The Ted Stevens Foundation is proud to announce the christening of the future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128) during a 9:00 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, August 19, at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
The ship’s sponsors are Senator Stevens’ widow, Mrs. Catherine Stevens, and his daughters Susan Stevens Covich and Lily Stevens Becker. They will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.
The ship’s namesake, Senator Ted Stevens, served in the China-Burma-India Theater with the Fourteenth Air Force Transport Section, which became the 322 nd Troop Carrier Squadron, flying C-46 and C-47 transport planes under the command of General Claire Chenault in support of the “Flying Tigers.”
Stevens was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster (GO 121 HQ 14 th AF 1945), Distinguished Unit Badge (GO 378 HQ 10 th AF 1945), Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (GO 121 HQ 14 th AF 1945), the Yuan Hai Medal awarded by the Republic of China, the World War II Victory Medal, and a Good Conduct Medal. Stevens would go on to serve the people of Alaska in the U.S. Senate for 40 years, where he was a key player and tireless advocate for national defense and the Arctic.
His efforts involved ensuring a strong national missile defense system, establishing a military force capable of meeting operational objectives in harsh and remote environments, advocating quality of life programs within the Department of Defense to enhance retention and readiness, leading the revitalization of defense infrastructure to maintain technological superiority, supporting the National Guard’s role as a partner in national military strategy, and fostering international relationships and capacity building.
Additional information on the ship’s namesake can be found at: www.tedstevensfoundation.org. Further details on the Ted Stevens (DDG 128) and upcoming events, please visit USS Ted
Stevens Commissioning Committee.