Sen. Daniel Inouye during the Watergate hearings in the 1970s.
The Navy said it would name its next two Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) destroyers after a former U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and former Secretary of the Navy Paul Ignatius.
Current Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus made the announcement on Thursday.
“As secretary of the Navy it is my privilege to name these ships to honor a respected naval leader and a true American hero.” Mabus said in a statement. “For decades to come, the future USS Paul Ignatius and USS Daniel Inouye will represent the United States and enable the building of partnerships and projection of power around the world.”
The planned USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) and USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) will be part of a multi-year procurement program for the service following the restart of the DDG-51 line in 2009.
Ignatius served in his role with the Navy from 1967 to 1969. Later he became an assistant secretary of defense under Lyndon Johnson. Inouye received the Medal of Honor in World War II for actions as a platton leader in the Army in Tuscany, Italy and became the long-time chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Inouye died in 2012.
