NH Congressional DElegation ANnounces Combat Support SHip to be Named the USS Alan Shepard

NH CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION ANNOUNCES COMBAT SUPPORT SHIP TO BE NAMED THE USS ALAN SHEPARD
Ship will honor Granite State native and first American in space

01/20/06

(Washington, D.C.)--U.S. Senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu and Congressmen Charles Bass and Jeb Bradley today announced that the U.S. Navy will name its new combat ship the USS Alan Shepard, in honor of Alan B. Shepard, Jr., a native of New Hampshire and the first American in space. The ship, a 1,000-foot combat support ship, will be built in San Diego by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company and is slated to be delivered to the Navy's fleet by March 2007.

"We applaud the Navy's decision to honor the legacy and contributions of New Hampshire's native son Alan Shepard by naming one of the new combat support ships after him. Alan Shepard led a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy and at NASA, and naming a ship after him will be a fitting tribute to one of our nation's greatest pilots and astronauts," stated Gregg, Sununu, Bass and Bradley. "The USS Alan Shepard will play an important role in providing for our Navy's readiness and allow the Navy to maintain a forward presence in the 21st century."

http://www.house.gov/bradley/20060120_main.html