BATH, ME – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered remarks today at the christening of the future USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) at Bath Iron Works. The Hudner, a 510-foot long and 9,200 ton Arleigh Burke Class destroyer, is named after Medal of Honor recipient retired Navy Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., who also attended today’s ceremony.

Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on April 13, 1951 for displaying uncommon valor during an attack on his fellow airman, the first African American naval aviator, Ensign Jesse L. Brown. During the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, anti-aircraft fire hit Brown's aircraft, causing him to crash. After it became clear that Brown was seriously injured and unable to free himself, Hudner proceeded to purposefully crash his own aircraft to join Brown and provide aid. Hudner injured his own back during his crash landing, but he stayed with Brown until a rescue helicopter arrived. Hudner and the rescue pilot worked in the sub-zero, snow-laden area in an unsuccessful attempt to free Brown from the smoking wreckage.

Senator King’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

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“What I want to do today is be in an attitude of gratitude – three thank-yous. First, to Tom Hudner, and the men and women of our services who make the sacrifices every day – year in and year out – to keep us free.

“At the beginning of our ceremony today, we heard the national anthem. We hear it all the time. We hear it at ceremonies like this, at ball games, and often we don’t think about what the words mean. What has struck me so many times is that our national anthem, unlike, I believe, any in the world ends with a question:

“‘Oh, say! does that star-spangled banner yet wave. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?’

            “That’s a question, and it’s a question that has to be answered by every generation. And I believe we will remain the land of the free as long as we are the home of the brave. And today we are in the presence of true bravery, Captain Thomas Hudner, and the men and women of our armed forces who express that bravery every day.

“My second thanks is to the United States Navy that stands watch around the world – yes, in all weathers, in all climates, in all corners of the globe, and many of them stand watch on these great DDGs.

“As I do my work in Washington, I visited one of our national security agencies. They had a big map on the wall of all our assets around the world, and among the most prominent on that map were DDGs. I just wish they had said Bath DDG so I could tell which were the good ones.

“But I want to thank the men and women of the Navy and of all our armed services for the work they do on our behalf and the bravery they expend on our behalf to keep us free.

“And finally, I want to express my thanks to the men and women of Bath Iron Works, who prepared us for this ceremony this morning, who were up all night, who work on these ships. And I think it’s a good reminder to us they aren’t all being built in July and August. They’re built on days like this. I’ve often thought that one of the hardest jobs in America and in Maine is to be working on this ship in the middle of a Maine winter. So I want to thank the men and women for their pride, for their dedication, for their skill, for what they do for their families, but also what they do for America.

“And I will end with a quote from President John F. Kennedy:

“‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words of thanks but to live by them.”

And today we want to express those words of thanks but we also want to follow the example of Tom Hudner and live by them.

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