On Saturday, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King joined Gov. Janet Mills at the christening of the future USS Daniel Inouye.
The ship, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was built in honor of Sen. Daniel Inouye from Hawaii at Bath Iron Works. Inouye represented Hawaii in the U.S. Senate for 49 years. In 2000, he received the Medal of Honor for his heroism in World War II and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of honor from President Obama in 2013.
“He was committed to ensuring that the men and women of our military have the most advanced technology, equipment, and ships,” Collins said. “He knew and appreciated the key role the men and women of Bath Iron Works have played in meeting this obligation.
King also applauded the people at Bath Iron Works who built the ship and the work they did: “The men and women of BIW have built a ship of the highest quality, and those who sail it will do so with the utmost skill and dedication, so that the USS Daniel Inouye can advance the ideals that its namesake fought for every single day.”