Navy commissions ship named for Medal of Honor recipient [View all]

Last edited Mon Feb 19, 2024, 12:08 PM - Edit history (1)

The U.S. Navy’s newest ship officially entered service this weekend. The USS John L. Canley is an expeditionary sea base, a kind of mobile command and control and dock. It’s also named for Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley, an African-American Marine Corps veteran who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Hue City in 1968 during the Vietnam War.

The ceremony a tNaval Air Station North Island, Calif. was attended by more than 1,000 people, including military leaders such as Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz and the commander of the new ship, Capt. Thomas Mays.

Born in 1937, Canley joined the Marine Corps in 1953. He would deploy three times to Vietnam, serving several roles. It was in the start of 1968, while serving as a gunnery sergeant with Company A, First Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division that Canley would carry out his most notable actions. The Tet Offensive had started, with North Vietnamese soldiers rushing and seizing much of the city of Hue. Canley and Company A moved in to relieve pinned down Americans. Over the course of several days the Marines fought through the city, retaking it bit by bit. After the company commander was wounded, Canley took over the company and put himself at risk multiple times to rescue wounded Marines. He himself was wounded but continued to lead attacks on North Vietnamese positions.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-ship-medal-of-honor-john-l-canley/

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/defense/story/2022-06-25/navy-christens-huge-ship-that-bears-the-name-of-medal-of-honor-recipient