“This warship honors the legacy of an excellent American, symbolized in US metal and manifested within the proud Sailors earlier than you. My crew and I share a deep sense of delight and honor to symbolize our namesake, the late Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen, Jr., USMC,” mentioned Cmdr. Daniel Hancock, Frank E. Petersen, Jr.’s commanding officer. “We’re excited to name Hawaii residence, a spot that holds fond recollections for the Petersen household who served right here. We stay up for being good neighbors in the neighborhood. In Pearl Harbor, historical past just isn’t solely studied however lived each day. We all know that battle can come at any time however we all know that we are going to not be alone; we’re captivated with becoming a member of our fellow greyhounds in Destroyer Squadron 31 – Ke Koa O Ke Kai – The Warriors of the Sea. This ship is quick, formidable, and constructed to combat and win within the Pacific Theater. This can be a nice ship, with a proud identify, and an exquisite crew; we’re thrilled to be right here in Hawaii, prepared for fleet service.”
The ship honors Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (USMC Ret.). Petersen was the primary black USMC aviator and the primary black Marine to turn into a three-star common. Common Petersen served two fight excursions, Korea in 1953 and Vietnam in 1968. He flew greater than 350 fight missions and had over 4,000 hours in numerous fighter and assault plane. Lt. Gen. Petersen handed away in August 2015 on the age of 83.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the spine of the U.S. Navy’s floor fleet. These extremely succesful, multi-mission ships conduct a wide range of operations, from peacetime presence to nationwide safety offering a variety of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, floor and subsurface.
For extra data on USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., go to the web site https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ddg121.
