(Video by Robin Kerrick, Scott Mundy and Jonah Brandt, NAVSUP)
The 50th Chief of Supply Corps and Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Commander, Rear Adm. Ken Epps, hosted a wreath laying ceremony Oct. 10, 2025, at the burial site of Tench Francis, Jr., at Christ Church Burial Ground in Old City, Philadelphia.
In 1795, President George Washington appointed Francis to become the nation and Navy’s first Purveyor of Public Supplies, an action that created the Navy Supply Corps. Francis’ responsibilities involved centralizing procurement of ship building and repair materials for the U.S. Navy’s first fleet of ships.
Epps’ remarks focused on how far the Navy and Supply Corps have developed since its inception with Francis’...
