BATH, Maine – On Friday, Jan. 10, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works celebrated the keel laying of the future USS John Basilone (DDG 122). The U.S. Navy named the ship in honor of Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone. Sgt. Basilone earned the Medal of Honor for bravery at the Battle of Guadalcanal and the Navy Cross for heroism at Iwo Jima, where he was killed, the only enlisted Marine in World War II to receive both decorations.
The ship’s sponsors are Ryan Manion and Amy Looney. Manion is president of the foundation named for her brother, Marine Corps 1st Lt. Travis Manion who was killed in Iraq in 2007. Looney is vice president of the foundation and is the surviving spouse of Lt. Brendan Looney, a close friend of Travis Manion and a Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010.
Assisted by Welder Tim Johnson, a 10-year BIW employee, the sponsors authenticated the keel by striking welding arcs onto the steel plate. The laying of the keel and its authentication signifies the start of hull integration and the pre-cursor to final integration, test and sea trials.
Ed Kenyon, Director of New Construction Programs for Bath Iron Works, hosted the ceremony and welcomed the audience of Bath Iron Works employees, Navy personnel and guests. “The keel-laying ceremony is an opportunity to re-affirm our commitment that a Bath-built ship is best built – at all stages of construction,” Kenyon said. “We will ensure this ship will be ready to serve our nation, nobly, as John Basilone did during World War II.”
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works is an equal opportunity employer.