Lawmakers seek to name ship USS Chattanooga

The five servicemembers who were slain on July 16 in Chattanooga last year may receive an honor after a letter was sent on Friday to the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, Ray Mabus, by several politicians representing Tennessee and Georgia.

The letter, penned by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and U.S. Reps. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., and Tom Graves, R-Ga., requests the Navy name a ship the USS Chattanooga to honor the sacrifice of those men who were killed in the terrorist attack.

The letter summarizes what happened that day and says, “The Chattanooga City Council and the Tennessee General Assembly passed separate resolutions supporting naming the next eligible U.S. navy ship in honor of the five servicemembers who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attack in Chattanooga.”

It also says, “In the wake of this tragedy, we believe that it is appropriate for the U.S. Navy to honor the legacy of those who lost their lives.”

Timothy Walters, petty officer first class and the public affairs coordinator for the Navy’s Nashville recruiting office, said if the proposal were accepted, the ship that would be named would likely be a Littoral Combat Ship.

He said multiple cities have had similar ships named after them and said, “It’s a shallow-water-capable ship that also has seagoing capabilities.”