Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and husband retired U.S.Navy Captain Mark Kelly greet the crowd during the ceremony.
Former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords ’93 was honored by the U.S. Navy with the christening of a littoral (close to shore) combat ship, the USS Gabrielle Giffords, on June 14, 2015. “In Congress, I was proud to support our armed forces. I love the Navy—I even married a sailor,” said Giffords at the ceremony in Mobile, Alabama. “Thank you to all who built this ship. She’s stealthy; she will defend freedom around the world.”
Less than 20 U.S. Navy ships have been named after a living person since 1900, and even fewer have been named after women by the military. Ships often are named after people who served in the Navy or who served in the government.
Vice Admiral Philip Cullom says Giffords was chosen as the vessel’s namesake because “Gabby has truly modeled courage and resilience” after the January 2011 shooting in Tucson that left her badly wounded.
View video of the ship’s christening on nbcnews.com.
