U.S. Submarine Related - Naming of Ships

Naming of Ships

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Printed Date: 26 Feb 2025 at 3:27pm
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Topic: Naming of Ships

Posted By: Rontini599
Subject: Naming of Ships
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2020 at 1:24pm

Read this and then the important part is my idea below.

SNS Maury, an oceanographic survey ship named after Matthew Fontaine Maury, who served as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory and later joined the Confederate Navy.”

Two aircraft carriers are named for Members of Congress—USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74). Some observers have raised the issue of whether CVN-74 should be renamed on account of Senator Stennis’s positions on segregation and civil rights. A July 13, 2020, press report states that U.S. Navy officials have “discussed renaming two aircraft carriers named after Southern U.S. legislators who advocated racial segregation: the USS John C. Stennis and USS Carl Vinson. Within the military, the Stennis has been nicknamed ‘Johnny Reb,’ a common nickname for Confederate soldiers.”

For ship types now being procured for the Navy, or recently procured for the Navy, naming rules can be summarized as follows:

SSBN-826, the first of the Navy’s new ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) has been named Columbia in honor of the District of Columbia, but the Navy has not stated what the naming rule for these ships will be.

I don't have a problem with The "Columbia." What I don't want is to name them after politicians!

I think we have exhausted the "fish" naming, cities, and states. Why not name them for heroes of the Submarine Service? Starting with the Medal of Honor winners. Yes, I know 2 "Targets" have already been named for O'kane and Ramage. That leaves 7 more and then there are several who have earned Navy Crosses for their work.

What this is going to take is emails to your Reps and Senators telling them your thought that the crew of boats would rather serve on a boat named for a hero rather than a person or geographic area not associated with submarines.

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My heroes wear dog tags, not shoulder pads

Replies:

Posted By: SaltiDawg
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2020 at 1:36pm

There are literally hundreds of previously used "fish" names that have been used for Submarine Names. In some cases, the second time a name was used they added a "II" to the second boat's name - at least in usage. More typically, they just re-used the name.

I wish that this was still the practice.

Posted By: gerry
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2020 at 2:17pm

Cities, States, and Statesmen/Generals/Politicians have all been used for Submarines as well as targets, but as far as I know, Sea-Life names have only been used for submarines (I'm probably wrong about this, but none come to mind). When you hear USS Skate or USS Shark, you KNOW it's a submarine.

I'd be happy with sea-life names for boats going forward, but I'm tired of Cities, States, and Political figures. Also agree with Ron, MOH winners would be cool as well.

Can you imagine being a young squid entering the force in a few years and getting orders to USS Tang? Built-in history and memorialization, sailors could be PROUD of their ships' names. Seems like it would be a morale booster.

Other, less desirable options:

- Explorers (connection to the sea) USS Magellan, USS Robert Falcon Scott, USS Roald Amundsen

- Scientists (ok, that's a longshot) USS Copernicus, USS Curie, USS Albert Einstein

- Mythology heroes/gods - USS Hercules, USS Artemis, USS Apollo

I think MOH winners is perfectly valid, but *I* would like to see a return to "fish" names, even if (or especially if) they were recycled names from our Naval history.

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MT2/SS
USS Simon Bolivar - SSBN 641 (B)
USS Henry M. Jackson - SSBN 730 (B)
USSVI - Wyoming Base

Posted By: SaltiDawg
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2020 at 2:39pm

gerry,
I read every book I can find about US Submarine Operations in the Pacific during WWII.

I still sometimes run into a boat's name that I have never heard of. (Dangling participle. lol)

Posted By: gerry
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2020 at 8:16pm

SecNav directs naming of SSN 804 to be USS BARB

https://news.usni.org/2020/10/13/secnav-names-attack-boat-after-wwii-uss-barb-ddg-for-former-secnav-lehman" rel="nofollow - https://news.usni.org/2020/10/13/secnav-names-attack-boat-after-wwii-uss-barb-ddg-for-former-secnav-lehman

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MT2/SS
USS Simon Bolivar - SSBN 641 (B)
USS Henry M. Jackson - SSBN 730 (B)
USSVI - Wyoming Base

Posted By: SaltiDawg
Date Posted: 14 Oct 2020 at 8:34am

Lehman was SECNAV when Admiral Rickover was censored by him and was forced to Retire under Reagan.