MARINETTE, Wis. (AP) — A shipyard on the border between Wisconsin and Michigan was for one day crowded with Minnesotans to watch the launch of the U.S. Navy's newest combat ship, named in honor of the Twin Cities.
The EagleHerald reports that the USS Minneapolis-St. Paul was dropped into the water Saturday where it was built, at Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.
The ship's sponsor, Northfield, Minnesota native and Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy Jodi J. Greene, christened the ship by smashing a bottle of champagne against its bow. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, the keynote speaker, praised those who built the ship and those who will serve aboard it.
The ship is designed to be fast and agile in order to conduct missions close to shore.
