Shaffer
01-15-04, 07:53 AM
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii(Dec. 30, 2003) -- The newly-commissioned guided missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) is named in honor of Senator John Chafee, who served as a Marine in World War II and Secretary of the Navy from 1969-1972. Chafee is the 40th Arleigh Burke class destroyer and was commissioned Oct. 18, 2003, in Newport, R.I.
Chafee was born October 22, 1922, in Providence, R.I. Though he entered Yale in 1940, he left in his sophomore year to join the Marine Corps. During World War II, he was part of the first waves to hit the beaches of Guadalcanal and Okinawa. After the war, he completed his bachelor's degree from Yale and a law degree from Harvard.
He was again called to active duty service in the Marine Corps in 1951 and served two years as a rifle company commander during the Korean Conflict.
Chafee was governor of Rhode Island from 1962 to 1968. He was appointed Secretary of the Navy in January 1969 by President Richard Nixon, in which capacity he served until 1972.
He became the Rhode Island United States Senator in 1976. He died October 24, 1999.
* Biographical information for Senator John Chafee was gathered from the University of Rhode Island library Web site.
Chafee was born October 22, 1922, in Providence, R.I. Though he entered Yale in 1940, he left in his sophomore year to join the Marine Corps. During World War II, he was part of the first waves to hit the beaches of Guadalcanal and Okinawa. After the war, he completed his bachelor's degree from Yale and a law degree from Harvard.
He was again called to active duty service in the Marine Corps in 1951 and served two years as a rifle company commander during the Korean Conflict.
Chafee was governor of Rhode Island from 1962 to 1968. He was appointed Secretary of the Navy in January 1969 by President Richard Nixon, in which capacity he served until 1972.
He became the Rhode Island United States Senator in 1976. He died October 24, 1999.
* Biographical information for Senator John Chafee was gathered from the University of Rhode Island library Web site.