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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) received the first in a series of relic displays from the USS Arizona (BB-39) in commemoration and remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor during a ceremony May 20.
The relic originates from a section of the superstructure of the Arizona that was removed from the ship when the Arizona Memorial was constructed. The Naval History and Heritage Command authorized the removal of sections of the relics for display and legacy enhancing purposes in 1994. The goal of the program is to present the relic displays to every ship and submarine in the Pacific Fleet by the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 2021.
Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, presented the relic to Chung-Hoon.
"This relic represents the fighting spirit of the USS Arizona Sailors. Their legacy lives on throughout the Pacific Fleet," said Paparo. "During the attack on Pearl Harbor, and following, your ship's namesake and so many others answered the nation's call when needed the most, many making the ultimate sacrifice."
DDG 93's commanding officer spoke about the significance of the presentation, and the history behind the ship's namesake.
"It was an honor to be presented the first relic from the Arizona in the Pacific Fleet," said Cmdr. David Hollon, Chung-Hoon's commanding officer. "Our ship's namesake, Admiral Gordon Pai'ea Chung-Hoon, was assigned to the Arizona on that fateful day, but was ashore. The relic will be displayed on board as a tribute to our rich history and heritage and to serve as a constant reminder that we all must be mentally, physically, and materially ready to fight when our nation calls."
Chung-Hoon is the 43rd ship in the Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class of Aegis guided missile destroyers - the U.S. Navy's most powerful destroyer fleet. DDG 93 is also the 20th Aegis destroyer to be launched and christened from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Mississippi. DDG 93 was formally commissioned USS Chung-Hoon on September 18, 2004.
Paparo is the 37th commander since Pacific Fleet's Pearl Harbor headquarters was established in February 1941. He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOP GUN) and has flown the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagles and F-A-18 Hornet, among other aircraft. His full bio is available at https://www.cpf.navy.mil/leaders/samuel-paparo.