The United States Navy commissioned USS Paul Ignatius (DDG117) Saturday, July 27, 2019, at 1000 in Port Everglades, Florida. DDG117 is named for Paul Ignatius, who served as Secretary of the Navy under president Lyndon Johnson. Paul Ignatius is the second of eight planned flight IIa “technology insertion” ships.
Transcript
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated. Welcome to the beautiful Port Everglades, Florida, and the commissioning of United States Ship Paul Ignatius. I am Commander Lennard Cannon, the ship’s executive officer. It is my privilege to be your master of ceremonies today. Before our ceremony begins, please turn off, or place your cell phones to silent. We are here today to celebrate the life of our namesake, the 59th secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Paul R. Ignatius. We are the 67th ship of the Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers. The ship before you was christened in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on April 8th, 2017, by our ship’s sponsor, Ms. Nancy Ignatius. Sadly, Nancy is no longer with us, but her spirit will live on with this crew, and every crew that serves on her ship. Today the ship is complete, and is the most technologically advanced ship in the United States Navy. This crew is proud and humbled to serve on this ship, which bears the name of a man who has given a lifetime to public service to our nation. Our ceremony today is a time-honored tradition, which began with the commissioning of our first ship in 1775, a captured British Schooner, the Margaretta. Since then thousands of ships have undergone the transformation from silent hulls to fully-alive warships. Our commissioning crew, hereafter known as plank owners, are in formation among you, and ready to bring our ship to life. In just a few moments, the Navy Band Southeast, and the saluting battery from the Naval Station Norfolk, will render honors to the Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Will the guests please rise, and remain standing, for the arrival of our official party, honors, the presentation of colors, our national anthem, and invocation. Ladies and gentlemen, our platform guests. The Reverend Canon Jan Naylor Cope, provost, Washington National Cathedral, and ceremony chaplain. Miss Mary Anne Gray, USS Paul Ignatius Commissioning Committee chairwoman. Commander Scott Williams, United States Navy, DDG 51-class program manager’s representative, supervisor of shipbuilding, Gulf Coast. Captain Seth Miller, United States Navy, program manager, DDG 51 shipbuilding program. Captain Matthew Roberts, United States Navy, commodore, Naval Surface Squadron Fourteen. Mr. James Sheridan, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Naval Combat & Missile Defense Systems. Mr. Thomas Stiehle, vice president, business management, chief financial officer, and chief information officer, Ingalls Shipbuilding. The Honorable Mark D. Bogen, mayor, Broward County Florida. Rear Admiral William Galinis, United States Navy, program executive officer, ships. Admiral Craig S. Faller, United States Navy, commander, United States Southern Command. The Honorable Richard V. Spencer, secretary of the Navy, performing the duties of deputy secretary of defense. Ladies and gentlemen, our ship’s matron of honor, Dr. Elisa Ignatius, escorted today by Master Chief Alan D. Tapley, United States Navy, Paul Ignatius command master chief. The Honorable Paul R. Ignatius, 59th secretary of the Navy, and the ship’s namesake, escorted by– And he was escorted by the first officer of the deck, Lieutenant David Sugrue, United States Navy. The Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz, United States Navy representative, 23rd District, State of Florida, escorted today by Commander Robby Trotter, United States Navy, Paul Ignatius commanding officer. Ladies and gentlemen, honors to the Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Platform, hand, salute. Platform, ready, to. Advance the colors. Platform, hand, salute. ♪ Oh, say, can you see ♪ ♪ By the dawn’s early light ♪ ♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪ ♪ At the twilight’s last gleaming ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O’er the ramparts we watched ♪ ♪ Were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ And the rockets’ red glare ♪ ♪ The bombs bursting in air ♪ ♪ Gave proof through the night ♪ ♪ That our flag was still there ♪ ♪ Oh, say, does that star-spangled ♪ ♪ Banner yet wave ♪ ♪ O’er the land of the free ♪ ♪ And the home of the brave ♪
[Lennard] Retire the colors. Platform, ready, to. Ladies and gentlemen, Canon Cope will offer the invocation.
Let us pray. Gracious God, we give you thanks for the gift of this day, as we seek your blessings on this ship and her crew. We give you thanks for the leadership and legacy of public service of the ship’s namesake, Paul Ignatius. As a most respected member of the greatest generation, Secretary Ignatius’ life embodies the values of selfless and sacrificial service. We pray that the example of his moral compass will guide this ship and her crew as they chart their course in the sometimes-stormy waters of our world. We also remember and give thanks this day for the life of the ship’s sponsor, Nancy Weiser Ignatius, who now keeps watch from a distant shore, and for her granddaughter Dr. Elisa Ignatius, who steps up as the ship’s matron of honor. May your blessings journey with this ship and her crew as they seek to serve our Navy and our nation around the globe as an instrument of your freedom and peace. We ask these things in your most holy name, amen.
[Lennard] Thank you, Canon Cope. We would like to thank the Navy Band Southeast, Naval Station Norfolk Saluting Battery, and the United States Naval Sea Cadets, Spruance Division, for their support this morning. Will the guests please be seated. Ship’s company, parade, rest. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Mark Bogen.
