SAN DIEGO -- The Navy's newest ship was christened Saturday evening on Cinco de Mayo in honor of the late Mexican-American labor leader Cesar Chavez.
Those assembled in the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard near Barrio Logan on Saturday cheered as the cargo ship slipped into the harbor, but the naming almost did not happen.Initially, the Chavez family did not want the ship named after the migrant worker advocate since he believed in non-violence. They agreed after learning the ship will be used to take carry supplies like food to other ships.Now, the ship name is being criticized by members of the Senate. Republicans have asked the Navy to explain its choice, calling the naming a political statement that does not follow Navy protocol.The assistant secretary of the Navy did not wait for the Senate hearing to address the controversy."
This the perfect name of an American hero who embodied American values that will inspire a generation of sailors," said Juan Garcia, the assistant secretary of the Navy.Chavez himself served two years in the Navy from 1946 to 1948.The USNS Cesar Chavez is the 14th and final in the series of ships which were built in San Diego and named after pioneers."Like Dr. Charles Drew who pioneered... transfusions and now, to a pioneer in civil rights," said Garcia.
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