MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A ship to be made in Marinette will be named after a prominent figure in the American Revolution.
The U.S. Navy announced the fourth new Constellation-class frigate will be named USS Lafayette, after Marquis de Lafayette.
Lafayette was a French aristocrat and military officer who volunteered to join the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War. In 1779, he returned briefly to France, where he successfully advocated for military aid for the Americans. He was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine, where British soldiers shot him in the leg. After his recovery, Lafayette joined Gen. George Washington as a member of his personal staff.
In 2002, Congress posthumously made Lafayette an honorary U.S. citizen.
Three previous Navy vessels have been named in honor of Lafayette: a sidewheel ironclad ram, a transport ship (AP 53), and a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN 616).
The future USS Lafayette is scheduled to commission in 2029.
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