In August, Huntington Ingalls Industries and the US Navy held a ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on the new Ford-class carrier.
The future USS Doris Miller is the fourth Ford-class carrier, and the second ship to be named after Miller, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions in Pearl Harbor.
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Although it will be more than a decade before the USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) is commissioned into US Navy, the first significant milestone was reached when the First Cut of Steel ceremony took place in Newport News.
Six members of the Messman Second Class Doris Miller crew were present to officially start construction of the new warship. Miller, named after the ship, was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross. He received it for his actions in the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.
Gerald Bish, shipbuilder, operates a plasma-cutting device during the ceremony of the first cut steel for the aircraft carrier Doris Miller on August 25, 2021. Huntington Ingalls Industries
Thomas Bledsoe was the great-nephew and ancestor of the ship's name. He gave the order to "cut steel" to Gerald Bish, a shipbuilder who owned a large plasma-cutting device that cut the first steel plate.
At Wednesday's ceremony, Jennifer Boykin, president and CEO of Newport News Shipbuilding said, "Today, we recognize the beginning of construction of the fourth vessel of the Gerald R. Ford class." Our shipbuilders will continue to put their heart into every fitting, every lifting unit, and every square inch of steel that they weld. Shipbuilders, thank you for your dedication, innovation, and hard work in transforming this first piece steel into an amazing aircraft carrier.
Honoring an American hero
Doris Miller. US Navy
On Sunday, December 7, Messman Second Class Miller was washing laundry aboard the USS West Virginia. He heard an alarm sound. He quickly grabbed a.50-caliber gun and began firing it, even though he had never been trained to do so.
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz was the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Fleet and Miller was recognized for his actions. He awarded Miller the Navy Cross, the third highest Navy award at that time.
Bledsoe stated that "The Doris Miller story offers so many lessons for us as Americans." "The Miller family can't express what this means for us, Americans, and anyone else inspired by Doris Miller’s story," Bledsoe said.
Fourth class carrier
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, and Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour were both spotted in the Atlantic Ocean on March 20, 2021. US Navy/MCS3 Riley McDowell
Future USS Doris Miller, a Ford-class carrier, will be the fourth and second ships to be named in her honor. USS Miller, a now-retired Knox class destroyer, was the first ship.
CVN-81 will be also the first carrier to bear the name of an African-American pilot and the first carrier to be named after a sailor who was enlisted while performing actions.
"It's so fitting and time-appropriate during a period for significant discussion and change that we come together to start construction of one our Navy's next great air carriers, in honor of one the finest heroes the greatest generation," said Rear Adm. James Downey (program executive officer for aircraft carrier). We will build a solid and powerful warship that is worthy of his legacy.
Huntington Ingalls Industries is the contractor for the warship and this is the second ship in the two-carrier contract. HII will also build the carrier at the Newport News facility. In January 2019, Huntington Ingalls Industries was also awarded the contract for the construction and detail of the future USS Enterprise. (CVN-80).
The dry dock area of the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy is flooding, October 29, 2019, US Navy/MCS3 Class Adam Ferrero
Newport News is currently involved in early manufacturing of Doris Miller. This includes structural fabrication as well as shop work. This ship will be the second carrier aircraft to be completely built using digital drawings and processes, rather than traditional paper products and packages.
The ship's keel will be laid in 2026 and the delivery to the US Navy is expected to take place in 2032. The Navy plans to build 10 Ford-class carriers. These carriers will replace the Nimitz-class carriers one-for-one.
Newport News could deliver the carriers to Navy until 2058, or even later than 50 years after the first ship was built with steel. The Ford-class carriers cost $11 billion to 13 billion each and are among the most expensive warships ever made.
Peter Suciu, a Michigan-based journalist, has contributed to over four dozen magazines and newspapers. He is a regular writer on small arms and has written several books about military headgear, including "A Gallery of Military Headdress," available on Amazon.com.
