LPD-26 to be named after john murtha

[Garyius]

LPD-26 will be named after ex-marine and us representitive john murtha.

By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 13, 2010 17:46:22 EDT

The Navy’s 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock will be named for Rep. John Murtha, the long-serving Pennsylvania Democrat who chaired the powerful House appropriations defense subcommittee before he died in February.

According to a Navy memorandum obtained by Navy Times, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus notified Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead that he had selected “John P. Murtha” for the previously unnamed LPD 26. It’s the latest example of the Navy breaking a convention for naming its warships; the previous ships in the San Antonio class have been named for American cities.

Capt. Beci Brenton, a spokeswoman for Mabus, who is traveling on the West Coast, said she had no comment on the memo.

The choice of Murtha as the namesake for an LPD 17 appeared to reflect both his support in Congress for more of the gators and his service in the Marine Corps, which included time in Vietnam. San Antonio-class ships can carry about 700 Marines, their equipment and vehicles.

But Murtha might also prove to be a controversial pick: He was accused of ethics violations several times over the course of his career and he caused outrage among Marines in 2005 when he accused troops of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines of “killing innocent people” in a shooting in Haditha, Iraq.

The John P. Murtha is not just the latest Navy warship to break with its class naming convention, it’s also the latest amphibious ship to do so. In 2008, Mabus’ predecessor, Donald Winter, named the amphibious assault ship LHA 6 the “America,” bucking the tradition of naming big-deck gators for Marine battles, such as “Makin Island” and “Bataan.”

Mabus’ decision does keep with a Navy tradition of naming warships for friendly politicians. The fast attack submarines Glenard P. Lipscomb and John Warner, the ballistic missile sub Henry M. Jackson, and the carriers Carl Vinson and John C. Stennis all were named for political friends of the Navy in their eras. Like Murtha, some of those figures were controversial — Georgia Rep. Carl Vinson, and Mississippi Sen. John Stennis, both Democrats, supported racial segregation in the South, opposed civil rights legislation and signed the 1956 “Southern Manifesto.”

[OLE SARG]

I hope the fvcking thing sinks on its first outing!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,

[echo3oscar1833]

I hope the fvcking thing sinks on its first outing!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,

As long as the sailors get off before it sinks, other yeah I hope it sinks to. Murth is a peice of chit

[yanacek]

... Murth is a peice of chit

Correction: Murtha WAS a piece of $hit. Now he's just dead.

[echo3oscar1833]

Correction: Murtha WAS a piece of $hit. Now he's just dead.

[Izzame2]

I thought I heard everything.Too bad the Navy doesn't have garbage skows because that is the only ship appropriate for that scum bag.I guess I can look on the bright side though and be happy that no Marine bases were named after that bastard.

[AAV Crewchief]

I hope the fvcking thing sinks on its first outing!!!!!!

SEMPER FI,

.........as long as 100% of the crew and Marines are rescued. It's not their fault the name is MURTHA.

[ecfree]

[/quote]
TRASH

[jetdawgg]

[ecfree]

Excellent MIKE...........

[sparkie]

Savage addressed this today, coming up with other ships, like the Barney Frank,,,,,only backs up. Mine,,,, The Obama,,,,,steers to the left.

All the funny posibilities. Clinton,,,,, forward porpultion sucks and blows,,,,,,,

Kennedy Sub,,,,,,never surfaces. USS Chapakennendy,,,,,,,,

[firedog974]

Gosh....I was really hoping this was a joke. What is next, the USS Oswald???

[CPL/7113]

Why don't they just rename the Titanic?

[jetdawgg]

Excellent MIKE...........

I am trying to be nice on this side of the server

[ConorMacNessa]

What an outrage! An insult to every man and woman that has worn the uniform!