Good morning. As mayor of Broward County, and on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners I would like to welcome everyone here today. Port Everglades has a rich and historic relationship with the United States Navy, that dates back to the first military ship arrival here in 1933. Our seaport even served as a naval base during World War II. And currently Port Everglades is host to Fleet Week, that brings thousands of sailors into our community, and at the same time gives our nearly two million residents the opportunity to see many great ships. So, today we are honored that Port Everglades has been selected to host the commissioning of the United States Navy newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Paul Ignatius. And we are honored also to have Mr. Paul Ignatius here today, and his family, to celebrate this momentous occasion. We are also honored to have Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Are we back on? All right. That’s a hint for you to stop speaking. I was just recognizing some of our distinguished guests. As I said, Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the United States secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s here, the United States Navy Southern Command, Admiral Craig Faller, Rear Admiral William Galinis, and the ship’s commander, Robby Trotter, and welcoming all of our other special guests. The fact that the USS Paul Ignatius is the 6th US Navy vessel commissioned at Port Everglades in 32 years is such a terrific honor for our port, and our nearly two million residents. In closing I wanna thank Chair Mary Anne Gray, and all the members of the USS Paul Ignatius Commissioning Committee for doing such a great job over the last 11 months, by bringing this all together for our community. And I would also like to thank Glenn Wiltshire, our acting chief executive and port director, and his staff, who have worked so hard this week for this event. Most of all, I would like to salute our ship’s crew for their service to our nation, and hope they enjoy their time while they’re here. Again, welcome to Broward County, thank you.
[Lennard] Thank you, Mayor Bogen. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Thomas Stiehle.
Distinguished guests, my fellow shipbuilders, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I’m honored to be here today at this commissioning, representing the thousands of hard-working men and women at Ingalls Shipbuilding back in Pascagoula, Mississippi, the shipbuilder who built DDG 117, and her 30 sister Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that have preceded her into Navy service. As I look upon the Paul Ignatius, I marvel at what a phenomenal asset this ship is, to our nation, and to the United States Navy, truly one of the most powerful and advanced surface warships of the fleet. It is a privilege to be part of bringing this great ship to life to serve our country, and to honor the ship’s namesake. The ship we commission today honors the legacy of service of the 59th secretary of the Navy, a World War II Navy veteran, a man who has made significant contributions to the national defense during the administrations of both President John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, a man who epitomizes the leadership and love of the country that has powered our nation throughout its history. It is with great respect and gratitude that we honor him today with the commissioning of this ship. We’d like to think that each and every one of us shipbuilders has and shares Paul Ignatius’ dedication and devotion. Our shipbuilders put their hearts and souls into every ship that we build, and DDG 117 is no exception. Thousands of dedicated shipbuilders, riggers, fitters, welders, electricians, designers, planners, engineers, and many others, have spent tens of thousands of hours transforming raw material into the equipments you see here, into the ship that the Navy commissions today. Our mission and Ingalls is clear: to build the best ships, period, build those ships for the Navy, for the Marine Corps, for the Coast Guard, for America. Our shipbuilders are indeed a national asset, who support the defense of the nation, and the freedom across the globe. Our national heroes, the men and women who will sail this great ship in protection of our country and its freedom, have earned and deserved nothing less than America’s best. Several of these outstanding shipbuilders are here with us today. Would all the Ingalls shipbuilders please stand and be recognized? Thank you. Commander Trotter, you and your team know us as the builders of your ships, but you should also know that we’re among your biggest supporters, and we deeply appreciate your sacrifice, and your service to our country, so on behalf of the 11,000 employees at Ingalls, and the people of the State of Mississippi, congratulations to the Navy, Captain Trotter, his officers, and crew members, on commissioning this great ship. Ingalls is grateful for the opportunity to be with you today for this historic event. May God bless America, the ship, and all who serve her, thank you.
[Lennard] Thank you, Mr. Stiehle. Ladies and gentlemen, Rear Admiral William Galinis.
