I wished to let you know that we have a big event on April 12th.
My wife, Lauren ’03 and Camille’s ’10 mother, Ann Zumwalt will be co-sponsor with her sister for the christening of DDG 1000 the first in Class Destroyer of the Zumwalt Class of destroyers. The USS Zumwalt will officially get its name Saturday in Bath Maine where it is being built when 2 bottles of champagne break over its bow. ( DDG 1001 the Michael Mansoor named after a congressional medal of honor winner who lost his life in Afghanistan, the third member of the Zumwalt will be DDG 1002.) Lauren ’03 and Camille’10 will be Official Maids of Honor, significant in that they will maintain a relationship with the ship for the duration of its service, estimated to be at least forty years.
The Zumwalt, named after Admiral Elmo Zumwalt Jr, the youngest four star officer in the history of the US military, is the most modern warship ever built. He was known for his Z-grams which encouraged the institution to radically change its policies particularly addressing racial and gender inequalities. His reforms have persisted these forty years since he was in charge of the Navy and is largely credited with crafting the modern Navy. The promotion of a black female to the first four star rating in the Navy recently is in no small part because of his leadership four decades ago.
Several current and former Deerfield Faculty plan to join us in Bath, Maine
Michael Coppola, M.D. P03, 10