The USS John Basilone was commissioned during a ceremony held on Nov. 9 and led by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, a Wash100 Award winner.
The Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said Saturday the USS Basilone became the 74th ship of her class at the commissioning ceremony. It is also the second ship to bear the John Basilone name.
The USS John Basilone
The Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer is named after Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, the only enlisted marine to receive a Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross for his exploits during World War II.
Basilone served in the Philippines earning him the the moniker “Manila John.” He then fought in Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, where his heroism earned him the Medal of Honor. Basilone later served in Australia and in Iwo Jima, where he was killed in action.
Diane Hawkins, niece of Basilone, spoke at the ceremony and detailed her journey of retracing her uncle’s heroic military past. Aside from highlighting Basilone’s heroism on the battlefield, Hawkins also talked about his wife, Lenah Riggi and thanked the crew of the newly commissioned ship.
Del Toro mentioned in his speech that the ship’s sponsors, Ryan Manion and Amy Looney Heffernen, both from Gold Star families, will guide USS Basilone and the crew, based on naval tradition. The Navy Secretary also reminded the crew that, “Service is not an obligation, it is a privilege, a chance to be part of something greater than ourselves and uphold the values that define us as a nation.”
The commissioning ceremony was attended by marines from John Basilone’s 1st Battalion, 7th Regiment.