WASHINGTON - Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced Aug. 7 that a future Navajo-class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue (T-ATS) ship will be named in honor of Solomon Atkinson, a pioneering Navy SEAL and an Alaskan Native of the Metlakatla Indian Community, Annette Islands Reserve.
Del Toro made the announcement on the Metlakatla’s Founders Day.
The name selection of USNS Solomon Atkinson (T-ATS 12) follows the tradition of naming towing, salvage, and rescue ships after prominent Native Americans or Native American tribes.
Born in 1930 in Metlakatla, Alaska, Solomon Atkinson was raised by his parents on the sole Indian Reserve in Alaska. Atkinson worked as a commercial fisherman before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1952.
A year later, Atkinson volunteered for the underwater demolition teams and became a frogman, the precursor to present day SEALs.
In 1962, Atkinson became one of the first Navy SEALs and was a plank owner for SEAL Team 1. (SECNAV 08/07/23) SECNAV Names Future Navajo-Class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship Solomon Atkinson > United States Navy > News Stories
Regional Note: Gulf Island Shipyard of Houma, La., is in production of T-ATS 6 through 8.
No comments:
Post a Comment