Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr. visited BIW on August 19 to complete the Mast Stepping Ceremony for DDG 124. Barnum placed items of significance to him in the mast stepping box, like his firefighting badge and a 2,000-year-old relic his wife found in Israel.
Following a training, Barnum donned a safety harness and was then hoisted in the medical evacuation box to the ship’s 05 level. It was lifted by #19 crane operated by Travis Dragoon, with Riggers Jeff Lewis and Bryan Coger handling the guide lines.
On board with Barnum was Area Supervisor Catie Ritz and Rigger Chad Bamford, both of whom work with Hull 523, the ship named for Barnum.
“It was humbling. He’s a true hero,” Bamford said of Barnum, a Medal of Honor recipient who fought in Vietnam and later served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs. As the box was lifted aloft, not surprisingly, Barnum was unphased. “He was calm, cool and collected,” Bamford said.
With the contents safely inside, Welder Mark Bachelder secured the box within the mast as Barnum looked on. Afterward, Barnum was lowered back to the ground.
“Riding in the evac box with Col. Barnum was awesome,” Ritz said. “He was really excited to be there. I don’t think many ship namesakes get to go up in the air like that.”
