NEW AEGIS DESTROYER TO BE CHRISTENED "SHOUP" AT LITTON INGALLS SHIPBUILDING

February 16, 2001 — A true naval hero of World War II, who was awarded the Medal of Honor and later became the 22^nd Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, will be honored on February 24, 2001, when the U.S. Navy’s newest Aegis guided missile destroyer is christened at Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding, a Litton Ship Systems company.

During a highly patriotic ceremony steeped in naval tradition, the new ship, known now as hull number DDG 86, will be officially christened with the name "SHOUP," to honor U.S. Marine Corps General David M. Shoup (1904-1983), a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the initial landings on Betio, Tarawa Atoll, in the Pacific November 20-22, 1943.

Two sponsors will christen the Aegis guided missile destroyer at the pinnacle of ceremonies to be held at Ingalls’ facilities on the west bank of the Pascagoula River.

Mrs. Zola Shoup, the General’s widow, of Arlington, Virginia; and Claudia Kaine Natter, of Norfolk, Virginia, wife of Admiral Robert J. Natter, USN Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, will act as ship’s sponsors and will each christen the ship with a traditional bottle of champagne across the ship's bow. Ms. Caroline LaMar, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Lieutenant Colonel Catherine Chase, USMCR, of Fairport, New York, and Ms. Victoria Watkins, of Aberdeen, North Carolina, will serve Mrs. Shoup as her Matrons of Honor. Rebecca Watkins, of Chapel Hill and Martha Shoup, of Colorado Springs, Colorado will serve her as Maids of Honor, while Ensign Kelly Natter,USN, of Milton, Florida, and Kendall and Courtney Natter of Norfolk, will serve their mother, Claudia, as Maids of Honor.

Major General William Whitlow, USMC, Director, Expeditionary Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N75), will deliver the ceremony’s principal address.

The public is invited to the ceremony, which begins at 10 a.m. -- one hour earlier than the usual Ingalls ceremony time. Bus transportation will be provided from the shipyard's west bank parking lots to and from the ceremony site. Guests are requested to be at Ingalls by 9:15 a.m. The United States Navy Band from New Orleans, Louisiana, will entertain guests before and during the ceremony.

In naming DDG 86, the United States Navy honors General Shoup, a staunch marine who,

while in command of the Second Marine Regiment, 2^nd Marine Division, carried out his leadership duties and exposed himself to withering enemy fire despite "suffering a serious, painful leg wound...By his brilliant leadership, daring tactics and selfless devotion to duty, Colonel Shoup was largely responsible for the final decisive defeat of the enemy."

He was also awarded the Purple Heart (oak leaf cluster), Legions of Merit with Combat V and the British Distinguished Service order.

In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Shoup the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Later, he was known as President John F. Kennedy’s "favorite general."

President Lyndon Baines Johnson, when he pinned the Distinguished Service Medal on General Shoup in 1964, described him as "strong enough to prevent a war and wise enough to avoid one."

He was known for not wanting to instill hate in the Marine Corps troops, saying, "we teach them what there is in this country worth living for, worth fighting for, worth giving your life for."

General Shoup died on January 15, 1983 at the age of 78.

Other ceremony participants will include Admiral Natter; Vice Admiral Edward Moore Jr., USN, Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet; Rear Admiral William W. Cobb Jr., USN, Program Executive Officer for Theater Surface Combatants; Rear Admiral Terrance T. Etnyre, USN, Vice Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Captain Philip N. Johnson, USN, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Pascagoula; Dr. Ronald D. Sugar, President and Chief Operating Officer, Litton Industries Inc.; and David B. Wright, President, Litton Ingalls Shipbuilding.

Dr. Rex Yancey, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Pascagoula, will deliver the ceremony’s invocation. The Pascagoula High School NJROTC Color Guard will participate in the festivities as well.

Aegis destroyers are the workhorse of the Navy's surface fleet, and the modern naval threat dictates that these ships be prepared to conduct simultaneous operations in multi-threat environments that include air, surface and subsurface targets. These versatile ships conduct a variety of missions, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, around the clock and around the world in support of the Nation's military strategy.

The 509.5-foot, 9,300-ton SHOUP will operate primarily with aircraft carrier battle groups, but will also provide essential escort services to Navy and Marine Corps amphibious forces and auxiliary ships, and conduct independent operations. The ship will be operated by a crew of approximately 383 officers and crewmembers.

DDG 86 is Ingalls’ fourth Flight IIA Aegis destroyer. The highlight of this major upgrade program is the addition of two helicopter hangars that will each accommodate an SH-60B

undersea warfare helicopter. DDG 86 also has the LAMPS MK III Undersea Warfare Control

System, with helicopter landing and replenishment facilities for the SH-60B. Ingalls was responsible for the design of the new hangar, and its associated compartments, as well as for

incorporating the hangar into the total ship design program. Fourteen Ingalls-built Aegis destroyers are now in the Fleet. Following SHOUP, Ingalls has contracts and options to produce nine additional Aegis destroyers, with six of those ships in various stages of production.

Construction of DDG 86 began at Ingalls on November 10, 1998. The ship's keel was laid on December 13, 1999. When completed in 2002, DDG 86 will be homeported in Everett, Washington, as an element of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Commander E. Bernard Carter, a native of Hopkins, South Carolina, will take command of the ship upon commissioning next year.