"As the first of its class, the future USNS John
Lewis will play a vital role in the mission of our Navy and Marine
Corps while also forging a new path in fleet replenishment,"
said Mabus. "Naming this ship after John Lewis is a fitting tribute
to a man who has, from his youth, been at the forefront of progressive
social and human rights movements in the U.S., directly shaping both
the past and future of our nation."
Lewis' dedication to the civil rights movement began
in earnest while he was still a young man, when he organized sit-in
demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1961, he participated in the "Freedom Rides,"
challenging segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South
and, in 1963, Lewis was named chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC) where he was responsible for organizing student activism
challenging segregation.
Lewis was also a keynote speaker at the historic March
on Washington in 1963 and led more than 600 peaceful protestors across
the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.
Elected to Congress in 1986, Lewis has dedicated his
life to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building
what he calls "The Beloved Community" in America.
"T-AO 205 will, for decades to come, serve as
a visible symbol of the freedoms Representative Lewis holds dear,
and his example will live on in the steel of that ship and in all
those who will serve aboard her, " said Mabus.
The future USNS John Lewis will be operated by Military
Sealift Command and provide underway replenishment of fuel and stores
to U.S. Navy ships at sea and jet fuel for aircraft assigned to aircraft
carriers. A contract will be awarded for the ship in summer 2016 and
construction is expected to begin in 2018.
