Navy ship named for astronaut John Glenn of Ohio to be christened in San Diego
2/1/2014SAN DIEGO — The military is ready to christen a ship named for astronaut and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn of Ohio.
The Department of Defense said Glenn’s daughter, Lyn Glenn, would serve as the sponsor of the ship being christened Saturday in San Diego. It is described as a Mobile Landing Platform and will be designated as a United States Naval Ship.
A statement from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus calls the christening of the future USNS John Glenn “a fitting tribute” to the man who in 1962 became the first American to orbit the Earth.
The statement notes Glenn’s military ties. It says he enlisted in the Naval Reserve as a college student in 1942 and later became a naval aviator while he was a Marine.