PASCAGOULA, Miss., Aug. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company's fifth U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter (NSC), James (WMSL 754), today in front of nearly 1,000 guests.
Charlene James Benoit, great-great niece of the ship's namesake, Capt. Joshua James, is the ship sponsor. At the culmination of the ceremony, Benoit smashed a bottle across the bow of the ship, proclaiming, "May God bless this ship and all who sail in her."
"The boundaries surrounding illegal migrant activity, weapons, drug smuggling and terrorism continue to blur and converge," said Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger, vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and the ceremony's principal speaker. "The challenges created by that convergence require a 21st century Joshua James. We need his spirit and his adherence to our values. We need his adaptability, his staying power and his multi-mission focus.
