U.S.S. Jeremiah Denton christened at Ingalls Shipbuilding

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (WXXV)- On Saturday in Pascagoula, it was a day of celebration as Ingalls Shipbuilding christened a new guided missile destroyer named after a former U.S. Senator and Vietnam war hero.

The U.S.S. Jeremiah Denton is named after the former Alabama senator, who spent eight years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

It’s the third Flight III Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer to be built at the Ingalls Shipbuilding division.

The bottle breaking ceremony was performed by Denton’s daughters, who say their family was made stronger through their father’s experiences.

Ingalls currently has five flight three Arleigh Burke class destroyers under construction.