Crew Of CVN-76 Ordered Aboard By Former First Lady
It's the ninth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the
US Navy fleet, one of 13 carriers overall. It can launch and
recover 80 aircraft, including F/A-18 Hornets, Super Hornets, and a
bevy of reconnaissance and support planes. It's the only ship in
America's fleet named for a living former president.
The USS Ronald Reagan is now on active duty.
Missing From Ceremony: The Great Communicator
Ironically, former President Reagan, 92, wasn't able
to attend the ceremony and bask in the affection of so many
military members. He suffers from Alzheimer's Disease and simply
couldn't make the trip. However, his wife, Nancy, was at the
Norfolk Naval Station (VA) Saturday to give the order for some
5,500 sailors and Marines to make preparations for getting
underway.
"I only have one line," said the former actress, who co-starred
with her husband before he took the political stage. "Man the ship
and bring her alive." With that, the crew of the Ronald
Reagan ran to their posts.
"Peace Through Strength"
The ship's motto is
"Peace Through Strength," a sentiment President Reagan expressed
more than once as he oversaw a dramatic boost in defense spending.
His supporters say that, above all else, hastened the fall of the
Soviet Union. Sen. John Warner (R-VA) told the 15,000 spectators
dockside, the carrier symbolizes Reagan's "rugged spirit."
Warner led the congressional effort to change Navy
tradition and name CVN-76 after the 40th president without waiting
to make the honor a posthumous one. In his speech at Saturday's
ceremony, the former Marine and Navy WWII veteran told Mrs. Reagan,
"This is your ship. The crew knows you will watch over her and them
as you have so faithfully cared for your husband."
Continuing the theme, Vice President Dick Cheney told the crowd,
America's potential adversaries will certainly "take notice when
word arrives the USS Ronald Reagan has been sighted
offshore.... The Ronald Reagan sets sail in a world with
new dangers," Cheney said, referring to the post-9/11 reality. "The
war may be filled with uncertainties," he said, but "the outcome is
certain. There will be victory for the United States in the cause
of freedom.... In the life of this carrier, as in the life of its
namesake, the enemies of freedom will fall away and the realm of
freedom will expand further across the face of the Earth."
The USS Ronald Reagan will eventually be posted in San
Diego, where it will replace the aging USS
Constellation.