U.S. Navy christens future USS William Charette (DDG 130) at Bath Iron Works

Published Aug 3, 08:04 AM UTC

On August 1, 2026, the U.S. Navy christened the future USS William Charette (DDG 130), a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship honors Master Chief Hospital Corpsman William Charette, a Medal of Honor recipient who shielded a wounded Marine from a grenade blast during the Korean War on March 27, 1953, and continued treating casualties despite his own injuries. The ceremony featured a traditional bottle-breaking by the ship's sponsor, Kathryn Charette Donovan, the daughter of the namesake. Attendees included Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, Maine Governor Janet Mills, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King, and fellow Medal of Honor recipient Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr. The destroyer is the fifth Flight III variant, equipped with the AN/SPY-6 air and missile defense radar, and carries the motto 'Valor in Service.'