of World War II and is preserved as a museum ship in Alameda, California

Just two examples of many.

The Navy, proud service that they are. A founding principle back to Decatur and Bainbridge is that the ship is the battlefield on which they serve, and to honor the field is by name. 

Not to be didactic. Only I read a lot of US Navy history, and there's really no greater shipboard honor than to carry on the valor earned on that distant battlefield.

 

As a Sailor...I could not agree more with the above statement.  I would not mind another Vessel names Arizonia or Indianapolis or Oklahoma.  These names are revered in Naval circles and should be honored.  I would be proud to serve aboard any of them.  

ikar01

I'm not navy, but I agree, there has to be another name they could use iut if akk the states.  Maybe pick one of the possessions we have or something with a nauticle flair like Nautilus if we don't have one already.  Or what about  Lincoln?  Is that being used?

 

USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 a Nimitz Class Carrier currently in service 

• USS Lexington (1776), a brigantine acquired in 1776 and captured in 1777
• USS Lexington (1825), a sloop-of-war in commission from 1826–1830 and 1831–1855
• USS Lexington (1861), a timberclad gunboat in commission from 1861–1865
• USS Lexington II (SP-705), later USS SP-705, a patrol vessel in commission from 1917–1918
• USS Lexington (CC-1), a Lexington-class battlecruiser, converted to CV-2 in 1922
• USS Lexington (CV-2), a Lexington-class aircraft carrier commissioned in 1927 and sunk in 1942
• USS Lexington (CV-16), an Essex-class aircraft carrier in commission from 1943–1991, now a museum in Corpus Christi, Texas

• USS Hornet (1775), was a ten-gun sloop commissioned in 1775, and served in the American Revolutionary War
• USS Hornet (1805 sloop), was also a ten-gun sloop and took part in the First Barbary War
• USS Hornet (1805 brig), was a brig-rigged sloop of war launched on 28 July 1805 and sank in a storm on 29 September 1829
• USS Hornet (1813) was a five-gun schooner used as a dispatch vessel between 1814 and 1820
• USS Hornet (1865), the first to be steam propelled, was an iron, side-wheeled steamer
• USS Hornet (1898), a converted yacht, was a dispatch vessel in the Spanish–American War
• USS Hornet (CV-8), launched the Doolittle Raid in 1942, fought at the Battle of Midway, and was sunk at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October 1942
• USS Hornet (CV-12) was originally named Kearsarge, but renamed in honor of CV-8 and active through the rest of World War II and is preserved as a museum ship in Alameda, California

Just two examples of many.

The Navy, proud service that they are. A founding principle back to Decatur and Bainbridge is that the ship is the battlefield on which they serve, and to honor the field is by name. 

Not to be didactic. Only I read a lot of US Navy history, and there's really no greater shipboard honor than to carry on the valor earned on that distant battlefield.

I'm not navy, but I agree, there has to be another name they could use iut if akk the states.  Maybe pick one of the possessions we have or something with a nauticle flair like Nautilus if we don't have one already.  Or what about  Lincoln?  Is that being used?

Personally I don't think their should ever be another USS Arizona.