The family of Cpl. Jason Dunham, who is from New York and was killed in Iraq, would receive a Gold Star Plate if they resided in New Jersey. (Credit: Marine Corps Times)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Thousands of people turned out for a celebration of the Navy’s newest destroyer and a tribute to a fallen Marine.
The commissioning of the USS Jason Dunham happened under sunny skies at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
The massive $1 billion steel battleship was adorned with red, white and blue flags and ribbons to mark the day.
The 510-foot-long ship was built in Bath, Maine, and will have its home port in Norfolk, Va.
It’s named for a Marine corporal from New York who died in Iraq six years ago after throwing himself on a grenade to protect others.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
