Ingalls to Christen Ship ‘John P.Murtha’ to Honor Marine

Friday, News 25 took an early look at a ship that will be christened at Ingalls Saturday. The ship is named after former Marine and U.S. Congressman, John Murtha.

Saturday morning, crowds will gather and champagne will be popped for the christening of the LPD 26, named John P. Murtha. Murtha served in the Marine Corps for 37 years and later was the first Vietnam War veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He died in 2010. Joyce Murtha, John’s widow, says, "It shows that my husband’s life was not in vein because he worked so hard for 36 years in Congress."

Murtha dedicated his time in Congress to making sure U.S. military members serving in Iraq had the necessary body armor, equipment, and funding, work military members who will be a part of the John P. Murtha crew are grateful for. Captain Kevin Parker, prospective Commanding Officer of the John P. Murtha, says, "He really cared about the troops. He cared about making sure they had the things that they needed, the funding they needed to get their job done, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of that legacy."

Murtha’s daughter will officially christen the ship Saturday, becoming the spirit of the ship, which will look over the John P. Murtha and her crew forever. Joyce also says, "Captains come and go as the Secretary of the Navy had told me back in 1997, but there’s only one spirit of the ship."

Construction on the John P. Murtha began back in 2011. The 208 foot long ship will house 400 crew members and an additional 800 Marines. It could be deployed for any mission, from wars to humanitarian expeditions. Although this ship will officially be christened Saturday, it won’t be set to leave the docks for quite some time. The engines still need to be aligned and the systems need to be tested.

The ship should be ready to go by mid-2016. Until then, the crew will train so when the time comes, they’ll be able to answer the call and sail safely to their mission. At Saturday’s official christening, House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, will be the featured speaker.