Posted on: Monday, August 16, 2004
New warship named after local war hero
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
A new $1 billion destroyer will be "brought to life" Sept. 18 at Ford Island in a rare ship commissioning here that adds naval capability for Pearl Harbor while celebrating a local boy turned war hero — and his Asian and Hawaiian roots.
U.S. Navy photo Chung-Hoon, who was born in Honolulu in 1910 and died in 1979, received the Navy Cross and Silver Star "for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism" as commanding officer of the destroyer Sigsbee, which helped down 20 enemy aircraft while screening a carrier strike force off the Japanese island of Kyushu in the spring of 1945.
A kamikaze crashed into the Sigsbee on April 14, 1945, but despite extensive damage, then-Cmdr. Chung-Hoon kept his anti-aircraft batteries delivering "prolonged and effective fire" while also directing damage control, the Navy said.
Chung-Hoon, a 1934 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was part Chinese, British and Hawaiian.
The addition of Chung-Hoon brings to 12 the number of surface ships based out of Pearl Harbor and represents a continuation of upgrades to the weaponry of Navy ships based here, said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, spokesman for Navy Region Hawai'i.
"It's the most state-of-the-art ship we have in Hawai'i today," Davis said.
Five other Arleigh Burke destroyers are based at Pearl Harbor: the Hopper, O'Kane, Paul Hamilton, Russell and Chafee, which was added to the fleet last December.
The 510-foot Chung-Hoon, commanded by Cmdr. Kenneth L. Williams Jr. and with a crew of more than 300, is expected to add $17 million in salaries to Hawai'i.
Fast on the water and carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles, the destroyers are capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously.
The Navy on May 24 took delivery of the Chung-Hoon, DDG 93, in Pascagoula, Miss. Now in San Diego, it is due to arrive in Hawai'i on Sept. 10.
In a traditional role, the Navy League of Honolulu is overseeing the commissioning festivities, expected to cost more than $100,000.
"We go to all of the shipbuilders who had a part in this and we start there. Those contractors donate a good portion of the money," said Mildred Courtney, vice president of sea services for the Navy League of Honolulu.
The cruiser Lake Erie and destroyer O'Kane also were commissioned in Hawai'i — the O'Kane most recently in 1999.
Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, will be the keynote speaker for the event, which will include appearances by the Royal Hawaiian Band, lion dancers, Royal Guard, 60 keiki hula dancers and the Honolulu Boy Choir. The event is not expected to be open to the public.
The Ford Island bridge will be opened on Sept. 10 to allow the Chung-Hoon to sail through in full dress and give honors to the USS Arizona.
"It's a big event," Courtney said of the commissioning. "It's a chicken-skin experience and is something absolutely moving."
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.
The guided missile destroyer, named for Rear Adm. Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon, will be feted with a commanding officer's reception on the battleship Missouri on Sept. 17, a crew's reception in Chinatown with firecrackers and lion dances, and a party for 3,000 invited guests.
The guided missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon is due to arrive in Hawai'i on Sept. 10; its homecoming will be celebrated Sept. 17 and 18.