Hey, good morning, what a great Navy day, huh? I’ll tell you why it’s a great Navy day, because this morning I don’t have to follow Secretary Ignatius in the speakers’ lineup. Secretary Ignatius, Secretary Spencer, Secretary Dalton, good morning, it’s great to see you again. Also, with us today is Ms. Margaret Dalton, representing our Society of Sponsors, and Ms. Anna Mae Meyer, the wife of Rear Admiral Wayne Meyer, the Father of Aegis. The Ignatius family, Captain Trotter, and the crew of the soon-to-be USS Paul Ignatius, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It’s perhaps the greatest honor that our Navy can bestow upon our nation’s heroes to emblazon his or her name on the stern sheet of the Navy warship, a living, tangible reminder to generations to come that this is the very best of our American spirit. Secretary Ignatius, it has been my pleasure to meet you, and work with you and Mrs. Ignatius at the christening, and with you again here at the commissioning ceremony, along with your family. It is truly our good fortune to commission this great warship with you, sir. I’d also like to extend a very special welcome to Dr. Elisa Ignatius, who is here on behalf of her grandmother, Ms. Nancy Ignatius, the ship’s sponsor. We all feel Nancy’s kind and gracious spirit with us here today, and know that she will always be with this ship, and those who sail on her in the future. Elisa, we are honored and grateful to have you with us for this momentous occasion. With the announcement that the commissioning ceremony would be held here in Port Everglades, I was especially excited for the opportunity to commission the ship here, and to speak on behalf of the Navy shipbuilding community. I’m proud to share this occasion with the many Navy families that are with us here today, especially the families of the crew of the Paul Ignatius, many who have traveled great distances. As I grew up not far from here, just north in Delray Beach. I welcome many of my family and friends here as well. Thank you for being here. It is truly a special honor for me to have this opportunity to be part of this ceremony here in South Florida, but I will tell you, with lobster season just a few days away, Boss, I may need some more time off. Today we will commission the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the Paul Ignatius, the 67th ship of this ship class built for the United States Navy. Secretary Ignatius, this state-of-the-art ship is a testament to your leadership, your enduring commitment to our naval service, and to your service to our country. We are honored to have you and your family with us today. This ship, and make no mistake about this, was designed to prevent war, but if it does come to a fight, as the most lethal surface warship on this planet, this ship, in the hands of Captain Trotter and his crew, was also designed and built to ensure that it is an unfair fight. So, as we take part in one of our Navy’s most time-honored traditions of placing a ship in active service, and welcoming her to the fleet, I am very privileged to be here as a program executive officer for ships, representing a talented team of men and women, charged with managing the design and the construction of our world’s most advanced surface fleet. To build this ship leverages the absolute best our country’s Navy industry team has to offer, ingenuity, hard work, and perseverance, a team that starts their day before the Sun breaks in the eastern horizon, and often finishes well after darkness has filled the evening sky. I’m proud to recognize his team, and thank them for the work that they do for our Navy and for our country. I’d like to acknowledge just a few folks, starting with the Navy Program Office, led by the program manager, Captain Seth Miller, and his deputy, Ms. Amber Huffman, and their top-notch ship construction team at NAVSEA headquarters. The Navy’s team working with the shipbuilder on the waterfront, from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, the DDG, team led by Commander Scott Williams, Steve Lee, Lieutenant Kevin Durlington, and Lieutenant Joe Collins, and our outstanding industry partners from Ingalls, and their DDG team, led by George Nungesser, Donny Dorsey, and Jeff Davis. These individuals represent the thousands of men and women from around our country, from Lockheed Martin, our prime combat systems integrator, to Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where this ship was built, all who have worked tirelessly over the past four years plus to bring this great ship to life, ensuring that this ship is built with the strength, the power and the warfighting capabilities to outmatch any adversary, a ship worthy to bear the name, Paul Ignatius. And finally, to the crew of this wonderful ship, is it a distinct honor to be the first to serve aboard a Navy ship on the day of her commissioning, and to become part of history as a plank owner. This ship will be the first to bear the name Paul Ignatius, giving you a special responsibility to honor the extraordinary life and the legacy of the Honorable Paul Ignatius, a public servant of the highest caliber, and our 59th secretary of the Navy. As the commissioning crew, your accomplishments will establish the foundation upon which the legacy of this ship will be built. May you keep the secretary’s example of service foremost in your hearts and minds, as you proudly serve the Navy, our nation, and one another. Robby, it’s been a privilege to get to know you and your crew, and to work with you during the construction of this tremendous warship. You will no doubt soon take point, and serve on the leading edge of our surface Navy. Our prayers and best wishes for much success go with you and the crew of Paul Ignatius. Welcome to the fleet. Thank you, and God bless.
[Lennard] Thank you, Rear Admiral Galinis. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Good morning. Thank you, Commander Cannon, for that introduction, and Secretary Ignatius, Secretary Spencer, Admiral Faller, Admiral Galinis, and Commander Trotter, and of course, special guests. It is an absolute privilege to be here today, as we honor Secretary Ignatius and his family, and it’s an honor to stand with those who are committed to serving our nation each and every day. Today we officially commission the USS Paul Ignatius, the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. It is an incredibly exciting day for the crew and their families, who have such an important job protecting our nation. I have the privilege of serving as the first woman to chair the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee in the United States House of Representatives, and I am proud to fight on your behalf every day in the United States Congress. Our subcommittee is responsible for funding the infrastructure at all of our bases, and the entire budget for the VA system around the world, as well as our military cemeteries worldwide, and our battle monuments. It is the only committee in the Congress that takes care of an individual, upon entry to the service in our military, all the way through their lifecycle as a veteran. We have worked hard to make sure that our resources are available, to make sure that we have a ready military each and every day, and the funds provided by the United States Congress, from my subcommittee, covered the construction of facilities, to enable our military to fight current and emerging threats, to support increased troop levels, and to sustain services, most importantly, for our military families. It is my honor to make two brief presentations, and I’d like to ask Secretary Ignatius if he can take a moment to join me at the platform. Secretary Ignatius, in honor of all of your service to our nation, I present to you this United States flag, that I had flown in your honor over the United States Capitol, in commemoration of this very special occasion.
Thank you so much.
Congratulations.
Thank you. Thank you, that’s great. That’s very, very thoughtful, thank you.
