Newport News shipyard to lay keel for JFK construction - Daily Press
Just before 11 a. m. Saturday, crane operator David Rushing will do what he does best at Newport News Shipbuilding: Lift a very heavy piece of steel and put it in the right place. It will mark the high point of the keel-laying ceremony for the future USS John F. Kennedy, the second aircraft carrier of the new Gerald R. Ford class. About 1,500 invited guests are expected at the downtown shipyard for the celebration that begins at 10 a. m. A keel-laying marks the ceremonial start of construction, and Rushing will cap it off in a big way. Perched high above the crowd in the shipyard's signature "Big Blue" crane, he will lift a 930-ton keel unit into the dry dock, where the aircraft carrier will take shape over the next several years. In reality, work has been underway for some time — shipyard workers cut the first piece of steel in 2011. The Kennedy is scheduled to join the fleet in the summer of 2022. It will replace the USS Nimitz, which is scheduled for inactivation in... The ship's sponsor, Caroline Kennedy, will appear in a video to mark the occasion. Rushing isn't the only shipyard worker who will have an audience. Leon Walston will weld Caroline Kennedy's initials onto a steel plate that will become part of the ship. Walston spent time Friday practicing his "C B K" — Caroline Bouvier Kennedy — as reporters and photographers looked on. The Elizabeth City, N. C. , resident has worked at the shipyard for 13 years. Source: www.dailypress.com
