Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Congressman Steve Buyer (R-IN) have asked the U.S. Navy to name the next United States warship in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette.  

In a letter to the Secretary of the Navy, Donald Winter, Skelton and Buyer wrote:

    “As you know, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, commonly known as the Marquis de Lafayette, was an instrumental figure in our nation’s war for independence…   This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of this great man.  Lafayette was a favorite of General Washington and was much loved by the people of the early United States.  In fact, General Lafayette returned to the United States in 1824 and toured the country that he helped found, a country that had by that time grown to 24 states.  It was during this triumphal tour of the nation that many cities, towns, and counties were either named or renamed in honor of the Marquis.  Both Lafayette County, Missouri, and Lafayette, Indiana owe their names to this original American hero.”  

    “We feel it is extremely important to the history and traditions of the Navy that our ships continue to pay tribute to the heroes who have gone before and sacrificed so much to establish our nation.  We strongly encourage that you name one of our next destroyers or submarines in honor of General Lafayette.”

    Three previous Navy vessels have honored Lafayette:  an iron clad side-wheeled steamer during the Civil War; a converted French cruise liner used as a troopship during World War II; and a ballistic missile submarine, the lead ship of the Lafayette class, which was decommissioned in 1991 after almost thirty years of service during the Cold War.

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Attachment: 12/7/07 Text of letter from Chairman Skelton and Congressman Buyer to Secretary Winter

December 7, 2007

Honorable Donald C. Winter
Secretary of the Navy
1300 Navy Pentagon
Washington, DC 20310-0101

Dear Mr. Secretary,

    We write to urge you to name the next United States warship the USS Lafayette.  As you know, Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier, commonly known as the Marquis de Lafayette, was an instrumental figure in our nation’s war for independence.  In 1777, the then 20-year-old Marquis made passage to the colonies to assist in the fight for freedom.  The Continental Congress commissioned him a Major General in the Continental Army and he served with distinction in various commands through to the final siege of British forces under Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.  It was Lafayette’s personal influence with the King of France which garnered the much needed support of the Naval forces of General Rochambeau, forces which tipped the balance of power and allowed for the ultimate victory of General Washington’s Continental Army.

    This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of this great man.  Lafayette was a favorite of General Washington and was much loved by the people of the early United States.  In fact, General Lafayette returned to the United States in 1824 and toured the country that he helped found, a country that had by that time grown to 24 states.  It was during this triumphal tour of the nation that many cities, towns, and counties were either named or renamed in honor of the Marquis.  Both Lafayette County, Missouri and Lafayette, Indiana owe their names to this original American hero.

    Mr. Secretary, there have been three Navy vessels named in honor of Lafayette:  the first was an iron clad side-wheeled steamer which saw action with the Western Flotilla in the Battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War; the second was the converted SS Normandie, a French cruise liner used as a troopship in World War II; and the third and perhaps most celebrated was the fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Lafayette SSBN 616, the lead ship of the Lafayette class, which served from 1963 to 1991, completing 76 strategic deterrent patrols during the Cold War.

   We feel that it is extremely important to the history and traditions of the Navy that our ships continue to pay tribute to the heroes who have gone before and sacrificed so much to establish our nation.  We strongly encourage that you name one of our next destroyers or submarines in honor of General Lafayette.

    Sincerely, 
                                                                                                                                                                                   
IKE SKELTON               STEVE BUYER
Member of Congress     Member of Congress