USS Cooperstown construction underway
United States Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced in 2015 that a Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) will be named the USS Cooperstown to honor the military veterans who are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The ship is currently under construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis.
Sixty-eight Hall of Fame veterans served the United States Military in a range of conflicts that spanned the Civil War through the Korean War. Their memories are preserved forever at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.
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The Chairman of the Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Jane Forbes Clark, was asked by the Secretary of the Navy to be the ship’s Honorary Sponsor. In that role, Clark will participate in ceremonies celebrating the ship’s construction – from its christening to its launch – and will guide the connection between the Hall of Fame and the USS Cooperstown.
The Hall of Fame has been asked, and intends, to begin and maintain a strong relationship with not only the ship, but also its sailors.
“We are in the process of developing a program for the Hall of Fame to stay in touch with the sailors on the USS Cooperstown, through copies of our publications and invitations to the Hall of Fame when they’re on leave,” said Jon Shestakofsky, Vice President of Communications and & Education for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “We look forward to providing each of the sailors aboard the USS Cooperstown with a unique connection to our National Pastime.”
On Aug. 14, a keel-laying ceremony marked the official start of construction, and the ship is now in the south bay of Building 10 at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, where the hull will be erected and craftwork completed prior to launch.
During the ceremony, Cooperstown Village Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh – who was there representing the National Baseball Hall of Fame – authenticated the keel by welding her initials onto a steel plate that will later be placed in the ship.
As an LCS, the USS Cooperstown is designed for operation in near-shore environments, but is also capable of open-ocean operation.
It is engineered to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats, such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.
The Freedom variant ships feature a steel monohull design and are designed and built by a Lockheed Martin-led team.
The ship will be capable of traveling upwards of 40 knots and its modular design will incorporate mission packages that can be changed out quickly as combat needs change in a region.
These mission packages are supported by detachments that deploy both manned and unmanned vehicles, and sensors in support of mine, undersea and surface warfare missions.
Secretary Mabus first announced this honor during the Awards Presentation at Doubleday Field on July 25, 2015.
The USS Cooperstown will be the U.S. Navy’s 23rd Littoral Combat Ship.
Hall of Fame members who have defended America during times of war:
The American Civil War
Morgan Bulkeley - U.S. Army
World War I
Grover Alexander - Army
Happy Chandler - Army
Oscar Charleston - Army
Ty Cobb - Army
Eddie Collins - Marines
Jocko Conlan - Navy
Red Faber - Navy
Warren Giles - Army
Burleigh Grimes - Navy
Harry Heilmann - Navy
Waite Hoyt - Army
George Kelly - Army
Larry MacPhail - Army
Rabbit Maranville - Navy
Rube Marquard - Navy
Christy Mathewson - Army
Herb Pennock - Navy
Sam Rice - Army
Branch Rickey - Army
Eppa Rixey - Army
Bullet Rogan - Army
Louis Santop - Navy
Joe Sewell - Army
George Sisler - Army
Tris Speaker - Navy
Casey Stengel – Navy
Jud Wilson – Army
World War II
Luke Appling - Army
Al Barlick - Coast Guard
Yogi Berra – Navy
Willard Brown - Army
Nestor Chylak - Army
Mickey Cochrane - Navy
Leon Day - Army
Bill Dickey - Navy
Joe DiMaggio - Army
Larry Doby - Navy
Bobby Doerr - Army
Bob Feller - Navy
Charlie Gehringer – Navy
Joe Gordon - Army
Hank Greenberg - Army
Billy Herman - Navy
Monte Irvin - Army
Ralph Kiner - Navy
Bob Lemon - Navy
Ted Lyons - Marines
Larry MacPhail - Army
Lee MacPhail - Navy
Johnny Mize - Navy
Stan Musial - Navy
Pee Wee Reese - Navy
Phil Rizzuto - Navy
Robin Roberts - Army
Jackie Robinson - Army
Red Ruffing - Army
Red Schoendienst - Army
Enos Slaughter - Army
Duke Snider - Navy
Warren Spahn - Army
Bill Veeck - Marines
Ted Williams - Marines
Early Wynn - Army
Korean War
Ernie Banks - Army
Whitey Ford - Army
Whitey Herzog - Army
Eddie Mathews - Navy
Willie Mays - Army
Ted Williams - Marines