BATH (NEWS CENTER Maine) — The keel could be considered the spine of a ship. But the ceremony at which it was laid into a new Navy destroyer at Bath Iron Works got its heart from the wife of the ship's namesake.
The ceremony on Monday marked a milestone in the construction of the ship that's been earmarked to be named the USS Daniel Inouye. With the laying of the 3,000-ton keel, it's more than halfway toward completion.
Daniel Inouye received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. He continued to serve his country as a U.S. Senator, representing Hawaii for 50 years. Following his death in 2012, Inouye also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
His wife, Irene Hirano Inouye, is a sponsor of the ship that will bear his name. Her own initials were scrawled on a steel plate that will become part of the ship. In a highlight of the keel-laying ceremony, she helped weld the plate into place.
Through a written statement by BIW's parent company, General Dynamics, details of the event were made public.
