New American aircraft carrier to be named after President Gerald Ford.

en.wikipedia.org...

Congressional position
Senator John Warner of Virginia originally proposed an amendment to a defense spending bill declaring that CVN-78 "shall be named the U.S.S. Gerald Ford," after former President Gerald Ford,[2] who was alive at the time but later died on December 26, 2006. When signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 17, 2006,[3] the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 declared only that "[it] is the sense of Congress that ... CVN-78 should be named the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford."[4] Since such "sense of" language is typically non-binding and does not carry the force of law,[5] the ultimate decision for the name rests with the Department of the Navy.

[edit] Veterans' position
The USS America Carrier Veterans Association, an association of sailors who served aboard the recently scuttled USS America (CV-66), has advocated that CVN-78 also be named America. Walter Waite, vice president of the CVA, has declared that it is "appalling that the name of our country has been pushed aside in favor of living politicians."[8] Congress' recommendation of Gerald R. Ford and Waite's statement both came before the former president's death in late 2006. The group has organized a letter-writing campaign to Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter through a companion website, CVN78.com, encouraging him to adopt the name America despite Congress' recommendation.

[edit] Announcement
On January 3, 2007, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld prematurely announced that the aircraft carrier would be named after President Ford during a eulogy for the President at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Later in the day, the Navy confirmed that the aircraft carrier would be, indeed, named for the former President. [9]

Also, during the eulogy, Rumsfeld stated that Ford was made aware of the honor a few months before his death, when Rumsfeld himself told Ford.

No disrespect to President Ford, but I prefer the Enterprise. The second carrier of the new class should be named after him.



[edit on 4-1-2007 by deltaboy]

No disrespect here either,but as clumsey as Ford was this one is bound to sink.just kidding.

I highly agree that it should be the Enterprise. The name "Enterprise" has blessed eight ships in the US Navy, the last two of them being carriers which have served with quite possibly more distinction than any other carriers in history.

When the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor the Enterprise was one of the first to strike back, and if I'm not mistaken it was the only carrier to survive the entire course of the war. Then the current Enterprise would become the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier, ushering in a new era in naval dominance. It has served throughout various conflicts in the Cold War, and in 2001 it was America's first strike back at at the Al Queda and the Taliban. So overall I'd say that the name "Enterprise" carries a certain prestige with it, even without Star Trek.

It's not that I have anything against Ford (I wasn't alive during his presidency), but I just feel that something as important as one of our carriers deserves a name that unanimously evokes thoughts of excellence when you hear it. Enterprise is probably the best example of this, and Nimitz is another fine example. Naming ships after politicians just doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence.

It could be worse- they could name a ship after the former New Hampshire congressman- The USS Dick Swett. It's bad enough as a junior ranking sailor to hold the rank of Seamen, but if you had to serve aboard a ship of that name, it'd simply be too much.

I think if I had to serve on a ship named after him I'd start a mutiny just to have the vessel renamed.

Of course I start to wonder, why not give our ships awesome names like the Queen Anne's Revenge? Or a more modern version, President Reagen's Revenge.

[edit on 1/4/2007 by cyberdude78]

IMO the ship should have been named after our country, which is supposed to be greater than any one man , and it should have also been named in honor of CV-66, the USS America. I agree though the second ship of the line should have been called the USS Gerald Ford. If it was up to me however I'd cut back on naming ships after elected officials and stick with navy heroes, places, and famous battles.

If I were the people naming it I'd give it the most awesome names ever.

The USS spiderman

The USS Communist Kicker

And the USS better than any other

On a serious note, I think its cool that we named it after him, but I agree, naming it after politicians shouldnt be happening. Imagine the USS Dick Cheney...the friendly fire would be insurmountable.

What about these for possible names...

1. USS Deathbringer

2. USS B.Arnold

3. USS Treachery

4. USS Body Count

No offence but these Carriers are not what the 21st Century Human Race should be spending trillions on. How about something like the humanitarian school Operah Winfrey just opened in South Africa ? money well spent!.

But alas these behemouth's are required to protect the Oil fields so that they can continue to operate..hmmm sounds like a paradox and not a very smart concept to perpetuate IMHO.

