33rd Guided Missile Destroyer to be christened at Ingalls
Tomorrow morning, the 33rd guided missile destroyer built by Ingalls will be christened.
The christening of the DDG 121 celebrates the vessel making it into the water. This is the 33rd guided missile destroyer to be built at Ingalls. This ship’s namesake, Lt. Frank E. Petersen Jr., served as the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and general. He flew combat missions in Korea and Vietnam, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart.
In 2015, long after his retirement, at age 83, he lost his battle with cancer. His widow, Dr. Alicia Petersen, said, “I really always have to describe him as the quiet giant of a person. He never wanted the limelight. He was just very, very focused on what he had to do and a believer in much and the importance of the military and its commitment to this country.”
Alicia serves as a sponsor for this ship and feels so much pride for her late husband. “It’s an honor for all of the young men who followed him and that are inspired by what he was able to accomplish and what he did and who still look to him as someone who is a leader and someone who they can aspire to follow. I think that alone is going to maintain his legacy for years and years to come.”
This 510 foot long guided missile destroyer is the most lethal type of ship built at Ingalls. It has six torpedoes and multiple types of missiles aboard. Ingalls President Brian Cuccias said, “This ship is really the Corvette for the fleet. It helps protect battle groups. So it has a full array of radar senses as well as offensive weapons in terms of missiles. It really is the Corvette. It’s a fast little capable ship. It’s the most capable destroyer in the world.”
Saturday morning, the Frank E. Petersen Jr. DDG 121 will be christened.
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