Photo By Sarah Cannon | Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro (left) congratulates USNS Thurgood Marshall...... read more read more
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Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro joined employees of Military Sealift Command Pacific and General Dynamics NASSCO San Diego to celebrate the keel certification of MSC’s newest ship, fleet replenishment oiler USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO 11) at the NASSCO shipyard San Diego today.
The time-honored tradition of the keel laying/certification marks the official start of construction of the ship. Part of the tradition includes the sponsor to weld their initials into the keel plate of the new ship. After a pre-ceremony instruction at “Welding School,” the ship’s sponsors, Melonie Tibbs, Alissa Kamens Marshall and Cecilia Marshall, granddaughters of Thurgood Marshall, dressed in protective equipment, took welding torch in hand and stepped into the ship’s history. The steel plate with their initials will be permanently affixed to the ship’s keel, remaining with the vessel through its time in service.
“Standing here today is deeply personal for me and my family,” said Cecilia Marshall. “As sponsors of this ship, this moment is more than ceremonial. It’s an opportunity to honor a legacy that has profoundly shaped our lives. This vessel will carry the name of my grandfather, a man who dedicated his life to championing liberty, justice and the idea that we are stronger together, than we are divided.”
The ship honors Thurgood Marshall, a civil rights leader turned Supreme Court Justice. Marshall made history as the first Black justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court when he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1967 and served on the court for 25 years. He is most remembered for his work toward affirmative action, stopping Jim Crow segregation and the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education.
“Thurgood Marshall was a titan of the civil rights movement. A brilliant legal mind. A champion of justice for all,” said Del Toro. “His unwavering commitment to equality and his tireless pursuit of justice paved the way for countless others to break down barriers and achieve their full potential.”
The 746-foot Marshall is the seventh ship of the John Lewis fleet replenishment oiler class. Marshall has the ability to carry 162,000 barrels of diesel ship fuel, aviation fuel and dry stores cargo. The John Lewis class is built with double hulls to protect against oil spills and strengthened cargo and ballast tanks and will be equipped with a basic self-defense capability. The Lewis-class of oilers will replace the current Kaiser Class fleet replenishment oilers as they age out of the MSC fleet.
In addition to Marshall, four more Lewis-class oilers are on order for the Navy. In July 2016, US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus stated that he would name the Lewis-class oilers after prominent civil rights activists and leaders including Harvey Milk, Lucy Stone, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Harriet Tubman.
“The John Lewis class of replenishment oilers are a tremendous asset for our fleet and our force,” said Del Toro. “These ships are critical to our ability to maintain sustained operations at sea, relied on by our Navy combatants for food, fuel, all over the globe.
MSC directs and supports operations for approximately 140 civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships at sea, conduct specialized missions, preposition combat cargo at sea around the world, perform a variety of support services, and move military equipment and supplies to deployed U.S. forces. Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024, MSC exists to support the joint warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations, with a workforce that includes approximately 6,000 Civil Service Mariners and 1,100 contract mariners, supported by 1,500 shore staff and 1,400 active duty and reserve military personnel.
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2024 15:47 |
| Story ID: | 486756 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 150 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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