Although on the other hand the resources on such carriers can be used for many things. For example you can easily use the aircraft aboard for supply drops, search and rescue missions, stuff like that. The USS Lincoln did a lot of this kind of stuff during the aftermath of the tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean in late 2004. It's water purifying system was also used to filter clean fresh water to victims in the area.

There's so many possibilies that a carrier can give in a humanitarian crisis. Whether doing the stuff I mentioned above or protecting against pirates the aircraft on them are extremly versatile. Also with two nuclear reactors on the Nimitz class carriers, two on the upcoming Gerald Ford classes (as it appears the CVN-21 class shall be named unfortunatley), and eight on the Enterprise they can generate a massive amount of spare electricity that could be used to power a refugee camp or something. Then of course there's the fact that our carriers possess some of the best hospitals in the world, but those aren't manned by just anybody. They come with highly trained medical professionals who're in the job to help people.

So in reality their intended purpose might not be ideal, but our supercarriers can infact be used as some of the greatest humanitarian ships ever created. Kind of ironic how things made for peace often end up as tools of war (look at pirate ships, they were all civilian vessels at one point) and how tools of war can often be given peaceful applications.

Sorry,

But Gerald Ford's sole claim to fame is hushing up the Watergate investigation before it put a President (rightly, IMO) in jail. That is not much to be proud of, even in a mere 2 years of office.

'America' can handle and NEEDED TO HANDLE the truth. As proof that we were grown ups, not coddled ex-flower children. Whether the seated President chose to pardon the criminal after the fact or not, it was not his place as a compromised close associate to fail to allow for due process.

I think that Enterprise has a foul connotative smell to it because this recent war veritably REEKS of money-trail politicking and while self advancement through 'entreprenurial means' is a good thing in the real world, it has no place as a mark of honor in the military, no matter what CV-6 achieved.

'America' may not be the best choice either since anyone in this hemisphere can lay claim to being one.

My vote, did it come to it and 'was I asked', would be _U.S.S. United States_. There was a time when that was NOT something people went out of their way to avoid admitting, especially when abroad.

It is also the name that was intended for the first of the super carriers, waaaaaaay back when the B-36 was a giant shoot-me bullseye in the sky.

Of course there are practical matters to consider. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a nuke carrier get SUNK in the next 50 years, as stupidly as we continue to play them close in in the litorals.

And it would suck raw buttermilk if that carrier bore EITHER of the names by which this nation names itself.

But Mr. Ford, while I understand 'was a real nice fellah' is not deserving of having his name on a 5 billion dollar boat. Even less than Reagan was.

There are other good names out there: Langley. Hornet. Lexington. Shiloh. Antietam. Yorktown. Gettysburg. Halsey. Spruance (yes but they are retiring). John Paul Jones. Decatur. Bainbridge.

Historical figures, places or shipnames whose associations are with critical events in our past which /did things/ for this nation beyond the normal parameters of politics as usual. Events which had a profound impact on the military history of this nation and it's navy in particular.

NONE of which Ford did.


KPl.


P.S. While I disagree as to the notion that a strong navy is no longer required in a world where nearly ALL our manufactured goods and a fair majority of our strategic resources come from unstable slave states far across the globe; I do believe that we would be better off with many smaller decks vice a few large ones. Not least because the 'Roosevelt Load' of a 70 plane OPP capable airwing is down to a 'Reagan' equivalent of less than 40 and we can do more with smartship technologies to reduce the crew and airwing to a level where it is EASIER (on retention after _short_ cruises) using more hulls with more automation and thus less stressed manpower. It doesn't hurt that intermediate-hull technology can be built in several yards. Major Capital Classes only in one.

Originally posted by truttseeker
If I were the people naming it I'd give it the most awesome names ever.

The USS spiderman

The USS Communist Kicker

And the USS better than any other
...

I have better ones. How about the USS Cosa Nostra, or, very awesome, the USS Capo Di Tutti Capi (=boss of all bosses) ... ?

