Don't Forget Families,Workers

Admiral Jonathan Greenert,Commander,Fleet Forces Command,recalled that the crew's families serve,too.They will be here when the bunting is gone.Mike Petters,President of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding,which employs about 40,000,stated that the workers share a single vision:to build the finest military ships in the world.As shipbuilders,we build with our hearts.We know the ship is our legacy,Mr.Petters said.Captain Kevin O'Flaherty,commanding officer of CVN 77,saluted the Navy League,especially the Hampton Roads Council,for providing the tribute room,a small museum on the ship to honor Mr.Bush,and other support for the crew.One by one,crewmembers ran up the gangway to the accompaniment of the Navy song "Anchors Aweigh,"bringing the ship to life as ordered.She is expected to be in service for 50 years,and is the last of the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers.

No Mean Task

Navy Secretary Donald Winter said the ship's commissioning was not easily achieved.This is a ship that will make history,and today is the start of a long and illustrious journey,Mr.Winter remarked.The colors and commissioning pennant were hoisted up the ship's mast,which towers 20 stories above the waterline.Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead described the carrier as a piece of sovereign American territory.It is just the beginning for the sailors who will serve on her today.You bring to life this extraordinary ship,Admiral Roughead told them.Set the bar very high,so that everyone is always reaching for it,the admiral advised.The honoree,President George H.W. Bush,who is 84,had received the Distinguished Flying Cross and three air medals for his own service on a World War II aircraft carrier.I wish I was sitting right out there with you,Mr.Bush told the crew.You take with you the hopes and dreams of all Americans.I know you will find comfort and inspiration at sea,particularly in the night sky.May God bless the men and women who sail in CVN 77,the elder statesman prayed.Mr.Bush then presented the long glass,a ceremonial telescope,to the First Officer of the Deck to stand the first watch.The watch will stay on duty for the life of the ship.Dorothy Bush Koch,Mr.Bush's daughter,to whom he is exceptionally close,is the ship's sponsor,and ordered the crew to man the ship and bring her to life,in accordance with naval tradition.

Focus on Defense:USS George H.W. Bush

If anyone has a question about the ingenuity of American workers,they should see this ship,said Virginia Governor Tim Kaine,who was recently appointed Chairman of the Democratic National Committee,at the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush(CVN 77) in Norfolk,Virginia on Saturday.Defense Secretary Robert Gates,who will be staying on in the Obama administration,added there is no one more deserving than President George H.W. Bush,who was the 41st president,to have an aircraft carrier named for him.Mr.Bush was the last of the World War II generation to serve as commander in chief.The carrier,which will be homeported in Norfolk and serve in the Atlantic Fleet,is a symbol of American strength and credibility,Mr.Gates observed.The ship is manned by more than 5500 sailors and Marines,who have been working on her for three years now,along with shipyard workers from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.