CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
Northrop Grumman Newport News hosted a keel laying ceremony
on September 6, 2003 for the aircraft carrier George
H. W. Bush (CVN 77). Former President Bush served
as the keel authenticator and keynote speaker for the
ceremony. Former First Lady Barbara Bush also attended
with their daughter, Doro Bush Koch, the ship's sponsor.
Pictured
from left: Admiral Vern Clark, Chief of Naval Operations;
Former First Lady Barbara Bush; Vice Admiral Michael
D. Malone, Commander, Naval Air Forces; President George
H. W. Bush; and Northrop Grumman Newport News President
Tom Schievelbein.
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
The George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) is the 10th
and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built
by Northrop Grumman Newport News. This evolutionary
ship will pave the way to a new class of carriers.
Former
President George H. W. Bush served as the keel authenticator
and keynote speaker for the keel laying ceremony of
the ship named in his honor. "We as a country should
be very grateful for the men and women who build these
ships," he said. "You play a key role in defending
our freedom."
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
Northrop Grumman Newport News welder Mike Eaton welds
the former president's initials onto the metal plate,
which will be permanently affixed to the carrier. Pictured
from left are the ship's sponsor Doro Bush Koch, Former
First Lady Barbara Bush, Former President Bush and welder
Mike Eaton.
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
The keel laying involves the ceremony's principal speaker
or another special guest authenticating the keel by
affixing a name plate or inscribing his/her initials
on the keel (or whatever part of the ship is being used
in lieu of a keel). This typically takes the form of
writing his initials in chalk, after which workmen of
the yard use a welding torch to cut the chalked inscription
into the metal. Former President Bush is pictured chalking
his initials onto a metal plate. Pictured with him is
Northrop Grumman Newport News president Tom Schievelbein.
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
Pictured from left: Doro Bush Koch, President George
H. W. Bush, and Northrop Grumman Newport News welder
Mike Eaton show the authentication plate to the audience
after Eaton welded President Bush's initials into the
steel.
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
A highlight of the George H. W. Bush keel laying
ceremony included a performance by the U.S. Navy Parachute
Team, the Leap Frogs. The team is a 15-member unit comprised
of parachuting experts from various specialties within
the U.S. Navy. Those specialties include U.S. Navy SEAL
(SEa, Air and Land) and SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant-craft
Crewman) commandos. Each member comes to the NPT for
a three-year tour and returns to an operational unit
upon completion of their time on the team.
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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CVN
77 Keel Laying Ceremony - September 6, 2003
In 1944 while flying from an aircraft carrier on a bombing
mission against a Japanese radio station on Chichi Jima,
the torpedo bomber of LTJG George Bush was severely
damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Despite a flaming engine,
he continued his dive to score a direct hit before being
forced to bail-out over water where he was picked up
by a submarine and subsequently returned to his squadron
to fly additional combat missions. Both of his crewmen
failed to survive.
The
keel laying ceremony concluded with a flyover by a Grumman
Avenger, the same kind of plane flown by the former
president when we was a U.S. naval aviator.
Photo
by Chris Oxley
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