No Murtha Ship
I mentioned the other day that Ponsdorf called me to tell me that he couldn’t tell me something. Well, this is it, from our friend, Captain Larry Bailey;
Folks, this is the official launch of our effort to convince the Secretary of the Navy that LPD-26, the ship that is to be launched next year, should be named after either a great American city (like her sister LPD, the USS San Antonio) or a true American hero.
Here is our brand-new website: No Murtha Ship Take a look. Scott Swett did a great job of putting it up, and Linda Eddy did a great job of designing our logo.
We intend to serve notice on Navy Secretary Ray Mabus that it is intolerable to name this fine vessel after John P. Murtha, arguably (and demonstrably) one of the most corrupt politicians ever to sit in Congress.
It should be made clear that we are not connected to any political party or movement; we just want our Navy’s ships to be named appropriately.
Pass the word, please, to your mailing lists. And tell recipients that any money raised over what our actual costs are (website management, advertisements, etc.) will be donated to a worthy military charity. Nobody is on salary, but contributions will be required to keep us up and running.
You will note that checks must be made out to “Larry Bailey/Sink Murtha.” That is because my bank (USAA Bank) would not allow me to open an account under an organizational name. We also have a PayPal account, as you’ll see on the website.
You have my permission to simply forward this e-mail. However you pass the word is all right with me; just get the message out there that we will not allow a corrupt congressman to be honored by the US Navy!
Many thanks to you all!
Larry Bailey
It’s especially timely now that the Haditha trials are all but finished.
Category: Military issues
If they are gonna start naming them after corrupt former Dept. of the Navy Congress Critters, how about one for Duke Cunningham right after?
Great website! Well done, Larry et al.
One caution – when you sign the petition, don’t sign up for the paypal deal unless you really want to make a donation to the petition folks instead of the anti-Murtha bunch. (OK, you youngsters already know all that stuff, but some of us oldsters don’t necessarily.)
Maybe if they named it the USS Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurtha….on second thought, nah. Fuck him. Dude was never a Marine, he was just in the Marines.
Yall are aware that the Navy did name a ship after one Cesaer Chavez, a USN vet, communist farm worker organizer?
‘scuse me…Cesar Chavez….found a post over at the major league teams blog…er B-5.
If they name it after Mutha, what’s next? The USS Sean Penn, the USS Susan Sarandon, OH I KNOW… the USS Alec Baldwin! Having been assigned to LPD-8, the USS Dubuque, I’m rather fond of them. I’d to think real Marine were riding around on a ship named after that piece of work. Maybe they could hold a formation and piss on the deck. A symbolic thing.
I’m guessing the Corps will have zero tolerance for pissing on anything due to recent events, which is a shame. I’ve grown quite fond of claiming the globe as my toilet.
Redacted, that’s funny! I don’t care who you are!!!
Git’r done!
Petition signed, web site shared, emails sent. This is one protest I can get behind. Thanks for the heads up.
Stubby
USS Saratoga CV-60
1988-1989
USNR 1989-1993
I was against the naming of the last Seawolf the USS Jimmy Carter. I know he was the only president to graduate from Annapolis (vs. the six from West Point. Suck it Navy) but he was no friend to the military, or special Ops (which apparently is what the boat’s primary function)
Why are we naming Carriers after politicians? I’m thinking Lexington, Constellation and Yorktown are up. You could also go for Ranger, Serpsis, and Monitor (all great Navy ships) I think the ship naming has been jacked up for years.
This must not happen. If Murtha was just a neutral entity, with nothing to besmirch his name he wouldn’t be worthy. His character and conduct should disqualify him forever. His name shouldn’t even have been under consideration what so ever. Why should sailors want to emulate him or his life story? The fact is they shouldn’t. I’m not saying such a person be a Steven Decatur, but certainly not Jack Murtha.
Names should be inspiring and traditionally have been named after battles, heros, city/states, and later Presidents. I always thought the Royal Navy had generally cooler names. Martial abstractions like the Wasp, Enterprise, Bon Homme Richard, Ajax, Serapis, and the Hornett, having since fallen from use.
Ships should also not be named after living people, and generally haven’t been until the last thirty odd years or so. The Carter submarine was a good example but frankly so was the aircraft carrier Reagan, and I believe the next carrier is George H.W. Bush. At the end of the life of said individual, only then should such an honor be bestowed.
There is an LHD named USS Wasp still in active service today. It’s been sailing for over 20 years.