The christening of the Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), Bath Iron Works’ 35th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, is officially scheduled for Oct. 31, according to BIW spokesman Matt Wickenheiser.
Two other Arleigh Burke destroyers are currently in production at the General Dynamics-owned shipyard, including the Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) and Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), as well as three Zumwaltclass destroyers, Zumwalt (DDG 1000), Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) and Lyndon Johnson (DDG 1002).
The shipyard’s most recent christening was for the USS Zumwalt, which took place in April of last year.
The upcoming christening would make it almost exactly a year since the ship’s keel laying ceremony last October, according to a newsletter on the BIW website.
Honoring Marine
The completed destroyer is named after Sgt. Rafael Peralta of the U.S. Marine Corps, who was deployed to Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was killed in 2004 during the Second Battle of Fallujah during house-tohouse urban combat.
According to the U.S. Navy website, Peralta was already severely wounded from a firefight when he smothered a grenade thrown by insurgents to protect his fellow Marines at the time.
He was only 25 years old.
Peralta posthumously received the Navy Cross award, the second highest award for valor, in 2008, according to the website.
Peralta’s mother and ship sponsor, Rosa, and his sisters, Karen and Icela Peralta Donald, will be present to support their mother in her role at the christening, where she will strike a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow, as is tradition.
Keel laying
Rosa, Karen and Peralta Donald were also present for the ship’s keel laying last fall.
“The men and women of Bath Iron Works are very proud to be building this ship named after an American hero, and we are very much looking forward to hosting Sgt. Peralta’s mother and family for this important ceremony,” Wickenheiser said.
Following the christening, Wickenhesier said there will be a 12-hour transition period to move the ship from land level into the Kennebec River.
The christening of the Peralta will be open to the public, according to BIW officials.
dkim@timesrecord.com
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