Thank you so much. And Commander Trotter, if you would join me as well. In honor of you and your incredible crew, and your commanding of this magnificent vessel, for yours and your crew’s service to our nation, I present to you this flag that I had flown in honor of your crew of the soon-to-be USS Paul Ignatius over the United States Capitol. Thank you so much, congratulations. It’s an honor to be able to join you here. I know everyone here’s support for our military is unwavering. As your representative in the United States Congress, I will always stand by our military, our veterans, and make sure that we are ready on day one, and ready to make sure that we can take care of our military all the way through their service. Thank you so much, and congratulations to the United States Navy, to the Ignatius family, to Secretary Ignatius, and to the crew of this great vessel. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Representative Wasserman Schultz. Ladies and gentlemen, Admiral Craig S. Faller.
Good morning, buenos dias. I can feel the energy up here, at least the heat as well. And I wanna just have a disclaimer upfront. I can assure you this is the most advanced technological warship in the world. It’s ready to fight. This 1MC system is not part of that system. But I would commend the team in the back who got it restored so quickly. We thought it might be pretty short remarks, and maybe you all would like that. I’d like to especially acknowledge Secretary Ignatius, the Ignatius family, for your legacy of service and sacrifice. Secretary Dalton, good to see you here, sir. Secretary Spencer, Congresswoman Deborah Wasserman Schultz, thank you for your leadership. And for everybody here Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Miami area, and Florida, what a military-friendly place. No finer place for the Navy to host a commissioning, so thank you. But I especially wanna thank the crew. Commander Trotter, all the hard work that goes into today, it’s amazing amount of hours, and you’re ready. I know you’re ready. Yesterday I had the honor of being on another naval ship, United States Naval Ship Comfort. Comfort is deployed across this hemisphere to serve those who are in need as a result of the crisis in Venezuela. In Costa Rica they have a saying, pura vida. Pura vida, it means pure life. I guess here you might say, “Don’t worry, be happy.” We saw a lot of people being made happy onboard the Comfort. An international team of doctors and civilians, from Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and here in the US, all services working, person by person, to make a better life, and that’s what today is all about. A small boy came up to me, he’s about four years old. He couldn’t see. He was waiting in line to see the ophthalmologist. He touched my face, and he gave me a Spanish blessing. You know, admirals are supposed to be tough like this ship, but that emotion, that struck me, that life that we’re breathing, pura vida. This warship can extend a hand, just like Comfort. Warships and their crew or the greatest ambassadors we have, but make no mistake, this warship can bring it. It can bring the heat, close that fist, and we need both in this world. We need the reassurance, the assurance, the deterrence, and the ability to fight and win, and I know, Commander Trotter, your team, like its ships motto, is always ready to fight on. Secretary Ignatius, I asked him a question, and it was kind of a dumb question, to be honest with you. I asked him, “Hey, Mr. Secretary, “what’s it mean when you see that name, your name, “on the stern of a ship? “It must make you feel proud.” He wouldn’t answer the question. He wouldn’t, and it’s a tribute of how humble he is, and what a selfless servant he is. He said, “I’m appreciative of what the United States Navy did for me. “It made a difference in my life, “and I wanna do that for others.” I think that says a lot about the man, about the legacy, and about the spirit he’s breathed into this ship, so thank you, Secretary Ignatius. (audience applauding) It’s a reminder, we build our future one person at a time, like that little boy yesterday, like these sailors here today. And to the crew, you’re building the future. Get at it, be professional, remember your motto, and do your job. I wanna thank your families, because they’re serving and doing their jobs with you. To the audience, walk away with some of this spirit today. Walk away with that little, that pura vida. Go mentor someone, go make a difference, one person at a time. It’s my distinct honor to introduce our 76th secretary of the Navy, someone who is building our Navy, and making a difference one Marine, one Sailor, one family, one ship at a time, the Honorable Richard Spencer, Mr. Secretary.
