Fission Accomplished: Biden To Name Nuclear Aircraft Carrier After George W. Bush
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite & Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni/U.S. Navy
President Joe Biden announced on Monday that the next two nuclear-powered U.S. Navy aircraft carriers would be named after former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
“When I personally delivered the news to Bill and George, they were deeply humbled,” said Biden in a statement. “Each knows firsthand the weight of the responsibilities that come with being Commander-in-Chief. And both know well our duty to support the families and loved ones who wait and worry for the safe return of their servicemember.”
He continued:
The future USS William J. Clinton (CVN 82) and the future USS George W. Bush (CVN 83) will begin construction in the years ahead. When complete, they will join the most capable, flexible, and professional Navy that has ever put to sea. They will be crewed by Sailors who hail from every corner of the United States, and who will sail these ships into harm’s way, defending our interests overseas and our safety here at home.
Those Sailors will demonstrate not only the example of our power, but the power of our example. And our nation remains grateful to them, their families, and all the talented shipyard workers who will bring these ships to life.
May God protect all who sail aboard USS William J. Clinton, USS George W. Bush and every other ship in our fleet. And may God continue to bless our troops.
President Bush famously delivered his controversial “Mission Accomplished” speech onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in 2003, declaring that “major combat operations in Iraq” had “ended” and that the United States had “prevailed.”
The Iraq War continued until 2011, more than eight years after Bush’s speech, and resulted in the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and countless more Iraqis.
The first of the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers was named after former President Gerald R. Ford and commissioned in 2017.
The USS John F. Kennedy, named after former President John F. Kennedy, is scheduled to be commissioned this year, followed by the USS Enterprise in 2029 and the USS Doris Miller in 2032.
The USS William J. Clinton is expected to be commissioned in 2036 and will replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
