The US Navy formally named its newest Arleigh Buke-class guided-missile destroyer during a ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works' shipyard in Maine on Saturday, August 1.
The future USS William Charette is named in honour of Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William R. Charette, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts during the Korean War.
Although seriously wounded during the same action that earned him the Medal of Honor, Master Chief Charette survived the war, served until his retirement from the navy in 1977, and ultimately died in 2012 at the age of 79.
Kathryn Charette Donovan, daughter of the late Master Chief Charette, served as ship's sponsor during Saturday's ceremony.
The future William Charette is being built as an Arleigh Burke-class flight III destroyer. The flight III ships will each feature the AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defence radar and will incorporate upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes to provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet.