Admiral Faller, thank you for the introduction, and your strong and steady hand, and leadership in the southern flank. Thank you very much. Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, thank you. Thank you not only for being here, but thank you and your colleagues for a two-year deal to get us funded for national security. I also wanna give a shout-out of thanks to all those people here in uniform. I wanna give a special shout-out to our brethren in the Coast Guard. Ladies and gentlemen, many of you might not realize this, but they serve and fight alongside us day by day, and we can’t do it without them. Thank you, US Coast Guard. (audience applauding) I also wanna say thank you to our veterans that are in the crowd, and I wanna take a moment, ladies and gentlemen, to say, those of you veterans, those of you Vietnam veterans, welcome home. (audience applauding) To our industry partners, to our acquisition professionals, thank you for everything you and your teammates might do. I wanna take one moment, and I won’t be too long, because I, too, was sitting outside the shade of this dais, and I know how you feel. But for eight short days I sat in the secretary of defense’s seat, as acting secretary of defense, and I spent some sobering moments realizing what is actually going out in our world today. Today we’re having a great time, on this ship, christening a new ship. Fort Lauderdale, you’ve opened your arms and your hearts to the crew here. We’re in our holiday whites, bunting on the ship, flags flying, and it’s a festive moment. This ship, in her magnificence alone, provides peace through presence, and will keep the maritime commons open, which is the artery of free trade and commerce, for our allies, friends, and ourselves. But please, keep in mind that a moment’s notice, at a moment’s notice this well-trained crew, and this ship, can be put into harm’s way, as the forward-deployed force, your forward-deployed force, to deliver the fight tonight, in order to keep our peace and prosperity. That is the mission of this crew, that is the mission of this ship, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the mission of your United States Navy. (audience applauding) I wanna to take a moment on behalf of the Navy to offer my condolences to the entire Ignatius family in the January passing of the ship’s sponsor, Nancy Ignatius. We heard last night from Paul and the family. The Navy wants to take its hat off. Her legacy lives on in the environment she fought to protect, the National Cathedral community that she helped strengthen, and the countless military families she helped strengthen. Thank you, family. (audience applauding) Naval tradition holds that a sponsor’s spirit and presence guides her ship and crew throughout the life of that ship. Nancy’s presence and guiding force, from keel laying through christening, made an indelible mark on this ship, and every Sailor and Marine aboard the USS Paul Ignatius will sail with the memory and the spirit of Nancy Ignatius alongside them. We know that the Navy-Marine Corps team recruits the individual but retains the family, and without the family we’re not operating at full capacity, so I want to extend a special welcome to the plank owner crew of the USS Paul Ignatius, and specifically their families. I do know the extreme demands that sea service can place on both sailor and the family, and I stand with our nation in humble gratitude to you all. Please give yourselves a round of applause. (audience applauding) To the crew, each of you forms another link, that Paul Ignatius so proudly upheld throughout his career. He’s always been ready to answer the nation’s call, from his service as a Navy lieutenant in World War II, through his service as one of my fellow naval secretaries, and many important roles in between. We certainly won’t hold it against him that at some time he was the civilian leader of the Army, and I’d be remiss to all my Navy brethren, with the football season coming up, if you would please join me, go Navy!
[Sailors] Beat Army!
At every turn Secretary Ignatius relentlessly pursued improvements, to the way we execute our global mission, to the way we acquire, to the way we work. He helped us reform our logistics enterprise, to ensure our warriors were always ready to fight. He brought new technologies to the fight, transforming our installations, and bringing greater efficiency to the entire force. In the private sector he continued to enrich our nation, with his commitment to excellence in air transportation, and high-quality journalism. And his commitment to evidence-based problem-solving continues throughout institutions and foundations that he has helped build. Like the Navy-Marine Corps team he served, Paul Ignatius has done it all. Our nation needs that agile spirit and dedicated problem-solving more now than ever before, as we confront what the National Defense Strategy describes as the most complex security environment in recent memory. The foundation for readiness, ladies and gentlemen, has been set, and now it is on us to build on it, with the best people, capabilities, and process, that we can bring to the fight. As the newest member of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Paul Ignatius enhances our forward capabilities, as I just addressed. As a Flight IIA destroyer this ship improves our warfighting capability in a class of its own. Like her namesake, the Paul Ignatius has the capacity to respond whenever and wherever our nation needs her to come and deliver presence and/or kinetic energy. This destroyer stands proof of what teamwork of all our people, civilians, contract, or military, can accomplish together, from the start of the acquisition process, to the keel laying, to the christening at Huntington Ingalls, to today’s commissioning, and the many missions she will fulfill from this day forward, so I say to everybody involved, Bravo Zulu. As you begin the first watch, crew, know that every man and woman who helped design, build, and test, and deploy this ship, stands with you, as does the Department of the Navy, as I’m sure I can represent to everybody here. So does all of America. To all those who will sail on the USS Paul Ignatius throughout her promising future, I wish you fair winds and following seas. And now, without waving too many more fans, let me introduce the man of the hour, ladies and gentlemen, Secretary Paul Ignatius, an amazing man for an amazing ship.
