USS Reagan Officially Enters Service
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By SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer
NORFOLK, Va. - With the order "Bring her to life," former first lady Nancy Reagan sent lines of sailors streaming onto the USS Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) as a crowd cheered at the commissioning of the Navy's newest aircraft carrier Saturday.
The carrier, nearly 1,100 feet long and standing 20 stories above the waterline, is the first to be named for a living president.
Ronald Reagan, now 92 and ailing with Alzheimer's disease (news - web sites), didn't attend the ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station, but he was praised by many of the speakers.
Today's Navy is in many ways a monument to Reagan's vision, Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) told the hundreds of spectators who applauded under the clear blue sky.
"He came to the presidency with a clear understanding of the tools our Navy would need to protect the American people," Cheney told the crowd.
The crowd cheered wildly when Mrs. Reagan walked to a podium and waved.
"I only have one line, so `man the ship and bring her to life,'" Mrs. Reagan said.
As the carrier's whistle blared and the sailors ran aboard, two F-14 Tomcats and two F-18 Hornets flashed overhead in formation.
Mrs. Reagan had also christened the ship, breaking a bottle of sparkling wine against the carrier's bow in 2001.
The Reagan, expected to serve the Navy for more than 50 years, will be based in San Diego, be home to 6,000 sailors and carry more than 80 aircraft. With two nuclear reactors, the carrier can travel faster than 30 knots and operate for 20 years without refueling.
"Quite frankly, there's not a better name for an aircraft carrier than Ronald Reagan," said the ship's commanding officer, Capt. Bill Goodwin.
Petty Officer 1st Class Paul Fulsom became the first sailor assigned to the Reagan when he was transferred from Bahrain three years ago after the birth of his daughter, who needed surgery.
He watched the carrier's construction over the years since reporting to the Reagan on May 26, 2000. That first day, "you could look from the hangar bay up to the sky," the 32-year-old said.
Fulsom, of Yakima, Wash., says he's proud to serve on a carrier named after the nation's 40th president.
"To have my name in the same sentence as the former president is an honor in itself," he said. |
