It’s “old home days” for an Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer – the newest in the Navy – built in Bath, Maine.
The USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124) floated March 13 into Boston Harbor for a scheduled port visit.
During the layover, sailors assigned to the ship participate in community-engagement events and host public tours.
“Our arrival in Boston is a meaningful milestone as our crew prepares to commission the Navy’s newest destroyer and bring this warship to life,” said Cmdr. Ben Cantu, commanding officer.
Next month in Norfolk, Virginia, the U.S. Navy will commission the Barnum, the first vessel to bear the name of the Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient.
The April 11 ceremony will mark the 513-foot vessel, launched from Bath nearly three years ago, officially becoming a U.S. warship.
The destroyer is named in honor of Harvey C. Barnum Jr., a retired United States Marine Corps officer who received the Medal of Honor for valor during the Vietnam War.
Barnum has served as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy as well as acting assistant secretary.
DDG 124’s sponsor, Martha Hill, is Barnum’s wife, and since the 2021 keel-laying ceremony, Hill and Barnum have kept a close relationship with the ship’s crew.
During the commission, Hill will maintain tradition by giving the order as the vessel’s sponsor to “man our ship and bring her to life!”
The crew will then hoist the commissioning pennant, and USS Barnum will officially become a warship and enter the fleet.
Following the commission, the ship will be located at Naval Station Norfolk.