Thank you. Well, good morning. I can see why you call this the Sunshine State, but it might’ve been the Thunderstorm State, but thank goodness it’s warm and not raining. I’m just absolutely delighted to be here, greatly honored, with all of these important military, civilian guests, and many veterans of other wars of the United States, to whom I say thank you, and I say that with all respect. Congressman Deborah Wasserman Schultz, I wanna thank you for that flag, that’s a great honor. It flew over the Capitol, and it will be in my study in a place of honor, and I thank you very much. To the senior military people here, Admiral Faller, Admiral Galinis, many others, Mayor Broward, who welcomed us to this to this wonderful City of Fort Lauderdale. As a Californian, I have to say, Florida is a pretty nice place, too. I regard this as sort of Act 3 of a drama that began in 19, October 15th, 2015, when the keel was laid on this mighty warship. The second act was the christening in April of 2017, and now in Act 3 today, it will be commissioned as a warship of the United States Navy. There were many people along this path who played important roles, and I want to thank each of ’em. First, former secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, for honoring me by naming this ship after me. It was really quite a surprise. He invited me to the lunch at the Pentagon, and you know, we were talking about this and that, and toward the end he said, “Oh, by the way, “I’m going to name a ship after you,” and I said, “What?” It was a great surprise, and a great honor. You just don’t know how complicated and magnificent these new warships are until you have a chance to walk through them, as I’ve had. I served in a much simpler escort carrier in World War II, and you could do just about whatever you wanted, as long as you cranked it up. I mean, there was no, there were no computers, there wasn’t anything, really, to help. But these are magnificent. Someone said there are 360 miles of cabling on this ship, just to name one statistic, great bundles of the stuff, like piles of spaghetti, attached to the overheads throughout the ship. So, I congratulate the Ingalls shipbuilders who built this ship, some of whom I think are in the audience, some of the executives of this great country here, company here on the stage. We need to stop for just a moment, and think how important these shipbuilders and the other defense contractors are to the security and safety of the United States of America. In World War II, I said last night on another occasion, that without taking anything away from the brave men and women who achieved victory in that war, it is the outpouring from the United States economy, from the United States industry, that helped to assure victory, and I thank Ingalls for the care and dedication of its skilled engineers, and workmen and workwomen, who built this ship. I also wanna thank Mary Anne Gray. She has worked over the last year or more with her committee in bringing about this event, and making it such a memorable occasion, and I thank her for all of that. During– During these last many months, Commander Robby Trotter has worked tirelessly to bring this ship to the point today where it is ready to join the fleet. This is a major undertaking. It’s not only getting the ship ready, all of its ordnance, all of its equipment, all of its computers, all of its many engine details, shipshape and ready, but it’s also getting the crew ready. Today’s sailors, today’s chiefs, today’s naval personnel, are skilled technicians. It isn’t like the old days of the Navy, where you kinda sat around chipping paint. Each of these men and women who man this ship are highly skilled experts in extremely complex systems, to assure our safety, to assure victory in case of combat, and I thank all of them as well. (audience applauding) Now, let me say to the crew of this ship, think about it, what could be greater than serving in a United States destroyer? Destroyers have an honorable role in Navy history, because of their many capabilities, both offensive and defensive, their many weapon systems. They’re able to do almost anything, and lemme give you just two examples of how, why the Navy honors its destroyers. First, as vividly described in the book called “Neptune” by Craig Symons, he says that on Omaha Beach, D-Day in June of 1944, the D-Day Landings, the soldiers coming ashore were facing withering fire from German gun positions on high ground, and it was so serious and so grave a situation that General Omar Bradley even considered postponing the landings. But he asked his naval commanders if there was anything more that they could do, and they responded by ordering a group of destroyers to sail into dangerously shallow waters, only 800 yards to 1,000 yards off the beach, to take those artillery positions under fire, and silencing them. And years later General Omar Bradley said, “The Navy saved our hides.” I have a feeling he might have used a different word, but in the written book, he said, “The Navy saved our hides.” At the other end of the world, in the Pacific, in October of 1944, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, US destroyers Hull and Johnston, and destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts, laid down a heavy smokescreen, in order to protect vulnerable escort carriers from a powerful Japanese fleet, and then they engaged these major ships, with guns, with torpedoes, at close quarters, in one of the most heroic actions of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was the largest naval engagement in World War II. So, with these examples of destroyers in mind, let us now send this ship to sea, confident that her journey will be steady and unwavering. We salute her captain and her crew, and we wish them Godspeed and smooth sailing as they join the fighting forces of the United States Navy. And now, if I may close, just on a personal note, I was so pleased that my wife Nancy was chosen as the sponsor of this ship. It was a great honor for her. I’m pleased that she was able to swing the champagne bottle at the christening. I wish she could’ve been with us here today, but she’s here in spirit, and her granddaughter, Dr. Elisa Ignatius, is an able representative in her honor. Thank you all so much for coming, thank the Navy for honoring me on this day, and thank the United States Navy for all it’s done in the past, today, and what it will do in the future. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Thank you, Secretary Ignatius. Secretary Spencer, we’ll be honored if you would place the Paul Ignatius into commission.
For the president of the United States, I hereby place the United States Ship Paul Ignatius in commission. May God bless her, and guide this warship, and all who sail upon her.
Thank you, Secretary Spencer. Executive Officer, hoist the colors, and commission the pennant.
Aye, sir. Paul Ignatius, atten-hut! Ladies and gentlemen, please rise. The commission pennant and professional national navies began to take form late in the 17th century. All ships at that time were sailing ships, and it was often difficult to tell a naval ship from a merchantman. Navies began to adopt long, narrow pennants, to be flown by their ships at the main masthead, to distinguish themselves from merchant ships. The commission pennant will fly continuously, until the ship is decommissioned. I direct your attention to the ship’s mast, as we hoist the commission pennant, and the flag of our United States of America. Quartermaster, hoist the colors and the commission pennant.
[Quartermaster] Aye aye, sir!
Captain, the colors and commission pennant are flying over USS Paul Ignatius.
[Robby] Very well.
Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated.
I will now read my orders. From commander, Navy Military Personnel Command, to Commander Robby Trotter, United States Navy. Subject: Read first orders, number 1125 of 1 June 2017, when directed by reporting CN, detached in June of 2017 from USS Vicksburg, report to pre-commissioning unit Paul Ignatius, DDG 117. As prospective commanding officer, upon commissioning of Paul Ignatius, report for duty as commanding officer. Admiral Faller, United States Ship Paul Ignatius is in commission, and I’m in command. (audience cheering) Executive Officer, set the watch.
