Amen, brother.
It used to be that that for political favors they named ships after the
cities or states of influential congressman, like the CGNs California and
South Carolina (except as cruisers, they should have been cities). That's
okay, I can get along with that, because it's still a larger name that
represents many people. But when Rickover started getting subs named after
congressmen, that was the thin edge of the wedge. "What's a Lipscomb
fish?"
The one I didn't understand was when they named Arleigh Burke after Burke
while he was still alive. Sure, that was a great idea for a DD name, but
as a former CNO, shouldn't he have said, "Hey, stupid, you have to wait
until I'm dead"?
Nimitz was probably dangerous, because it set the stage for Ike, who was a
general who was also a president. TR, Abe, and GW are all historical
names, but living former presidents is just a mess.
Gerald R. Ford is what really blew my mind. He's not even popular among
current Republican thinking, but they had to slap that name on there lest
it get named something like America, or god forbid, Enterprise.
They are still naming DDs after medal of honor winners, but they're
largely recent ones, and there's not enough hulls left to bring back the
names of the old cans like Basilone.
> It is sad we as a nation have no scene of history and decorum. I am okay
> with
> some vessels being named for people but they should in someway be linked
> to the
> Navy just not anyone one. What happened to the practice of naming ships
> after
> MOH winners? Where is the U.S.S. Basaloine? If anyone deserves a destroyer
> named
> after him it is that guy. Certain names deserve to live on in major ship.
> But
> alas no more.
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
Sent: Sun, June 10, 2012 7:16:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Question for the group
>
>
> I understand how maintaining 80,000 tons of 20-30-40 year old steel takes
> some of the mystique away.
>
> Yeah, sadly, all the great carrier names are being discarded in favor of
> politicians in the same party as the current administration. And they
> don't wait until people are dead anymore.
>
> Independence is now an LCS, and LCSs are named after any old thing anyone
> can think of.
>
> America is being degraded to an LHD, and all of the great old Essex-class
> names have been degraded to LHDs or CGs.
>
> I know I'd rather serve aboard a Constellation, Saratoga, Ranger, Coral
> Sea, Lexington, Kitty Hawk than a Stennis, Vinson, Reagan, Bush, Truman,
> or Ford. And JFK is coming back around again, at the expense of a true CV
> name. Truman was going to be United States, so that's twice Truman
> prevented a CV being named United States.
>
>> On Sun, Jun 10, 2012 at 4:17 PM, <> wrote:
>>
>>> > Poor Dog.... 8-)
>>>
>>> It's a proud name. "America's Flagship."
>>>
>>> Were you with her when Reagan came aboard and gave her that?
>>
>>
>> Just missed that. She was a grand Ship, but like all things
>> known intimately the Flaws of reality get in the way. Some of my fondest
>> moments aboard her where polishing up her livery for receiving guests.
>> And
>> painting the Anchor Gold.....
>>
>> Would Love to see her Name live on in the form of a New Carrier.
>> Alongside
>> the Names of the other Grand Ladies of the Cold War age. But that is the
>> opinion of an aging Coxswain/Boatswain's Mate who looked up at those
>> grand
>> ships with all the awe that they could inspire from the wheel of my own
>> small commands....
>> --
>> Evyn
>>
>
>
>