Photo Release — Huntington Ingalls Industries Christens Destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123)
April 25 2021 - 10:00AM
Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that its
Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened guided missile destroyer
Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) Saturday evening. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, a small, socially distanced event was held with
limited in-person attendance.
“The christening of Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee is a significant
milestone that brings our 34th destroyer one step closer to being
introduced into the fleet,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari
Wilkinson said. “In these ever-changing times, the significance of
what we do has never been more important. We are exceedingly proud
of our shipbuilders for their tenacity and perseverance, and look
forward to continuing Ingalls’ legacy of building quality ships
with respect and pride.”
Recently retired Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias
returned to host the christening, which was originally scheduled to
occur in 2020 but was postponed due to restrictions surrounding the
pandemic.
“I am honored to host this christening and give a final salute
to the hardworking men and women who build freedom in this shipyard
every day,” Cuccias said. “Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee’s
distinguished legacy will remain steadfast with the christening of
this great ship, as will the unparalleled craftsmanship of the men
and women of Ingalls Shipbuilding.”
A photo accompanying this release is available at:
https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file/ddg-123-christening-bottle-break.
DDG 123 is named to honor Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, the first
woman to receive the Navy Cross. Higbee joined the Navy in October
1908 as part of the newly established Navy Nurse Corps, a group of
women who would become known as “The Sacred Twenty,” and became the
second superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps in January 1911.
Ray Mabus, the 75th Secretary of the Navy, was the keynote
speaker.
“This christening is a signal event in the life of a warship
deeply engrained in naval tradition when a ship officially bears
the name it will carry during its time in the fleet,” Mabus said.
“The story and the legacy of Lenah Higbee, and what she represents,
will live on for decades around the world through this ship’s
voyages and through the lives of the crew who sail aboard her.”
DDG 123 sponsors are Louisa Dixon, Virginia Munford and Pickett
Wilson, three women who played an important role during Mabus’ term
as governor of Mississippi. Munford spoke on behalf of the three
sponsors.
“As we help dedicate this ship for service, let us all join
together in the fervent hope and prayer that Lenah Sutcliffe
Higbee’s primary mission will be to preserve the peace for future
generations,” Munford said.
Rear Adm. Cynthia Kuehner, commander of the Naval Medical Forces
Support Command, spoke on behalf of the chief of naval
operations.
“I know that USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee will protect and defend
our nation with the same zeal, courage and valiant resolve of the
Navy nurse for whom she is named,” Kuehner said. “Superintendent
Higbee’s legacy is a heroic account of a fearless pioneer, a leader
among men and women, an advocate and an agent for necessary change,
a visionary, a teacher, a scholar, a scientist, an author, an
innovator, a strategist. A Navy nurse.”
Huntington Ingalls Industries is America’s largest military
shipbuilding company and a provider of professional services to
partners in government and industry. For more than a century, HII’s
Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and
Mississippi have built more ships in more ship classes than any
other U.S. naval shipbuilder. HII’s Technical Solutions division
supports national security missions around the globe with unmanned
systems, defense and federal solutions, and nuclear and
environmental services. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia,
HII employs more than 42,000 people operating both domestically and
internationally. For more information, please visit
www.huntingtoningalls.com.
- HII on the web: www.huntingtoningalls.com
- HII on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/HuntingtonIngallsIndustries
- HII on Twitter: twitter.com/hiindustries
- HII on YouTube: www.youtube.com/huntingtoningalls
- HII on Instagram: www.instagram.com/huntingtoningalls
Contact:
Teckie Hinkebeinteckie.hinkebein@hii-co.com(228) 935-1323
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