[Lennard] Aye, sir. Officer of the Deck, set the first watch.
Aye aye, sir.
In the days of sail, the bosun mate would call forth the watch. Today the sound of the bosun’s pipe steel pierces the air to make major announcements. The officer of the deck is the commanding officer’s direct representative, and while on watch is responsible for the safe operation of the ship and crew. The long glass is the traditional symbol of the officer of the deck’s authority in a ship of the line. We are pleased to have our ship’s namesake, the Honorable Paul Ignatius, pass the long glass to the first officer of the deck, Lieutenant David Sugrue, from Wilmington, Massachusetts. (audience cheering) The petty officer…
[Paul] Set the watch.
[Lennard] The petty officer of the watch is Senior Chief Gunner’s Mate Matthew Carlisle, from Mitchell, Indiana, the messenger of the watch, is Yeoman First Class Crystal Kidder, from Miami, Florida, (audience cheering) and the bosun’s mate of the watch is Bosun’s Mate Chief Daniel Mendoza, from Cortez, Colorado.
Now set the watch. On deck, Section 1.
[David] Sir, the watch is set.
[Robby] Very well.
Captain, the watch is set.
Very well. Our matron of honor, Dr. Elisa Ignatius, stood beside our sponsor, her grandmother, Ms. Nancy Ignatius, when she was christening the ship in April of 2017. Elisa, I would be honored if you would join me at the podium to give the order to man the ship, and bring her to life.
Thank you. Today I am carrying out the solemn duty of serving as matron of honor of the USS Paul Ignatius, on behalf of my grandmother, Nancy Ignatius. I want to take a moment, and share a few qualities that my grandmother embodied, that I hope will live on in the crew, and among those in attendance today. First, she was a woman who understood and respected the value of service, be it to the Navy, the environment, or her family. She was steadfast in her devotion to those things which are greater than one small, single person. Second, she had a curious mind, not skeptical or cynical, but truly captivated by our world, its peoples, and the universal human imperative to search for what lies above or beyond. Third, or perhaps it came first, she was humble. Her outlook was one of moral certitude, but day-to-day uncertainty, ever open to an alternative view, a different perspective, the lessons of another’s life. And finally, she was a warrior. In her handling of personal struggles, as well as her relentless determination to make the world better, safer, more respectful, and more humane, the spirit and memories that live on in us, her family, now rest with you, the crew of the USS Paul Ignatius, and all the crews to come. Let her rare character of dedication, humility, wonder, and strength, animate you and this magnificent ship. And now it is my honor to say, officers and crew of the USS Paul Ignatius, man our ship, and bring her to life.
[Crew] Aye aye, ma’am!
Lennard] Ladies and gentlemen, the crew of USS Paul Ignatius salutes you. (audience cheering) We are proud to serve in your great Navy. Ready, to. Will the guests please be seated? Captain, USS Paul Ignatius is manned and ready.
Very well. Commodore Roberts, USS Paul Ignatius is manned and ready, and reports for duty. Secretary Spencer, request permission to break your flag.
[Richard] Very well.
Executive Officer, break the flag of the secretary of the Navy.
[Lennard] Aye, sir. Quartermaster, break the flag of the secretary of the Navy.
[Quartermaster] Aye aye, sir!
Captain, the flag of the Secretary of the Navy is flying over USS Paul Ignatius.
[Robby] Very well.
[Lennard] Ladies and gentlemen, Commander Robby Trotter, United States Navy, commanding officer, United States Ship Paul Ignatius.
Paul Ignatius, parade, rest. First, I would like to welcome all of our distinguished platform guests, family, friends, veterans, and in particular, the entire Ignatius family. And last but not least, our ship’s sponsor, Dr. Elisa Ignatius. Thank you for taking time out of out of your busy days to celebrate this great day with us. Today marks the ceremonial beginning for USS Paul Ignatius, but I’m here as a witness that it’s also a culmination of a tremendous amount of preparation. I would like to extend a warm and gracious thank you to the City of Fort Lauderdale, and the the entire Broward County Navy League, for welcoming our crew, family, friends, in your wonderful city. Thank you very much. I would like to say, I do have one disclaimer. If you hear a woman that is shouting real loud, like, “That’s my baby,” please, I assure you that she’s okay. She’s just a proud mom, so bear with it, all right? I turned 48, so I think I’m a little older now, I hope. But on a serious note, as I was making my my notes, and I was saying to myself, “Hey, what do you say about a man “who has accomplished so much?”, Mr. Ignatius? He was a former high school class president of his high school in Glendale, California. He went on to USC. He’s a World War II veteran. He went to the Harvard Business School, and later on become the secretary of the Navy. And I’m sure out of his most significant accomplishments that he had throughout his life, it was being married to Ms. Nancy Ignatius for 71 years. What an amazing journey. I did some research, though, about this living legend that sits amongst us today, and I discovered something very profound about Secretary Ignatius, outside of all of those magnificent accomplishments, and it made me realize that it was not a coincidence that our paths was gonna cross, but in fact, our lives were destined to meet, at this appointed time, in this appointed place, and here’s how I know this. In November of 1967, Secretary Ignatius started an initiative to recruit more African Americans into the US Navy and the Marine Corps. This was during a challenging time in our country, and I could imagine it was not a popular initiative to take on. But however, nonetheless, Secretary Ignatius pushed ahead with this initiative, and started recruiting African Americans at historically-black colleges and universities, also known as HBCUs, and he started this endeavor at the University