Paranoid Duck

[edit on 6-1-2007 by Paranoid Duck]

From the sound of it, some might even like-

USS Neville Chamberlain
USS Appeaser
USS Alger Hiss

How about

U.S.S. Disneyworld

U.S.S. Oil Monopoly

U.S.S. Warmer Climate

U.S.S. Charlie Manson

My reasons for this are not what is posted above..per se. I just think that there are more appropriate names which could be used. In that I am in agreement whith Ch 1466.

I think this speculation is merely because of the emotional jag going on among many with Mr. Fords recent passing.

Time should be allowed for cooler heads to prevail on this issue.

No matter what the name decided I will be working on her as she is built here in this drydock and down on the piers when outfitted.

Thanks,
Orangetom

Why not?
I'm from his hometown, did not vote for him, thought he was startlingly inarticulate. Worked his ass off, though, how many of you can say that?
But he was a public servant and an uncomplicated man.
Warren commission and Nixon pardon conspiracy ideas are dodo.
Give the UM and Michigan it's due. We've paid for it.
He is a representative of this part of the country.
Screw all of you who hate that, and hate America.

Originally posted by aaaaa
He is a representative of this part of the country.
Screw all of you who hate that, and hate America.

Umm.. how do we "hate America"? By advocting that this ship be name in honor of our great country with such names as USS America or USS United States?

In my opinion what Ford accomplished was not terribly remarkable when you consider what other people have done and when you consider the alternative names.

Take George H.W. Bush for example, he has one carrier named after him (CVN-77) but not a whole class. Yet he had a vastly more impressive political resume, was elected President and was a true military hero as a Naval Aviator during WWII. Given his background at the time his actions and decisions are remarkable and his patriotism, service and duty cannot be questioned. However as impressive as that may be I still would not name a new class of carriers after him when alternative names such as America and United States are being considered. As I said before this country is more significant and important than any one man.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Ford I would gladly go along with the second ship in the class being named in his honor but not the class itself. I hope, as do others that cooler heads prevail since this is emotionally based on his recent death.

[edit on 8-1-2007 by WestPoint23]

Ushering in a new era in carriers?

Enterprise ofcourse!
Its a no-brainer!

Originally posted by aaaaa
Why not?

He is a representative of this part of the country.
Screw all of you who hate that, and hate America.

Wow!! I am happy that you are proud enough of your hometown guy to want a ship named after him. No problem here.

I do ,however, think it is a bit presumptious of you to think that because we dont agree with you that we hate America. Sorry... but this tells of public education at work.

Thanks,
Orangetom

I will borrow from The Simpson's and suggest;

Sea Spanker

Or if in honor of Bill Clinton, nickname "The Big Willie".
In it's sites, you know you are going to get f$%*#$! (or maybe not)

Originally posted by aaaaa
Why not?
I'm from his hometown, did not vote for him, thought he was startlingly inarticulate. Worked his ass off, though, how many of you can say that?
But he was a public servant and an uncomplicated man.
Warren commission and Nixon pardon conspiracy ideas are dodo.
Give the UM and Michigan it's due. We've paid for it.
He is a representative of this part of the country.
Screw all of you who hate that, and hate America.

Yes and it just so happens that last term's speaker of the house (Dennis Hastert) was from my district. Reagen has a highway named after him and he wasn't born too far from where I live. Donald Rumsfeld was born around the same town where I got my dog. But I would never name a carrier after any of them. Heck, I'd even be a little bit reluctant to name a carrier after Lincoln.

Why? Because all three of them were politicians, nothing more, nothing less really. Lincoln might've been a good president but he wasn't exactly serving on the front line's. Ford may have recently died but to the best of my knowledge he didn't exactly have a record that make's him any better than your common sailor in the navy. Really, what makes Ford worthy of having a carrier named after him over any guy in the navy during WWII? What make's Ford better than any other veteran?

Hmm... that's actually an idea I'm liking. We need a carrier to honor the WWII veterans Don't know what we'd call it, but I think it'd be a good idea. And now my list of ships that should be next gen carriers;

1. Enterprise
2. America
3. Queen Anne's Revenge
4. Imperial
5. Andrew Jackson

[edit on 1/12/2007 by cyberdude78]