Christening Ceremony of the USS Jason Dunham
Streamers fly during the christening ceremony of the USS Jason Dunham, an Arleigh-Burke Class destroyer, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, at Bath iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship is named after the late Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, of Scio, N.Y. Dunham, 22, of Scio, N.Y., who was mortally wounded as he saved his comrades that day, will be honored Saturday at the christening of the Navy's newest destroyer, the USS Jason Dunham. The young corporal who threw his Kevlar helmet and his body onto the grenade became the first Marine since the Vietnam War to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.
Robert F. Bukaty-AP
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Cpl. Jason Dunham made the ultimate sacrifice, and on Saturday the U.S. Navy will honor that sacrifice by naming the 59th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer after him at a ceremony in Maine.
Cpl. Dunham, a native of Scio in Allegany County, was among a squad conducting a reconnaissance mission in Karabilah, Iraq, in 2004 when his battalion commander’s convoy was ambushed.
When Cpl. Dunham’s squad approached to provide fire support, an Iraqi insurgent leapt out of a vehicle and attacked him, according to a military release.
He wrestled the insurgent to the ground, and noticed the enemy fighter had a grenade in his hand.
Alerting his fellow Marines, Cpl. Dunham took off his Kevlar helmet and covered the live grenade as the insurgent dropped it. He threw himself on top to smother the blast, giving up his life to save the lives of two fellow Marines.
That sacrifice earned Cpl. Dunham the Medal of Honor, the first Marine to be awarded that for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The last Marine to earn the Medal of Honor was in Vietnam.
Cpl. Dunham’s legacy will live on as the U.S. Navy names a destroyer after him on Saturday at Bath, Maine.
His mother, Deb Dunham, told the Associated Press this week she can’t think of a greater tribute.
“It keeps his name alive and his memory alive. And that, as a parent, is what’s important, so that people don’t forget what our men and women are doing with the fight for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a cost to pay,” Mrs. Dunham said.
Dunham’s company commander, Maj. Trent Gibson, and other Marines who served with him in Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, will attend.
First Sgt. John Ferguson, who heard Dunham’s last words before the grenade blast, saw the insurgent and the three Marines sprawled on the ground when the dust settled that April 14, 2004.
“I thought for sure all four were dead,” he told the AP. Amazingly, though, Lance Cpl. William Hampton and Pfc. Kelly Miller, both suffering burns and shrapnel wounds, rose to their feet. Dunham never regained consciousness and died eight days later.
According to the Navy Web site, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are all-steel warships that are fast and provide both offensive and defensive capabilities, and can operate independently or as part of carrier battle groups.
According to the Navy Web site, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are all-steel warships that are fast and provide both offensive and defensive capabilities, and can operate independently or as part of carrier battle groups.
The U.S.S. Jason Dunham will be able to do a variety of operations, according to a military release, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. The U.S.S. Jason Dunham will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare.
Retired Gen. Michael W. Hagee, former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, will deliver the ceremony’s principal address, and Mrs. Dunham will serve as sponsor of the ship.
In accordance with Navy tradition, she will be on hand to break a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow to christen the ship.
Cmdr. M. Scott Sciretta is the prospective commanding officer of the ship and will lead a crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel.
The 9,200-ton Jason Dunham was built by Bath Iron Works of Maine, a General Dynamics company. It measures 509-feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship in excess of 30 knots.
The Dunham will go to sea with several mementoes donated by his family, including his dress blue uniform and a baseball bat. The warship carries the motto: “Semper Fidelis, Semper Fortis,” which is Latin for “Always Faithful, Always Strong.”
http://www.oleantimesherald.com
Awesome
Mike Taylor
Great blog! I will be back!
Read the book on this young Marine. Makes you feel proud!
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