of Prairie View A&M in Texas. If you fast forward time a few years, I joined the Navy in November of 1989, and then I took the leap of faith and applied for a commission program, and eventually my initial officer training program started in November of 1997. I completed my education at Hampton University, in Hampton, Virginia, in 2000, which is also known as a HBCU. Secretary Ignatius, I wanna thank you for your brilliant insight and determination, because here we are 52 years later, a warship that bears your name, and a first commanding officer from an HBCU, Hampton University, I say again, this is not a coincidence, people. This is destiny. It can be best stated this way: “The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands “in moments of convenience or comfort, “but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” The words by the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To the families of Paul Ignatius Sailors, thank you for joining us today in this celebration, but more importantly, for your unconditional love and support to our Sailors. Thank you very much. (audience applauding) To the crew of Paul Ignatius, thank you all for your mental toughness, unwavering dedication to get our ship through every milestone at performing at sea with a spirit of excellence. I’m extremely proud of each and every one of you, and it’s my honor to serve you as your commanding officer. Secretary Ignatius, this crew stands ready, to fully embrace and embody the spirit of Miss Nancy Ignatius, and carry on the great legacy that you have built, not only for your family, but for the mighty warship that bears your name. To my parents, I can’t express how much I love you, how much I need you. Thank you for the time, and the encouraging text messages, and having a listening ear when I had to vent, and get things off my chest, the many life lessons that you have taught me over the years, and being godly examples for me to follow. Thank you very much. To my boys who sit in the front row, Jayden and Shawn, I know you don’t fully understand all that I do, and why I do it, but I do what I do, and I want you to know that you are my greatest inspiration. I’m standing here in this position today, not because I’ve done everything right, but I recognize that I stand on the shoulders of many great leaders who supported to me, my pastors, my mentors, lay leaders, and who have mentored me along the way, true friends who have encouraged me and corrected me, and given me great guidance and counseling, so this is why I stand before you. Thank you boys very much, I love you. Last but not least, I wanna thank my wife, Pamela. Saying “thank you” and “I love you” a million times over will not be enough. All that you do for our family, the command pin I wear actually belongs to you. You’re the true captain of our home, that keeps it afloat and mission ready. Thank you for all your unconditional love and support, which allows me to wear this command pin, and humbly wear it as a light, easy burden, so I salute you. And finally, the path of today’s commission began four years ago in October 2015, when Paul Ignatius sponsored the wonderful Ms. Nancy Ignatius, assisting with laying the keel in Pascagoula, Mississippi. She later christened this ship on April 8th of 2017. I can truly say that Paul Ignatius could not have actually a better sponsor, and that if I know one person who embodies the ship’s motto, “Always ready to fight on,” it was her. If our ship crew can take on even a fraction of her vibrant spirit, and Elisa’s passion and devotion, I know she will serve with distinction for many years to come. We will always look forward to you, sir, and your family’s visits, and we’ll do our best to make you and the City of Fort Lauderdale proud, as we exercise our SWAG. This truth stands before you, maintaining their SWAG, as we call it. The S means sound judgment. They exercise it daily on your behalf. The W means they walk with confidence. They hold their heads high at all times. The A means appreciate others. They appreciate what you do, as well as, I hope you appreciate what they do. The G means good order and discipline. They represent themselves and you as ambassadors, with dignity and respect. And last but not least, as I always say to my crew, and you’ll hear them say it loud and proud, hey, one, two, three!
[Crew] We’re the best!
One more time for Ms. Nancy Ignatius. I know she’s looking down, smiling on us right now. Hey, one, two three!
[Crew] We’re the best!
That is all.
[Lennard] Ship’s company, atten-hut! Will the guests please rise? Mr. Ignatius, there is a saying that, you should give a person, that they should a person their flowers while they can yet smell them. I’m glad we’re able to give you your ship while you can yet see it, sir. 98 years is a long time to wait for a ship to be named in your honor, and we thank you for your patience. Canon Cope will now lead us in the benediction.
Let us pray. Gracious God, today we commend the USS Paul Ignatius, her captain, crew, and their loving and dedicated families, to your constant care and keeping. We pray that you will watch over her sailors, who tend the engines, cook her meals, repair her systems, hoist her flags, and navigate her wherever duty calls. We pray that your mighty hand will guide and protect her in defending freedom at home and abroad. We pray that the USS Paul Ignatius will be an effective deterrent to war, a beacon of hope to those who need compassionate assistance, and a faithful friend to protect life in peace. Gracious God, we also pray that you will keep our nation under your care, and that you will give wisdom and courage to all those in authority. As a people who come from many nations, may we find our true power in you, and in our common humanity, that we may be a blessing to all nations. In closing, we offer this prayer from the Navy Hymn. Oh, trinity of love and power, thy children shield in danger’s hour. From rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them whereso’er they go. Thus evermore shall rise to thee glad hymns of praise from land and sea, amen.