USS Carl M. Levin Is Getting

U.S. NAVY VIA FACEBOOK

JN STAFF

The naval destroyer named for the late Sen. Carl Levin was christened Oct. 2 at Bath Iron Works in Maine.

The USS Carl M. Levin, a 510-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, weighed 7,500 tons when it launched in May.

Then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the naming of the ship in 2016, saying he considered Levin to be one of the “most influential” members of the Senate. “Destroyers are named for heroes,” Mabus said. “Carl Levin is an American hero.”

Levin, who died July 29 at age 87, served 36 years in the U.S. Senate. For all those years, he served on the Senate Armed Services Committee, including 10 years as its chairman.

Levin’s three daughters, Kate Levin Markel, Laura Levin and Erica Levin, performed the christening. Erica Levin delivered a speech her father wrote for the occasion before his death.

Levin’s nephew, U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, said, “My Uncle Carl said, ‘I suppose a lot of people might say, well, I was chair of the Armed Services Committee for all these years, so having a mighty ship named after me is a fitting tribute.’ That is not how Uncle Carl viewed this situation at all.

“Above all, he loved the commitment, sacrifice, patriotism and fellow feeling of ordinary Americans like those who will serve on this ship.”

Sen. Levin’s wife, Barbara, and older brother, retired U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, also attended.

Sander Levin said, “Carl sought to join the Senate Armed Services Committee both to honor his debt to this nation and to strive to ensure that its work was in the best interest of all our citizens.

“Our hope is that in the years and years to come, it will help us remember him and honor all that made him a remarkable public servant and a glorious human being.”

The motto of the USS Carl M. Levin is “Tenacious in the Fight,” which expresses “the steadfast and determined motivation of the command and crew to triumph over adversity,” according to the U.S. Navy.

“The hourglass shaped division of the field resembles the shape of the historic Senate gavel, implying Mr. Levin’s service as a United States Senator,” according to its description on the U.S. Navy’s website. “The six six-pointed stars honor Mr. Levin’s 36 years in the Senate. The seven vertical stripes over a blue field denote the USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120) as the 70th ship in its class. The national colors of the United States are red, white and blue.” It goes on to describe the crest on the seal: “The sword and Senate gavel allude to Mr. Levin’s service as a Senator and

position of Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. The Phrygian (Liberty) cap amongst the radiant light conveys Mr. Levin’s work to protect the Great Lakes and their many lighthouses along Michigan’s coastline. The Liberty cap, adapted from the United U.S. NAVY States Senate Seal, conveys the paramount nature of America’s ethics and values, emphasized by the golden radiant light. Additionally, the eagle is featured on the coat of arms of the State Seal of the of Michigan, in tribute to Mr. Levin’s

USS Carl M. Levin home state.”