OUR COMMUNITY

T

he naval destroyer named for the
late Sen. Carl Levin was christened
Oct. 2 at Bath Iron Works in Maine.
The USS Carl M. Levin, a 510-foot-long
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, weighed
7,500 tons when it launched in May.
Then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus
announced the naming of the ship in 2016,
saying he considered Levin to be one of
the “most influential” members of the
Senate. “Destroyers are named for heroes,”
Mabus said. “Carl Levin is an American
hero.”
Levin, who died July 29 at age 87, served
36 years in the U.S. Senate. For all those
years, he served on the Senate Armed

Services Committee, including 10 years as
its chairman.
Levin’s three daughters, Kate Levin
Markel, Laura Levin and Erica Levin,
performed the christening. Erica Levin
delivered a speech her father wrote for the
occasion before his death.
Levin’s nephew, U.S. Rep. Andy Levin,
D-Bloomfield Township, said, “My Uncle
Carl said, ‘I suppose a lot of people might
say, well, I was chair of the Armed Services
Committee for all these years, so having
a mighty ship named after me is a fitting
tribute.’ That is not how Uncle Carl viewed
this situation at all.
“
Above all, he loved the commitment,

sacrifice, patriotism and fellow feeling of
ordinary Americans like those who will
serve on this ship.”
Sen. Levin’s wife, Barbara, and older
brother, retired U.S. Rep. Sander Levin,
also attended.
Sander Levin said, “Carl sought to join
the Senate Armed Services Committee
both to honor his debt to this nation and
to strive to ensure that its work was in the
best interest of all our citizens.
“Our hope is that in the years and years
to come, it will help us remember him
and honor all that made him a remark-
able public servant and a glorious human
being.”

Sen. Levin’s family attend ceremony in Maine.
Sen. Levin’s family attend ceremony in Maine.

USS Carl M. Levin
Is Getting Set to Sail

JN STAFF

20 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021

The christening of the USS Carl M. Levin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer took place Oct. 2 at the Bath Iron Works in Maine.

U.S. NAVY VIA FACEBOOK

A Special Seal

The motto of the USS Carl M. Levin
is “Tenacious in the Fight,” which
expresses “the steadfast
and determined motivation
of the command and crew
to triumph over adversity,”
according to the U.S. Navy.
“The hourglass shaped
division of the field resem-
bles the shape of the his-
toric Senate gavel, implying
Mr. Levin’s service as a

United States Senator,” according to
its description on the U.S. Navy’s web-
site. “The six six-pointed stars honor
Mr. Levin’s 36 years in the Senate. The
seven vertical stripes over a
blue field denote the USS Carl
M. Levin (DDG 120) as the 70th
ship in its class. The national
colors of the United States are
red, white and blue.”
It goes on to describe the
crest on the seal: “The sword
and Senate gavel allude to Mr.
Levin’s service as a Senator and

position of Chairman of the Armed
Services Committee. The Phrygian
(Liberty) cap amongst the radiant light
conveys Mr. Levin’s work to protect
the Great Lakes and their many light-
houses along Michigan’s coastline. The
Liberty cap, adapted from the United
States Senate Seal, conveys the para-
mount nature of America’s ethics and
values, emphasized by the golden radi-
ant light. Additionally, the eagle is fea-
tured on the coat of arms of the State
of Michigan, in tribute to Mr. Levin’s
home state.”

Seal of the
USS Carl M. Levin

U.S. NAVY