It’s cloudy and cool, but feels comfortable.
It’s hard to miss the giant steel ship, lined in red, white and blue flags sitting against the skyline.
The Navy Band Southwest plays a patriotic piece as guests filter in, slowly taking their seats in the crisp outdoor air, facing the ship.
The ship is the USS John L. Canley (ESB-6), and today is its commissioning ceremony.
Hundreds of sailors that await manning the ship to report for duty stand at attention at the back of the guests, patiently waiting to start their new command.
The USS John L. Canley is the fourth Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base of the U.S. Navy, meaning it functions as a helicopter carrier.
It is 784 feet, or 2 ½ football fields long.
Sergeant Major John L. Canley
The namesake of the ship is Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Major John L. Canley who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1953-1981. He passed away in May 2022 at the age of 84.
Canley did three combat tours to Vietnam, serving as a rifle platoon leader, company gunnery sergeant and company first sergeant.
Seven days of battle at the former imperial capital of Hué is the reason the ship was named after him.
Canley led his troops through a week of fighting in one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War, according to an informational booklet given to the guests.
In order to draw out the enemy, Canley stepped into an open area, receiving machine-gun fire, the booklet reads.
What he did enabled the marines to completely take over the building from the enemy.
“He earned his Medal of Honor over seven days,” Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos A. Ruiz says. “The seven days is why the name is on this ship. But it’s the 30 years of service in a uniform that brings most of us here today.”
And the commissioning of this ship holds even more significance because Canley was the first African American service member to receive the Medal of Honor while still living.
Our nation is made stronger by their diversity; diversity of background, of experience, diversity of thought.
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro
“We, as Americans, have the unique opportunity to tell the stories of Robert Smalls, Charles J. French and now John L. Canley,” Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro says at the ceremony, mentioning two other African Americans that have a significant history with the U.S. Navy. “Our nation is made stronger by their diversity; diversity of background, of experience, diversity of thought.”
Reporting for duty
The ceremony continues and the USS John L. Canley is at last placed in commission.
The sailors waiting in the back finally run on board to man the ship and bring her to life. They flip open a flag, and in bright yellow letters against a red background it reads, “USS John L. Canley (ESB-6). Courage under fire.”
Captain Thomas A. Mays assumes his command as commanding officer of the USS John L. Canley.
“Let us sail from here to serve our embarked forces and excel at our mission,” Mays says. “To not just do the job, but to advance our story into epic history.”
Mays speaks with the USS John L. Canley behind him, the sailors lined against the railings of the ship, listening to their commanding officer.
The ceremony ends and guests mix with the sailors and former and current service members into one cohesive group, words and laughter piling on each other like waves on a shore.
John Canley gets to live forever…people like us get to spend the rest of our careers trying to live up to that.
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos A. Ruiz
“He showed all of us how to move, how to walk, how to show courage, how to do the right thing,” Ruiz says. “John Canley gets to live forever…people like us get to spend the rest of our careers trying to live up to that.”
