At the end of 1945, we named a carrier after the President who led our nation through the Great Depression and most of World War II, the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV 42).
A half-decade after his assassination by a Soviet sympathizer in 1963, we named another carrier after a recently deceased president, the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67).
Since the (CV 67) was commissioned, of the next dozen carriers we’ve ordered through the next USS Kennedy (CV 79), 9 have been named after Presidents, two after politicians, and one after a great Navy leader of WWII.
We have also named a SSN after a President (Carter) and a Zumwalt Class DD (LBJ).
Especially the last two decades, the naming of our ships has been a mess, and frankly embarrassing. No need to name names, I’ve covered the topic before and you can search on your own for my feeling here.
When it come to our carriers, we have a chance to do things better. Naming ships that may be with us over half a century is no small thing. Politicians can be divisive and over time, history can reveal aspects of them that may not make them the most motivating icon to wear on your cover. Let’s move on.
The third Ford Class CVN will be named Enterprise. What a glorious name with a great history any Sailor will be proud of. We have other names with similar pedigrees that would serve our nation and its Navy well.
In our stable, waiting for the call are – in no specific order and missing a few great names; Hornet, Langley, Ranger, Wasp, Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Saratoga – or my personal favorite, Shangri-La.
Our military soaks in politics enough in today’s information society. Let’s give them a break when they’re underway. If not, we’re less than a decade away from a USS Clinton, USS G.W. Bush, USS Obama, or USS Trump.
So, who wants a USS Shangri-La (CV 81)?
I thought so.
