BATH, Maine—Heroes forged in Afghanistan and Iraq are having their names bestowed on a new generation of warships, joining those whose exploits in World Wars and battles domestic and abroad earned them the distinction of having U.S. Navy vessels christened in their honor.
More than a decade after U.S. boots hit the ground in the Middle East, two new destroyers bearing the names of Americans who died there are already in service.
A third, the future USS Rafael Peralta, named for a Marine killed nearly 11 years ago in Iraq, will be christened Saturday at Bath Iron Works. Peralta was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for heroism after he covered an insurgent’s grenade with his body to protect his fellow Marines.
“His legacy will carry on,” said Ricardo Peralta, who was inspired by his older brother to join the Marines and served in Afghanistan. “I feel like the USS Peralta holds the spirit of what my brother stood for, and that was for God, for his country, the United States, and for the Marine Corps.”
The Peralta is one of four destroyers named for a serviceman who died in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The USS Jason Dunham, named for a Marine killed in 2004 in Iraq, and the USS Michael Murphy, named for a Navy SEAL killed in 2005 in Afghanistan, are already on duty. The future USS Michael Monsoor, named for a Navy SEAL killed in 2006 in Iraq, is also being built at Bath Iron Works.
Born in Mexico City, Rafael Peralta came to the United States with his family, attended high school in San Diego and enlisted in the Marines on the same day he received his green card.
