NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. - After skipping the 30th anniversary due to COVID-19, the U.S. Navy is honoring the 31st anniversary of the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), along with the class of guided-missile destroyers that shares its name.
On Sunday, the USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), an Arleigh Burke-class ship, will host a tribute to Naval hero Adm. Arleigh Burke, whose namesake ship is currently docked in Rota, Spain.
“It’s the best warships that have ever been built. We have Arleigh Burke destroyers on deployment and forward deployed around the world all the time," said Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, the Keynote Speaker of the event.
The ceremony is just one of the commemorative events scheduled around the July 4th holiday.
“He’d have a special glean in his eyes for those young sailors standing there in ranks today. That’s the kind of leader he was; most appreciative of the men and women who make the backbone of our surface force," said Vice Adm. John Morgan, the first Commanding Officer of the USS Arleigh Burke, of Adm. Burke.
According to the U.S. Navy, there are currently 70 Arleigh Burke-class warships delivered to the fleet with more than 30 others on contract and in various stages of construction.
