It’s not every day that the U.S. Navy christens a new missile destroyer ship, with plans to name it after a Korean War hero.
But it happened last week in Pascagoula, Miss., the USS George M. Neal had an official champagne commissioning on its bow with the family of the late prisoner of war, George M. Neal, on hand to witness the honor.
“It was a very proud time for myself, my brother and my entire family,” Kelley Neal Gray, the daughter of the ship’s namesake, told Military.com. “I’m so happy my dad is being recognized in this way.”
He really stood for the U.S. Navy and everything it represents. He truly believed in the credo ‘Leave No Man Behind.’
The commissioning ceremony on Saturday, July 11, drew a crowd of naval officers and dignitaries, as well as a host of relatives and friends of Neal.
“About 45 people from around the country showed up as relatives and friends to attend the christening and the weekend festivities,” Gray said. “I hit that ship with that bottle of champage with one strike! It was even more remarkable than I could have even imagined.”
Honored for Heroism During Search And Rescue Mission
Gray’s dad, George Milton Neal, was a veteran aviation machinist mate 3rd class in the Navy.
He was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroism during a search-and-rescue mission over North Korea in 1951. He volunteered for a dangerous mission to go deep into enemy territory to rescue the crew of a downed helicopter.
But the chopper he and his crew were flying in came under heavy enemy fire and crashed.
Neal’s daughter said her dad and another crew mate survived and were on the run for nearly three months.
“They evaded the Koreans for about 89 days, and then they were captured,” Gray said. “And so he was a POW for about two years. The pilot actually passed away in captivity. My dad and a Marine were actually released.”
Neal’s daughter said her dad was 54 when he came home. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service, then became a businessman. He rarely talked about what he endured during the war, though, even in his later years ahead of his death in 2021.
“I believe that he just didn’t want to talk about it,” Gray said. “I mean, they said that when he was released, he had lost almost 100 pounds. He was fed rice with maggots. It was terrible.
“So, he had a tough time. And at one point he did say there was really no reason to relive what happened.”
Missile Destroyer Ship Considered ‘Backbone’ of Navy Fleet
The ship named after Neal is the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer and is considered the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, according to the service.
The ships provide protection for America around the globe, incorporating stealth techniques to conduct a variety of operations—from peacetime presence to national security in the air, surface and sub-surface domains.
William Toti, a retired naval officer who has been performing the duties of undersecretary of the Navy since May, led the commissioning ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula.
“The future USS George M. Neal honors a legacy of extraordinary courage and sacrifice,” Toti said. “As we christen this ship, we mark another step toward building the Navy our nation needs. Flight III destroyers are critical to our nation’s security, and we are proud to accept each one built by the skilled workforce at Ingalls.”
Gray, who splits her time with her family in both Ohio and Florida, said her thoughts will be with the many sailors and visitors who will see her dad’s name on the ship and wonder about his life and legacy.
“He was a businessman who worked in electronics most of his life, and raised Arabian horses,” Gray said. “He was also a sports fanatic. I called him a real renaissance man. Very stylish but also worked very, very hard.”
His naval service, Gray said, made him so proud that he insisted on being buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
“He wanted that honor,” she said. “He was very proud of all of his medals. He represented a lot of what the Navy stands for. The resilience, the courage, the sacrifice.
“We are forever grateful that his life of service, sacrifice and courage will be remembered through a ship that will one day defend our nation and carry his legacy throughout the world.”
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