Saluting the USS Bainbridge
Published 5:00 am Wednesday, August 4, 2004
The U.S. Navy’s newest destroyer bears a name familiar to island residents.
The USS Bainbridge, DDG 96, is a state-of-the-art guided missile vessel under construction in Bath, Maine.
The City of Bainbridge plans to participate in the ship’s Nov. 13 christening.
“We have high hopes of sending a representative and more,” said City Councilman and retired navy pilot Bill Knobloch. “There’s all kinds of ways to make our presence felt, and let the crew know our community is proud of them.”
Like the island, four navy ships have been named after Commodore William Bainbridge, notable for his victory over the HMS Java in the War of 1812.
The first ship to bear his name was a 250-ton brig commissioned in 1842. The USS Bainbridge name also adorned the hulls of two destroyers, and a nuclear-powered cruiser that was decommissioned in 1997.
Island resident David LaFave served as an electrician on the previous USS Bainbridge and has spearheaded local involvement with its latest incarnation.
“It’s important to show support for the military,” LaFave said.
“And it’s always nice for the crew to know people approve of what they do.”
The Bainbridge name has popped up throughout LaFave’s life. He was stationed at a naval base in Bainbridge, Md., shortly before it closed in 1976. He served on the same-named ship for five years, and moved to the island two years ago to manage the Winslow Wharf Marina.
“It’s nothing unique,” LaFave said. “It just happened that way – just by chance.”
LaFave is a member of the USS Bainbridge reunion association and has suggested a variety of ways the city can be involved with the new ship.
He has proposed sending a painting from a local artist to hang in the ship’s mess hall, a gift of Bainbridge foods for the crew to enjoy, or onboard exercise equipment.
LaFave would also like to see Bainbridge representatives attend the ship’s christening this fall and commissioning ceremony in 2005, when the ship enters active service.
The Navy is considering Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Savannah, Ga. and other East Coast ports as the ship’s base. The ship will likely serve in an aircraft carrier battle group but can operate in amphibious missions or independently.
The ship’s captain, Commander John Dorey, is in the early stages of selecting the 25-member crew, but hopes to include Washingtonians.
If any locals are selected, LaFave would like to organize a dinner event for them on the island.
Officials in the small town of Bainbridge, Ga., also named for the American naval hero, have no planned involvement with the ship, LaFave said.
LaFave said he now will focus on fund-raising to support the city’s involvement once plans crystalize.
“We’ll have a clearer picture of what we’ll do in the next two months,” Knobloch said. “Gathering a consensus and getting approval is our next step.”
