By BRITTANY WALLMAN; Sun Sentinel
Published: 03/23/10 5:29 pm | Updated: 03/23/10 7:29 pm
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.. –
A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer will be commissioned in Port Everglades on November 13th, a rare event that is being hailed as a small but much-needed boost for tourism and, possibly, patriotism.
The Navy announced this week that it had selected Fort Lauderdale for the ceremony that will mark the entry into service of the USS Jason Dunham, the Navy’s “most advanced warship,” named after a Marine Corps corporal who died in Iraq.
“To see a ship commissioned, this is kind of spectacular,” said Richard Winer, a Navy World War II veteran who lives in Fort Lauderdale.
Navy Lt. Amalon Aneson said the commissionings typically draw 3,000-plus visitors from out of town, including the 250 sailors who’ll sail the ship, and their friends and families.
Fort Lauderdale “has been a great Navy town,” Aneson said, adding that it has been “itching to have” a commissioning.
It’s been five years since the last such ceremony; this event, planned for November, will be the fifth in the port’s history. It follows the commissioning of the USS Bainbridge in 2005, the USS Higgins in 1999, the USS Cole in 1996 and the USS Leyete Gulf in 1987.
The USS Jason Dunham, a 510-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, will be stationed in Norfolk, Va.
Dunham, 22, was attacked by an insurgent in Iraq on April 14, 2004, and while the two wrestled, the assailant released a grenade. Dunham jumped on it, covering it with his body and helmet. He died, but he was credited with saving the lives of at least two fellow Marines. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler said the event would be a welcome boost to the local economy. The last commissioning drew a crowd of 5,000.
Read more: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/23/1121026/navy-announces-ship-commissioning.html#ixzz0j6AhGqWH
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USS Jason Dunham DDG-109
