Keel Laying Ceremony of the Future USS Louis H. Wilson, Jr. (DDG 126)

Photo By Lt. Sydney Sisler | The ship's co-sponsors pictured with two Bath Iron Works workers who helped the sponsors etch their names in the ceremonial keel plate.  

BATH, MAINE, UNITED STATES

05.16.2023

Courtesy Story

PCU Louis H. Wilson, Jr. (DDG 126)

On May 16, 2023, the keel of the future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126) was laid at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The keel-laying ceremony marks a significant milestone in turning plans into reality, a characteristic of the future destroyer’s namesake. This event marks the start of Bath Iron Works' venture into building the newest generation of destroyers for the US Navy. DDG 126 will be the first Flight III destroyer built at the Bath shipyard and the third Flight III in the US Navy. Both of the ship's sponsors, Mrs. Janet Wilson Taylor, General Wilson’s daughter, and the Honorable Susan J. Rabern, were in attendance to commemorate this momentous occasion.

• Date Taken: 05.16.2023
• Date Posted: 03.03.2026 13:55
• Story ID: 559295
• Location: BATH, MAINE, US