Austal USA in Mobile has begun building a U.S. Navy towing, salvage and rescue ship. It will be the Navy's seventh ship of its kind, named after American hero Solomon Atkinson.
The keel-laying ceremony for the USNS Solomon Atkinson (T-ATS 12) was held in Mobile last week, attended by Atkinson's widow and two daughters. They welded their initials into a keel plate that will be placed on the ship's hull.
Atkinson, of Metlakatla, Alaska, was a commercial fisherman before joining the Navy in 1952. As one of the first Navy SEALs, he served in Korea and was deployed to three combat tours in Vietnam. He was awarded a Bronze Star, a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and a Purple Heart.
Atkinson also trained astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, in underwater weightless simulations in Key West, Fla.
He retired in 1973 as a Chief Warrant Officer, 4th Class. He returned to Alaska, where he founded the first veterans' organization on Annette Island. He also served on a local school board and eventually became mayor of Metlakatla.
The T-ATS 12 will be a multi-mission ship. It will have 6,000 square feet of deck space.
Dave Growden, vice president of new construction at Austal USA in Mobile, said the keel-laying ceremony, just a couple of weeks after the christening of the USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11), is a sign of how dedicated the company is to the U.S. Navy.
"I am proud of the Austal USA T-ATS program team for providing us with the opportunity to celebrate two T-ATS milestones so close together," Growden said. "This ceremony is evidence of the hard work and dedication put forth by Austal USA and our Navy and supplier partners to keep the T-ATS program steadily moving forward."
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